Unclutter
Part of the Green and Frugal Series
For the past two years, I have attempted to rid myself of accumulated junk. It astonishes me how many piles of clothes and household items I’ve donated to Goodwill, and even more astonishing is how much I still feel is available to clear away. I’ve also been looking at ways to donate or sell items that I no longer need and am generally trying to find ways to reduce clutter in the house. Here are some sites that I’ve found useful:
–Lessen the junk mail pile by opting to receive electronic statements, electronic tickets, and other items digitally. There are now services, such as Catalog Choice, to register to stop receiving catalogs.
–Look to re-sell items via E-bay, Craigslist or Etsy. All of these services have really changed the availability to buy and sell used items.
–Donate items to those in need through Goodwill or Freecycle. In our neighborhood, Goodwill comes with a truck approximately 4 times a year to pick up items including small furnishings.
–Resell books via Cash4Books or Amazon’s Marketplace –Cash For Books will tell you the price right away and pay for postage.
–Resell your cellphone– there are several sites that purchase used cell phones including Sellyourcell.com. Or, if you prefer, there are several programs to donate cellphones to women’s shelters or the military.
see other ideas at Works for Me Wednesday
Good ideas. I’ve been successful clearing out old books and DVDs by selling them on Amazon for just under the lowest current price. With the shipping credit I still make a couple bucks minimum on each item. Since my motivation is uncluttering and not making money it’s an easy option.
Kevin, good point on the priority of uncluttering (vs. earning money). One of the things that I forgot to mention in the post is that for those of us who used to be pack rats, getting rid of the first set of unwanted items is the hardest. Once that happens and you realize the sky hasn’t fallen, it becomes easier to prune through your belongings.
I keep a bag in the floor of my closet for clothing to donate. As I’m folding laundry, I toss clothes that my kids have outgrown in the bag. Also, it helps get me in the habit of tossing clothes when I’m going through my closet fretting that I have “nothing to wear”. That’s a good time to bless someone else with clothes I no longer wear.
Mrs Random, interesting, I keep a bag on the floor of my closet for the same thing.
[...] (I am particularly fond of baking soda), natural health and beauty aids, and I have been trying to reduce the clutter and junk at home. I’ve also enjoyed reading about efforts to save electricity and have [...]