GTKY: Do you keep things from exes?

megngregk · October 2013

This was asked on the morning show I listen to.

Do you keep things from exes?
What gets tossed or given back?
If you do have things from previous relationships, and does SO know/care?

salsamommy · October 2013

Do you keep things from exes? Yes I did keep items from certain Ex Boyfriends.

What gets tossed or given back? I don't think I ever gave anything back, and only some pictures got tossed.

If you do have things from previous relationships, and does SO know/care? No my soon to be XH didn't know. He was an angry man, and took it out always on me. If he even saw an old picture on the computer he freaked out and got extremely jealous. Anything that I kept, stayed at my mom's house when I moved in with him!

km_md · October 2013

DH was my first real long-term relationship (we started dating in high school), so I don't have stuff from exes. I had a couple of photos taken at high school dances and things but that's about it. We both moved straight from our parents' places to our shared home, so anything that we may have had probably got tossed at that point.

KimberlyTX · October 2013

I have never given anything back to an ex (but I also don't think I've ever been given anything so valuable that I would even think to give it back). I have donated jewelry that I've been given by exes, although I might have one or two things still--maybe a pair of earrings?

The only "gift" from an ex that I know for sure I still have are two wine glasses. My mom likes them because they are lightweight (she has Rheumatoid Arthritis pretty bad in her hands), so I keep them around mostly for her. DH doesn't know where they came from, but he also wouldn't care. One thing I did purge a lot of were pictures. I have a lot that are digital, but I don't need to keep framed photos of exes in a box somewhere. DH did the same with printed photos of his exes.

Winnieella · October 2013

Nope, I sold them and made money.

More or less my ex cheated on me (on my birthday) so he didn't get back the jewelry he gave me. It was sold.

sugarland726 · October 2013

I'm a big purger, so no I don't keep anything. Plus I've been with my H for 10.5 years, so still keeping something at this point would be weird, IMO.

goldenB · October 2013

I like fresh starts. When I met DH I got rid of everything my ex had ever given me.

ccip82 · October 2013

Do you keep things from exes? I do not think I kept anything from any XBF other than a piece of jewelry or two that I never wear.

What gets tossed or given back? Pictures got tossed or deleted from my computer when I came across them. I was living with an XBF before DH. When I moved out, I left a lot of sentimental stuff.

megngregk · October 2013

I still have a keychain on my key ring from 10 years ago given to me by my HS SH. He was killed in a motorcycle accident after we were broken up, but we were still close. It'll stay on until it eventually breaks. I have a stuffed animal from him in storage. I also have pictures, but they are in a drawer. Same with my wedding album from my first marriage. It was a part of my life. I don't look at it, but I don't want tothrow it away either.

I've kept other gifts that had no sentimental value, like DVDs, a camera, etc. Other sentimental items were given back or thrown.

DH knows I have these things and doesn't care. He can get jealous from time to time but not over things like that. Similar to @MarBee1214, XH is still very close to my family. I know there will come s time when he and DH attend an event together. Thankfully DH is ok with this. I can't really tell my brother to ditch his best friend.

Rushley · October 2013

Do you keep things from exes?
I kept a jewellery box. Not because it was from someone but because I love it!

What gets tossed or given back?
Most photos get burned. However, I will never get rid of my prom pictures.

If you do have things from previous relationships, and does SO know/care?
No he doesn't care about the jewellery box, I was 19 when I received it.

juliasmama2010 · October 2013

I didn't make a habit of keeping things. The only thing that's still in my possession (and no, DH doesn't realize) is a pair of swishy pants. My ex and I broke up 10 years ago but those pants are still in my drawer and do get worn every now and again. Not a big deal to me as they have no sentimental value, they are simply very comfy pants!

PreDempsey · October 2013

Burn it with fire!!!! ..and while your at it burn that bridge too

csandroo · October 2013

I do keep things from exes - specifically poems/cards given and just a couple photos. I keep them with old journals and such stored away in a box that I open only once every few years if I'm cleaning stuff out, moving etc. I also keep any cool gifts they got me like an iPod doc etc. But I throw away jewelery, stuffed animals etc.

I give back items that are theirs like if their Gps is in my car - or any clothes . My last ex I still have a binder that I know is very meaningful to him (it's full of this inner healing study stuff he did when he was in rehab as an early 20something ) I just found it two weeks ago.. We haven't spoken in a year now but I want to send it to him (he lives in another state)

My SO does not know that I have things from my exes ... I don't think he would like that I kept the poems and such but they are ffond memories that I want to remember when I'm 50. My ex and i were a terrible couple but i miss him as a friend in my life of course.

CanadianGamerMom · October 2013

MH was my first/only guy I've ever been with!

pennstated912 · October 2013

Do you keep things from exes?

Yes. Certain things, usually jewelry related, except for rings.

What gets tossed or given back?

Clothes get given back (although, I did keep one hoodie that was my ex's and he knows I kept it - he told me to keep it since I thought it was comfy lol)

If you do have things from previous relationships, and does SO know/care?

DH knows. He actually had a hoodie (notice a trend?) that his ex GF gave him for his birthday the year before we got together. After 7 years, we finally just got rid of it because he hasn't worn it in three years.

DH knows about the things I've kept from exes (necklaces, earrings, etc) and really doesn't care. I'm actually friends on Facebook with a few of them and he doesn't mind. Some of them were/are actually good guys - just not the right guy for me

Jackapatamus · October 2013

If I have anything, it would be jewelry and such and when I moved it was thrown into boxes. Maybe? The boxes are in our basement? Maybe not? Never caredenough to go through the boxes (they've been packed up since I moved from Va to Ny in 2003). I do have pictures, a big box of them, they are someplace in our basement too, but they are all mixed in with all my other pictures. My dh has boxes of pics and such too. It doesn't bother us, and rarely do we even think about those things! I'm sure I'd we ever cleaned up our storage shelves in the basement we would throw away that stuff!

Unknown · October 2013

This content has been removed.

Dishylo · October 2013

Do you keep things from exes? The only thing I kept was a bottle of perfume that I received. I love the scent and as it didn't remind me of him in any way, I didn't see the big deal. Anything else was tossed - we're not together anymore, why keep mementos when I'm with somebody new and starting a new adventure? I have a "look forward, don't look back" attitude for the most part, especially with relationships!

What gets tossed or given back? All tossed or given to charity shops.

If you do have things from previous relationships, and does SO know/care? As the only thing I can recall is perfume, I'm sure he doesn't have a clue!

moosebaby2011 · October 2013

I got rid of anything that was "personal" (letters, photos, etc) when DH and I got together. Gifts that I still used (I'm thinking CD's and the like) I kept. I have no idea if DH knows they were gifts from ex-boyfriends. I don't really associate the things that I kept with the person who gave them, if that makes sense.

I'd never received jewelry from someone I was dating (aside from DH), but if I had I wouldn't be comfortable keeping it and would either return it or sell it depending on the situation.

LuGal623 · October 2013

DH is my HS sweet heart and before him all my relationships were never really serious serious. I kept a few things like notes/pics and such from an ex who passed away my freshman year in college--we were still friends. But I never really purged much from older relationships. I mean I'm sure I tossed some photos but not everything.

adunkin · October 2013

Do you keep things from exes? Yeah, I keep a few small things that remind of the things I learned from that relationship.

What gets tossed or given back? They get most of their stuff back. Random stuff gets tossed and jewelry gets sold. (Though I do still have my previous engagement ring and wedding band. Just haven't gotten around to getting it appraised and sold. DH has a Rolex, which was his engagement gift from his last ex.)

If you do have things from previous relationships, and does SO know/care? Yes and yes, he knows but doesn't care. DH is very practical. He has much more stuff from his previous long-term relationship. I really had to put my foot down about getting a new bed when we got married. He thought our beds were good enough. I just couldn't get over what we'd both done with other people in our own beds.

4lilmunchkins · October 2013

I have a "save bin" It contains stuff from my childhood artwork, report cards, letters, stuffed animals etc. The only thing I have from ex-boyfriends in there would be letters or pictures from HS. Not sure if SO knows about it but I'm sure he wouldn't care.

My XH and I were together for 11 years married for 6. I pawned my wedding ring but I've decided to keep our kids. My SO doesn't seem to mind, he loves them and treats them as his own. I have quite a few scrapbooks and sometimes the kids look at them but SO never participates in looking and never says anything. I also wear a necklace my XH gave me right before we split. Shortly after the chain broke and he accused me of selling it. It sat in a box for 3 years and last year I finally took it in to be fixed only cost me $8. I've been wearing it since. No significance to me and SO never asked where it came from but it goes with everything.

MiaMyPuggle · October 2013

I had a HS SH that I have things from at my mom's house. Pics, little gifts, love notes (that I plan on burning in the fireplace this yr bc my H would die of he read some of them.....), and the like. I have a ring, necklace and earrings that I have at my current house, but it is NBD that it is from him. I don't even wear them anymore.

MrsGraham06 · October 2013

Do you keep things from exes? I didn't get much. He's an EX. However, I do have 1 very pretty (yet inexpensive) necklace from him. I think I only wore it twice while we were together, and maybe twice since then. I haven't decided what to do with it yet.
What gets tossed or given back? He didn't give me much worth keeping. He was cheap, spent all his money on sound equipment. I guess most of what I have are memories, not items. I do have some pictures, some have been tossed, but again, I haven't decided what to do with them. (we broke up 9 years ago- still haven't decided...)
If you do have things from previous relationships, and does SO know/care? I think DH knows about the necklace. Not sure about the pictures. He also doesn't want/care to know what my ex looked like.

RedSaffron · October 2013

I had a bf all through the beginning of high school up until college and we went our separate ways because I moved away. I kept our prom pictures since they are memories after all. After that relationship, I had short relationships which I kept nothing lol. SO knows I have some stuff and he leaves it at that. He can't say anything because he has stuff from his previous marriage. (we met way after his divorce) . Funny that this topic came up because last night SO showed me his wedding ring for the first time and we were chatting about how gold is expensive and stuff. lol

cyndilouwho77 · October 2013

I am such a sentimental person, I tend to not let go of the important stuff. I am glad I am that way though...When my DH broke up with me in his first year in college I held on to everything he gave me....Class rings, letterman jacket, jewelry that was gifts, and so many other things. Even when I got engaged to another man, I kept everything and he didnt seem to care...in fact they were friends. This came in handy when we finally got back together and became husband and wife, I actually put our class rings on my bouquet and my oldest DD likes to wear his letterman to football games. My XF's grandmother gave me a necklace it still hangs from the rearview mirror in my car, everytime I get a new car its the last thing removed from my car and the first thing placed into my new car. I also stole a brush from him back in our senior year of high school when he shaved his head....good thing he still has it shaved cause I am not giving it back...I am also glad I never got rid of pictures of my XF, him and my DH have been best buddies now for a long time, they have both stood up at each others weddings and our kids have both taken part in each others weddings as well. All the kids love seeing pictures of us all back in the day, its funny when they get a good laugh at them. We are just one big happy family.

The girls dad however, I made sure he took everything...I wanted nothing to do with him. The only things I kept were pictures of him with his daughters (so the girls could keep them), a jewelry box (which was handed down to the youngest) and well of course I kept the kids!!

Thankfully my DH doesnt have a jealous bone in his body....He has pictures of exes and I think its funny, I like to see what type of girls he use to be into in college. I guess its a good thing I dont get jealous either!

mommabird77 · October 2013

I have a few pictures, but that is about it. My husband and I have been together for almost 10 years, so I tossed a bunch of old high school and college boyfriend crap years ago.

pennstated912 · October 2013

You girls just reminded me that there are in fact still pictures of my ex and I on Facebook. Nothing lovey-dovey (it's a picture from a football game, graduation and a Christmas party - we aren't even touching each other in any of them), but they are here. They are buried so deep now though since DH and I have been together so long that we sometimes forget they are there.

aessary03 · October 2013

The only thing I kept from my ex was my kid

Eta: and my hubby is totally okay with that.

ashleywiz · October 2013

Do you keep things from exes? I have one pair of shorts from my hs boyfriend-- his football shorts, they are the the most comfortable things EVER. Oh- and photos, I'll never get rid of photos (digitally--not hard copy)

What gets tossed or given back? Cards, any other little gifts, hard copies of pictures, jewelry.

If you do have things from previous relationships, and does SO know/care? He always laughs at my shorts- mostly because they're almost 10 years old- but he doesn't care that they came from him. As for the pictures- as long as they're tucked away on CD's and I'm not reminiscing, he's doesn't see anything wrong with it given my obsession of pictures.

Rebis58 · October 2013

I don't keep sentimental things from exes. The few things I can think of that I have kept are things like an Ipod I got for Christmas (which is now broken), a burned CD that was made for me (not a romantic mix just a bunch of random songs that were popular at the time), and maybe some photos from that time period (not cutesy couple photos, just photos from activities and events that occurred while I was dating the person).

I did keep sentimental things from the exes who meant something to me for a period of time after each relationship until I was over the person (cutesy couple photos, little notes, prom corsage, etc.) but after I had moved on those things got tossed. I don't remember ever having to do an awkward return of stuff to an ex.

I've never had a specific conversation with H about which of my possessions were given to me by an ex, but I know he wouldn't care, especially since none of them are sentimental. Honestly, he's more likely to have sentimental keepsakes from his past tucked away than I do. He's a bit of a pack rat. And if he did, it wouldn't bother me.

slmille4 · October 2013

I had initially jewelry but before we got married I sold it all and that's how we bought my wedding band. So I guess I get to thank all my exes for my wedding ring

Want a personalized experience?

GTKY: Do you keep things from exes?

Re: GTKY: Do you keep things from exes?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards