Donate, Trash, or Sell: What to do with your stuff?

You know this blog is all about getting rid of the things we no longer need in our life. So you’ve minimized your home, now what? What do you do with all of the stuff you’re ready to part with?

Here are some options you have and the thought processes I use to part with my things.

1. Trash. Throw away anything that is broken or for personal use. While it’s easy for us to feel guilt about things we are throwing away, they have already served their purpose and so we need to let them go. The alternative is to hang on to them and give them space to frustrate us in our home. You don’t want to donate something that the donation center volunteer is going to end of throwing in the trash, so go ahead and let trash be trash.

2. Garage sale. This is a ton of work and most people say, “I’m never having a garage sale again!” after they have one. However, if this is something you want to invest the time in, go for it! Once I did it with a friend and that was a lot more fun than going at it alone. Just be sure to schedule a donation pickup as soon as your garage sale is over. Make a rule to not let anything come back in your house.

3. Donate. Donation is the easiest way to get rid of your things. Choose a place to donate to. Find out their hours when you can donate. Check online for local shelters that will pick items up at your door.
   We have a spot in the bottom of a closet that has a continual donation box (or a Trader Joe’s bag - my favorite use for those paper bags!) Whenever we are going to donate an item we drop it there. Once a month I get a notice from a local shelter that they will be in our area and I put it on the porch for them to pick up. It’s that easy!

4. Sell. It’s so nice to make a little money on things we are going get rid of. But it can also be a lot of work! A big tip is to set a threshold for what you want to make on an item. Let’s say you choose $40. Donate anything that you need to list for less than that.
   Here are some places I have had success with selling things:

   1. Facebook Marketplace. This is great for local pickup for items that are not clothing. If my husband is not home or I get a weird vibe, I offer to meet someone at our local police station parking lot. I do click on their FB profile and I can usually tell if it’s a scam. NEVER click on a link they send or send them any information until they agree. I also always let them know upfront that I only accept cash.

   2. EBay. We have sold quite a few old electronics on EBay. I am always shocked, but you never know what someone is looking for.

   3. Poshmark. I find this is a great place to sell name brand clothing. I have bought and sold clothing for my entire family on this site. They do take a portion of the sales, but it is really easy and I know I make more than I would anywhere else. HERE is a link to get you started on Postmark. Use code SHELLEYCOON to save $10 on your first order!

And here are a few bonus tips!

• Set a time limit for how long you will list something. Then donate it. It’s just taking up space!

• Find someone with a kid just younger than your child, or a person who would love your clothes you no longer want. We have a young man at church who is a few inches behind my teenager and when he outgrows something we move it to the back of the car and bring it to church the next time we are there.

• When you give someone clothes or items from your home, please say this. “These are now yours. I release you to do whatever you want with them. If they do not fit or work for you, please donate them or pass them on to someone else! You do not need to come back and explain to me and I will not be checking back in with you on these.” If you can’t say those words. Don’t give the items away. :)

Now set a timer for 10 minutes and rush through your house and see what you can find to sell, trash, or donate! It will add margin for the good things!