Use it up, wear it out, all this stuff is making me shout!

Jotty and I cleaned/straightened up most of the garage Friday. It is a nice feeling to see SPACE in the garage. I wonder how people do it with their cars actually being IN their garage? I mean, where do they put their "stuff"?
I didn't sort out my paint supplies or gardening stuff and I didn't go through all the boxes on the shelves (Christmas, Easter, Halloween, costumes, wedding deco, camping, sports, etc.-ad nauseum). It will take a day to do each of those catagories. On Friday, we just got rid of the clutter, got a van-load of stuff to Christian mission and put other stuff where it was supposed to be. It was sooo hot; much like the sweltering tropical jungle...without as many bugs). There was about 80 to 100% humidity but it had to be done. Here's my logic: In order to do some sewing for a sister in our ward, I need to clean the sewing room (that, or throw in a hand grenade). To clean the sewing room, I need a place in the garage for some of my sewing/crafting things, and stuff I just need to get rid of. I also need to clear the office of stuff from Music Man...which means I need more room in the garage for "stuff" and a holding place for things before they go to Christian mission. I know it is my own laziness that created this. I get in a hurry to get other things done so I put things in one of the rooms to "put away later". If I can't decide just where something belongs, I pledge to "put it away later". AND, if I have a problem deciding if I need to keep it or toss it...I decide to decide later. Are you seeing a pattern here? If I am nothing else I am a master procrastinator. Eventually, I am faced with a bunch of stuff that I didn't deal with immediately. With regard to the boxes I didn't go through: I think if I had a week with no responsibilities, no phone calls, no visitors, no need to leave...I think I could put a dent in what is in boxes in the garage. Since that is not likely to happen, there they sit.

Okay, you must see that I have a terrible habit that I can't figure out how to break. I save stuff. I'm not a hoarder I just save stuff. If it is good and still usable...for someone or something, then for most part I will save it...usually in a "good safe place"(which is another post entirely). I even try to "save neatly" - which means I have a LOT of cardboard and Rubbermaid-type boxes - most are even labeled! I don't have a problem making it look neat or organizing it...I just have way too much!
Do you know the adage, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"? Well, that saying is going to be THE END of me! The kicker is that it has served me well to save stuff. There is no way to count the times someone has asked me, "Do you happen to have..." Or "If I just had...." And 9 times out of 10...yes, I will have it. And it is NOT just family members. Church activities, work, school assigments and productions... I usually have some of the supplies, the start of a costume, props etc. ...all from my stash of stuff. So, I DO get rid of some things by finding them new homes; and occasionally I go through and take stuff to Christian mission to let them figure out what to do with it. On the other hand, I also get more junk the same way...through productions and activities.
The way I see it, if I had never heard that adage I think it might have been easier to cure myself of "Johnson-itis". Oh, my brothers and I all have it to varying degrees. We inherited it from our parents...who (I think)got it from the necessity of being able to "make do with what you have" and be thrifty. All four of us save stuff...some of us just do it neater than the others. I believe in being thrifty, I believe we don't always need new, and I don't believe in being wasteful (yes, I wash out good, used zip-lock bags). What I can't get is: How do I justify just getting rid of stuff that is useful but not useful to me? I've tried having a yard sale now and then but honestly, I'd rather have surgery than have a yard sale. WAY too stressful for me.
When I get the hankering to scale down and SIMPLIFY, that old adage starts humming in my head and then I look at things closer and before you know it I have only gotten rid of a smaller portion of things I really wanted to chuck. There are crafts I know I won't be doing again, fabrics I'll never use, bargains I should have left in the store, and clothes I will never wear again-even if I lose weight. I end up looking at things anew and thinking, "Well, I could do that with the grandkids" or "maybe I can use that at work or in the next play", or "this is so cute, maybe I can find someone who wants it" OR the impossible, "when I get time I think I will finish that". The road to hell is paved with good intentions! Apparently I am paving mine with premium asphalt.
I have got to simplify. There are things I cannot get rid of and which are, in and of themselves, a stress for me. I must eventually conquer it or die trying. That is: sorting out all the photos and getting them to the kids. We have boxes, chests and cupboards full of pictures. If I only had one picture a week for each of the 9 kids for 20 years, I would have nearly 10,000 pictures. The fact, is that I have 40 years of photos with a miniscule amount being in albums. Is there such thing as a photo fairy? Ah, but I digress...
Something's gotta give and I would prefer that it NOT be (what's left) of my sanity.
Is there anyone out there that has a justification or reason for me to allow myself to just let go and clear un-needed things out? I want to be able to not feel guilty when I am getting rid of things or think, "oh, I guess I could save this for a yard sale". How can I equalize the adage with the common sense that I can't keep everything. (And please, don't suggest we move to a smaller place. Thought of that already and it can't be done right now). Let me know if you have the cure. If your suggestion wins, you even get a prize...I'm sure I have one somewhere in all my junk!