Secretly getting rid of things?

Coming from a home where my mom liked to save everything has really made it difficult for me. It seems like in my early childhood things weren't this way. The house was always clean and for the most part, tidy. However, things started to change over the years and the clutter started to pile up. It's embarrassing to have anyone over for a visit which has been the case for just over 2/3 of my life.

Yesterday I was looking for something, yes, I was only 90% sure of where I put something I sold on eBay which wasn't in my room. Anyhow, I had to pull things out of a spare room which is basically a storage for a multitude of items which are not being used...mostly my mom's and very little is mine. While doing this, I threw out a curtain / mosquito net type thing I purchased at IKEA a few years ago. I don't have a use for this thing and frankly, I don't like it anymore. My mom saw this in the hallway and said in almost a panicky tone, "You're not throwing that mosquito net away, are you?" All I said was, "Relax," in a *sigh* "What on earth do you want to keep this for when you already have one?" tone.

For now it is back in the room, but when I do get rid of it, because I do plan on it, I will have to be discreet. Just like I was with my old plastic shower curtain with a cute black, silver and white dotted pattern! I'm not sure if she will ever notice that it is gone. She may have been keeping it to sell at a yard sale...but it was mine and I didn't like it anymore. The white cloth one in my shower now is much nicer! The best part, I only paid about $2.00 at a yard sale for my new cloth curtain!

I know my mom and I are going to face more of these, "I can give it to so and so," or "Wouldn't you rather sell that and make some money?" issues. - Boundaries. I need to have them in order to not give in. The items are mine, and I can do with them as I please. Period.

That being said, I have a lot to learn and struggle with to change some old ways in order to meet my goal of being clutter free!