In the aftermath of Christmas morning, I find myself going around picking up tape stuck in the carpet, bits of wrapping paper laying all around, and little toy parts all throughout the house.
The older toys have been pushed aside for newer, shinier ones; and my organizational/decluttering self is starting to kick in.
But before I go and throw it all away, I want to make this post-Christmas purge a profitable one!
Here are a few useful tips on how to turn a profit when purging your stuff.
Start by labeling 3 boxes “Sell It”, “Give It Away”, and “Maybe.” Today I set out to conquer the toy closet and the two kid’s rooms. Setting aside a couple hours, I was totally able to knock it out. Remember, we really don’t have that much to begin with; and, this will look different for everyone, but here are the basics:
- “Sell It.” Certain items such as gently used toys, DVD’s, and clothing should be sold on craigslist.org, ebay.com, at a yard sale, or my personal favorite, sold at the consignment shop (My local consignment shop gives a very generous store credit percentage. So much so, that I always have a credit and rarely ever have to spend money on clothes for the children.)
- “Give It Away.” This box is for items that I know I couldn’t sell or would bring in to little profit for my effort. This is the Goodwill box. Note: If you’re planning to give things away, be sure to get them over to the donation center before the New Year so as to receive a donation tax credit for this year.
- “Maybe.” Not ready to commit to selling it or giving it away? Put it in the “Maybe” box. These are items that may save me money later on; but right now, I need them out of the mix. These could be items to re-gift, seasonal things, or pieces useful for future projects.
Notes:
-Enlist the help of the children! Make them part of the process. I find that it helps increase the value and respect for their belongings.
-Set aside a few hours for this project (or 15 minutes if that’s all the time you have). I say do whatever works best for you. This is simply my strategy for decluttering. For me, it’s more beneficial to set aside a few hours of the day, or an entire morning, to declutter a closet or a room. I like to do it all at once, because when I’m done, I feel amazing!
-Work quickly. Don’t deliberate over every item, make quick decisions and move on.
-After your work is done…sit back and celebrate your newly decluttered space and a few extra bucks in your pocket!
Join us for the 23 Day Frugal Living Challenge where we will discuss in greater detail the art of decluttering and preventing the impulse buys that get us into this position to begin with.
Share with us your decluttering strategies!
Love these tips and will hopefully do it this week!! Thanks!
Great post!
I'll be doing lots of this over the next week…thanks for the tips!
I love decluttering…and just as soon as school (headstart) goes back I am intending to do the 3yr olds toy box…as much as you are right about having the children help (did/do with my older one), with the one at 3yrs I am pretty sure it will be a much quicker less emotional job done alone by me.
I did however have her come help me sort her things back into their various homes today so the Grandparents can sleep in her room this week…that alone should make my job of thinning them out much easier when the time comes.
Blessings Kelsie
Great tips! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I must do this! Actually have been doing it for a while but not quickly enough! Have lots of baby gear to sell which is cluttering up the place. Thanks for the reminders about the 3 boxes.
Best wishes
great ideas
– KAT –
I use this method of seperating alot when decluttering. To help eliminate "stuff" the kids have I ask them to chose an old toy they would like to give away when they get something new.
I have a faux wicker box with a lid that I keep in an inconspicuous place. As I clean, sort, or come across something I know I do not want/need I place inside that box. When it's full I donate or I have ready for a charity that comes by and picks it up. So I'm always sorting and decluttering – never putting something away that I don't want or use.
Popping over from the Barn Hop…
Wonderful description on this lesson – one thing I'd like to add if I may, is that in including the children you will also teach them how to declutter and organize by themselves, which I discovered later that mine did not learn by my doing it for them over the years… even when they were in the room. My eldest daughter will just toss EVERYTHING in order to be rid of it- not knowing how to keep up on organization….
You can see that really, it's a gift to be able to know how to purge and categorize!
I love de-cluttering and love using the Craigslist or give it away options! I never use a maybe pile, though. I figure if it's not important enough to be a for sure "keep," I need to get rid of it! When in doubt, go without! 🙂
Oh, how I feel the need to declutter! It is certainly one of my goals for the early part of this new year. It is very helpful getting the kids on board. I only had one real "hoarder" and she has turned a corner in the last year or two. Thanks for a great post.
Good ideas-so funny I thought I was the only one to get into declutter/giveaway mode right after Christmas!
Great ideas. I need to raise money for a mission trip so can combine the two things!
I am hosting a Best of 2011 blog hop and would love to have you come link up a favorite post.
I finally got around to taking the items I had collected in a huge box to Goodwill today. I also worked on the basement a little. I'll be doing more in January when the kids are back in school.
I am happy to say that I don't have a lot of clutter, even though we're a family of 7! Looking forward to your challenge in January, too.
I am a clean and a health freak, so almost all of what you write about is applicable to me. I have sold so many things, but lately, I’ve gotten lazy and taken things to the Goodwill. I feel so relieved when the floors are clean…yay!! Thanks for sharing this timely post, Andrea 🙂