Author Topic: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2  (Read 1249318 times)

SunnyDays

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4250 on: November 02, 2020, 08:59:47 AM »
Micro decluttering here and there. Throwing out some stuff, donating some. Will make myself pick out at least one cardboard box in the basement stash to add to tomorrow's recycling pickup.   

edit to add:  while going through the garage shelves I found some preserves from years ago. Took them inside and put them in the fridge and forgot about them.

Yesterday I finally opened one up. Blueberry jam from 1991. Yes, 1991. Still good!  Had some on toast.  Will sell the empty jar at flea market next year.   

How many boxes do you have stashed, and what for?

How many? Oh, about 50, I guess. But many are packed inside other boxes, so as not to take up as much room. I have various sizes, from small to large.  Yeah, too many, perhaps, but way less than I had a while ago. Every once in a while, I have use for one.  I keep them around for 'just in case'. 

I picked out two big ones this morning for the recycling.

At least boxes are harmless, but eating jam that's 30 years old (especially home canned) can be downright dangerous, as in botulism!  Your health is worth more than that.  Throw the rest out!

oneday

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4251 on: November 02, 2020, 05:11:43 PM »
Mini declutter: two rarely-used kitchen tools and a stained glass leaf (carefully wrapped in bubble wrap) added to Room Mate's donation box. Also chucked two tubes of glue that were dried up.

Motivation is low right now, as I'll move in early March. February is mentally designated as packing-and-decluttering month. So it was nice to find these few things to clear out. I feel weird when not decluttering.

marion10

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4252 on: November 05, 2020, 10:01:12 AM »
Sent off old college t- shirts to be made into a quilt. I had a bunch of doilies made by my MIL and her mother that I hadn’t done anything with. I contacted all eight of her grandchildren and 7 of them wanted some- I split them up and mailed them off.

MayDay

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4253 on: November 06, 2020, 05:12:34 AM »
I dropped off 3 boxes that are mostly outgrown kids clothes.

We build a LFL and thought we would be able to get rid of books that way. Instead other people are filling it up with their books! Noooooo! And often they are very out of date books that it is unlikely anyone would want. I will be cleaning it out this weekend and trashing a bunch.

I also donated two large ugly paintings. They hung in my grandparents house so I have fond memories, but they are awful and I will never hang them so out they go!

Roadrunner53

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4254 on: November 06, 2020, 02:44:47 PM »
Closet in my bedroom is out of control! I don't have enough room to squeeze a sheet of paper in there.

I have to do some serious decluttering. UGH, where do I even begin...


SunnyDays

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4255 on: November 06, 2020, 03:59:51 PM »
Closet in my bedroom is out of control! I don't have enough room to squeeze a sheet of paper in there.

I have to do some serious decluttering. UGH, where do I even begin...



Use the Konmari method.  It’s really helpful when you’re dealing with large amounts of stuff.

Swish

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4256 on: November 06, 2020, 09:53:12 PM »
So round 2 I cleaned out the garage of a ton of junk. Hope this motivates some of you to get off your butts and free up a parking spot. We can now fit the car in the garage again!

Chainsaw - $350
Skill saw - $50
Spare wrenches - $40
LEGO phone - $25
Tonka truck - $5
Clipboard - $3
Corelle dishes - $30
Bike - $20
Bunk bed - $200
Bar table - $125
Memory stick - $4
Extension cord - $4
Dora wallet - $2
Motherboard - $10
Graphics card - $20
WeeRide copilot - $40
Helmets - $8
Shoe bench - $50
Baby chair - $3
Shop vac - $40
Toy chest - $10
Pro shop Voucher - $100
Random lights - $10
Fridge - $500
Outlet - $5
Worklamps - $20
Axe - $5
Fan - $5
Clock - $4
Art - $35
Grinder - $15
Cooler - $30
Laptop Battery - $8
Reciprocating saw - $40
Bouncer - $25
Bike - $35
Tv stand - $125
Skate bar - $5
Oscillating saw - $50
Diesel oil - $20
Chainsaw sharpener - $30
Chariot stroller - $650

Total: $2,756
« Last Edit: November 06, 2020, 09:55:44 PM by Swish »

Goldielocks

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4257 on: November 06, 2020, 10:47:00 PM »
I was able to get rid of our halloween decorations and costume accessories -- two good size boxes, on Nov 1st through a buy nothing group.   I was pleased, it was good stuff but not the kind of thing most people want to store. (me included).


I cleared through two filing cabinets and tossed (and shredded) approx 2 file boxes worth of materials, while keeping the few good items that were mixed in.  Including old tax records.   I had stayed away from this task for 5 years now.   whoo!

slackmax

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4258 on: November 07, 2020, 03:40:46 PM »
So round 2 I cleaned out the garage of a ton of junk. Hope this motivates some of you to get off your butts and free up a parking spot. We can now fit the car in the garage again!

Chainsaw - $350
Skill saw - $50
Spare wrenches - $40
LEGO phone - $25
Tonka truck - $5
Clipboard - $3
Corelle dishes - $30
Bike - $20
Bunk bed - $200
Bar table - $125
Memory stick - $4
Extension cord - $4
Dora wallet - $2
Motherboard - $10
Graphics card - $20
WeeRide copilot - $40
Helmets - $8
Shoe bench - $50
Baby chair - $3
Shop vac - $40
Toy chest - $10
Pro shop Voucher - $100
Random lights - $10
Fridge - $500
Outlet - $5
Worklamps - $20
Axe - $5
Fan - $5
Clock - $4
Art - $35
Grinder - $15
Cooler - $30
Laptop Battery - $8
Reciprocating saw - $40
Bouncer - $25
Bike - $35
Tv stand - $125
Skate bar - $5
Oscillating saw - $50
Diesel oil - $20
Chainsaw sharpener - $30
Chariot stroller - $650

Total: $2,756

Wow! High prices. Where do you live? How did you sell the stuff? Yard  sale?

Sibley

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4259 on: November 07, 2020, 04:38:07 PM »
I decluttered the yard of 3 trash cans full of yard waste and 2 huge piles of leaves (plus another 2 piles of leaves that were in my neighbor's front yard). Trash day is Thursday. Yes, they send yard waste to the landfill rather than composting. The leaves are composted I believe. I think the leaf vacuum truck will be around on Wednesday.

Not all the leaves are down, but the big maple dropped 90% and the oak about half. The other 3 trees are much smaller, and are in varying states of dropping their leaves.

Also working on consolidating all the Christmas presents to one location, from which I can organize and wrap. Have to ship everything this year, so trying to get stuff sent out by early December.

Edit: sigh. Overnight, a smallish tree dropped something like 60% of its leaves.
« Last Edit: November 08, 2020, 11:37:26 AM by Sibley »

SimpleCycle

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4260 on: November 08, 2020, 10:00:30 AM »
We did a lot of cleaning and organizing yesterday - getting to the point where there is less to get rid of when I clean/organize/declutter a space.  I did the kitchen yesterday, and all that I got rid of were some miscellaneous food containers that someone on Buy Nothing wanted.

We had a bunch of boxes cluttering up the entryway/dining room that we'd never broken down and recycled, so DW did that yesterday and they're in the car waiting to go to cardboard recycling.  We also had some random kid craft supplies that someone gave us early in the pandemic - some were decent so I put them away and the rest were trashed because they weren't really donatable.

I've been focusing a lot on the things I can control in our house without the cooperation of DW and the kids - it's done wonders for my sanity to let go a little.

MayDay

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4261 on: November 08, 2020, 10:25:14 AM »
Today I cleaned out most of the hall closet. Mostly got rid of packaging and actually put stuff away properly, not TOO much to throw away.

Right when hand sanitizer started becoming available I'd buy a bottle each week. Now we have 8 bottles and the virus is mostly airborne. Oh well! Will hold onto those until this roller coaster is over.

Prairie Gal

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4262 on: November 08, 2020, 12:20:52 PM »
Not a lot of de-cluttering happening here lately (actually I've been letting too many things in the door, but that is another matter), but I did turf some old pots. Put some books in the donation box, and have an old oil painting out to list for sale. I also have a wok type thing that is meant for the BBQ out, and I will either donate or try to sell it. Probably just donate as it is probably only worth $5 even though it is brand new. I also have a vintage window frame with a wreath on it that I am going to try to sell. Already sold one for $50.

Sibley

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4263 on: November 08, 2020, 02:26:26 PM »
Well, my neighbor is decluttering. He came over and asked if I want a 17 year old new in box track light that's been in his garage. Yes, I took it. I have no need for it so I will discreetly donate it. This guy really needs to do declutter, so I'll give him a hand.

oneday

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4264 on: November 08, 2020, 03:15:37 PM »
Was given a cute mug yesterday. Fitting this into my cupboard helped me realize I didn't need a tumbler I've been holding on to for two years. Talk about one in, one out! :)

slackmax

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4265 on: November 08, 2020, 04:53:46 PM »
Was given a cute mug yesterday. Fitting this into my cupboard helped me realize I didn't need a tumbler I've been holding on to for two years. Talk about one in, one out! :)
Thanks for the segue. Today at the flea market I sold a beer mug and a coffee mug. It is SO hard to sell glassware! Woohoo ! 

okisok

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4266 on: November 08, 2020, 06:05:50 PM »
Today I made a sweep through and filled up a donation bag. In addition, decided to get rid of a couch cover/pet protector I'd bought that didn't quite fit the couch and a pair of jeans that I never wear.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4267 on: November 09, 2020, 08:04:03 AM »
Organized our toiletries yesterday. Didn't get rid of anything, but reacquainted myself with what we have, which will prevent future unnecessary purchases.

middo

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4268 on: November 09, 2020, 03:38:52 PM »
Organized our toiletries yesterday. Didn't get rid of anything, but reacquainted myself with what we have, which will prevent future unnecessary purchases.

After buying herbs we already had last weekend, this may be a good idea for me too.

okisok

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4269 on: November 09, 2020, 06:05:10 PM »
Actually dropped the donations off at Goodwill today! I did pull one pair of jeans out of the bag when I realized they would make great shorts as the legs were the part that didn't fit right.

Found a few items that can go to SO's house that I no longer need but he would use.

The nine-day power outage decluttered my fridge and freezer for me. :/ Luckily, I'd been participating in the Eat All the Food in Your House challenge in another thread, so it could have been much worse. A couple of pounds each of meat, fruit, and vegetables, and a couple of leftover meals I'd frozen for later meals. I cleaned it out completely and wiped out fridge and freezer with a vinegar solution and aired it out until the power came back on. As Ma Ingalls would say, "There's no big loss without some small gain".

lazycow

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4270 on: November 09, 2020, 06:43:10 PM »
I keep a drawer in my ensuite for Zero Waste stuff like used metal razor blades, old contact lenses and packaging, plastic tubes for shampoo etc that are not recyclable in normal bins, old plastic toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes, and (urgh, I know, used biodegradeable silk floss and hair clippings as I regularly trim my hair - head hair I mean!) This drawer of disgustingness is now full and I need to take everything out to: metal recyclers, The Body Shop (plastic and empty makeup containers), and our local council takes old oral hygiene stuff, and my compost bin for hair and floss.

PMG

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4271 on: November 09, 2020, 07:25:29 PM »
@lazycow That is awesome!!  Thank you so much for going to that effort.

Around here we have small wins:

While making dinner I found we had two partial containers of curry spice.  Combined them in to one.

The bulb on the porch blew and when I went to replace it tonight the first bulb I tried was blown as well. It was an old one we'd removed from another fixture that had multiple bulbs and was far too bright. Both are gone now. How long have we been storing a dead lightbulb!? hah!

Our big win recently was using a pile of lumber that "came with the house" to rebuild the platform for the washer and dryer. Our basement is so much tidier and there is so much space now! 

We've got the old pieces outside now and will need to get it into the trash a little at a time.  Some of the old wood was non-treated so we'll burn it the next time we have friends over for a bonfire.

We finally completed some plumbing projects we bought parts for months ago.

We're inching our way closer to significant closet clean outs, I'm mentally letting go of a few things, but the weather has been fantastic so we've been spending time outdoors and will save that work for a rainy day.

SimpleCycle

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4272 on: November 09, 2020, 09:10:54 PM »
Decluttered and organized our upstairs hall closet yesterday.  Posted 20 things on Buy Nothing and got takers for 15 of them.  Now I just hope everyone comes and gets stuff.

Dutch Comfort

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4273 on: November 10, 2020, 12:24:39 AM »
Sold a few outgrown children's clothes and some books. Will be in the mail and out of the house today. Unfortunately, the first holiday presents will be delivered today, which I will need to hide somewhere. Hoping that the other family members will stick to the wishlists I sent them for the kids and not give them junk......

diapasoun

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4274 on: November 10, 2020, 11:05:28 AM »
I finally put a list on our fridge door of what vegetables we have in the fridge. I don't know why I didn't do this ages ago. Turns out it really helps with the fridge clutter and not letting any veggies go to waste.

mspym

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4275 on: November 10, 2020, 12:57:39 PM »
I finally put a list on our fridge door of what vegetables we have in the fridge. I don't know why I didn't do this ages ago. Turns out it really helps with the fridge clutter and not letting any veggies go to waste.
I do that and also make a note on my shopping list of what vegetables we have plenty of so I don't accidentally re-buy. [It turns out we eat a lot of frozen peas, but we don't need 5kg in our freezer] The other thing I do is have the rough meal plan on the shopping list which helps me not over-purchase fresh produce that doesn't have an associated meal.

diapasoun

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4276 on: November 10, 2020, 02:09:57 PM »
I finally put a list on our fridge door of what vegetables we have in the fridge. I don't know why I didn't do this ages ago. Turns out it really helps with the fridge clutter and not letting any veggies go to waste.
I do that and also make a note on my shopping list of what vegetables we have plenty of so I don't accidentally re-buy. [It turns out we eat a lot of frozen peas, but we don't need 5kg in our freezer] The other thing I do is have the rough meal plan on the shopping list which helps me not over-purchase fresh produce that doesn't have an associated meal.

I actually used to do the rough meal plan thing, but with COVID and the way it's changed our grocery shopping habits, it's definitely fallen to the wayside. I actually like not having much of a meal plan, but there's been an adjustment period in making sure we're not accidentally leaving things in the back of the fridge. I was starting to feel kind of harried about keeping the fridge in order and now... I'm not.

Goldielocks

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4277 on: November 10, 2020, 03:09:05 PM »
I have craigslisted my piano.   Arranged for a truck rental and a couple of helpers to get it out of my home for Friday.   Offering delivery seems to give interest to people, although they have to get it from their driveway into their homes themselves (I just cite Covid but really, less moving I personally do, the better, I am getting too old for that).

We'll see if I can get it gone before my move at the end of Dec.

slackmax

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4278 on: November 11, 2020, 06:36:07 AM »
I have craigslisted my piano.   Arranged for a truck rental and a couple of helpers to get it out of my home for Friday.   Offering delivery seems to give interest to people, although they have to get it from their driveway into their homes themselves (I just cite Covid but really, less moving I personally do, the better, I am getting too old for that).

We'll see if I can get it gone before my move at the end of Dec.

Good luck, Goldielocks.  I was able to get $100 for a nice old piano (Bradford? Bradbury?) that was still in tune. Two college girls bought it, and they paid for a delivery service get it out of the basement into the truck. 

I saw a few pianos listed for free on Craigslist at the time.   

NotJen

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4279 on: November 12, 2020, 08:35:17 AM »
I re-posted all my old FB Marketplace listings yesterday to try to renew interest, and bit the bullet on offering to ship through them (they are offering free shipping on the first 10 items I sell).  Success - I sold 3 things right away!

happy

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4280 on: November 12, 2020, 01:24:38 PM »
I have craigslisted my piano.   Arranged for a truck rental and a couple of helpers to get it out of my home for Friday.   Offering delivery seems to give interest to people, although they have to get it from their driveway into their homes themselves (I just cite Covid but really, less moving I personally do, the better, I am getting too old for that).

We'll see if I can get it gone before my move at the end of Dec.

I need to sell my piano also: I have been putting that off for a while. In my area  costs at least $300AUD to get a piano moved even a short distance, ...so I can imagine offering delivery would help to get it sold and out. Fingers crossed for you.

happy

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4281 on: November 12, 2020, 01:26:04 PM »
2 small bags of clothing and a small bag of books went into the donation bins yesterday :)

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4282 on: November 12, 2020, 01:31:32 PM »
Went through our shoe bins in the bench/shelf unit in the garage. Found three pair of shoes the kids have outgrown. Put two in the donation pile, as there is a lot of life left. One needs to be washed first, so they are drying & when ready will add to the donation pile.

Listed another suit on eBay. They are fancy suits (Hugo Boss) & my husband both no longer is in sales & needs that type of wardrobe, but also has lost 30 lbs. Wish there was a better option for finding someone who could use them. We have 6 of them. I've sold one, so at least that's matched up with a buyer.

Poundwise

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4283 on: November 12, 2020, 04:49:43 PM »
Since Big Brother/Big Sister closed down their collection station in our area, all the local clothing bins benefit scummy for-profit companies masquerading as charities. So I have been accumulating a lot of clothes and housewares. Yesterday a friend organized a collection for earthquake victims in Honduras, so I was more than glad to offload a lot of nice clothing, including several pairs of hardly worn sneakers that I bought from the internet but did not fit my kids well.

NotJen

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4284 on: November 13, 2020, 12:38:43 PM »
Today has been a good day.  I took 3 boxes of documents to a local shred-day event (I missed the last two years, otherwise I would have only had 1 box in my "system").  I also dropped off some blankets, a winter coat, and a bunch of scarves for a blanket drive for the homeless.  And sold another item on Marketplace, which will go out in the mail tomorrow.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4285 on: November 13, 2020, 05:01:02 PM »
Since Big Brother/Big Sister closed down their collection station in our area, all the local clothing bins benefit scummy for-profit companies masquerading as charities. So I have been accumulating a lot of clothes and housewares. Yesterday a friend organized a collection for earthquake victims in Honduras, so I was more than glad to offload a lot of nice clothing, including several pairs of hardly worn sneakers that I bought from the internet but did not fit my kids well.

Poundwise, have you tried calling Vietnam Vets? Great organization and they will come right to your home to pick up stuff. I have not donated in a long time but I was regularly putting stuff out in garbage bags with a label marked VNA. They come and take anything that is marked VNA. They don't take large furniture because it is just mostly one driver and they can't do heavy stuff by themselves.

Poundwise

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4286 on: November 13, 2020, 09:07:43 PM »
@Roadrunner53 They are in my area and friends swear by them. However I saw the following article where it's said that not as much of the donations go to programs as they claim.

If I wanted to just get rid of stuff quickly, I would just post it free on Craigslist or Buy Nothing, and it would be gone in a day.  But if I want to give to charity, I prefer to give as directly to the end user as possible... Just my preference.
« Last Edit: November 13, 2020, 09:13:04 PM by Poundwise »

Plina

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4287 on: November 14, 2020, 11:29:42 AM »
@Roadrunner53 They are in my area and friends swear by them. However I saw the following article where it's said that not as much of the donations go to programs as they claim.

If I wanted to just get rid of stuff quickly, I would just post it free on Craigslist or Buy Nothing, and it would be gone in a day.  But if I want to give to charity, I prefer to give as directly to the end user as possible... Just my preference.

I don’t know how Vietnam Veterans specifically operate but I think many underestimate the cost of running charity stores.  If you add the cost of pickup, wages, rent and disposal  costs of all the unsellable junk that people dump at these kind of stores, because they can’t make themselves throw away the stuff, the expenses add up pretty fast. You see posts in this thread when someone has not been able to sell something for a long time finally decides to give it to charity. What they really are doing is giving the organisation an expense instead of a gift.

I understand your preference to give directly and maybe there is some organisation that gives to families in need in your area. Many of the donations to the foreign countries ruin the local markets and take away the possibility for people to earn their living. Even if the thought is good, there are often secondary results that we are not always aware off.
« Last Edit: November 14, 2020, 01:00:06 PM by Plina »

MayDay

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4288 on: November 14, 2020, 12:14:22 PM »
^^

This is why I try to give things away right away rather than hanging on to them just in case... By the time "just in case" arrives the town is often worthless and goes into a landfill.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4289 on: November 14, 2020, 01:58:39 PM »
^^

This is why I try to give things away right away rather than hanging on to them just in case... By the time "just in case" arrives the town is often worthless and goes into a landfill.

This is a big driver in my decluttering quest too. My folks were "keepers" and had huge amounts of stuff stored under and in their house because it was "too good to get rid of" and "just in case" they might need it one day. When they both had died, we had to clear it all out and nearly every item was severely damaged/deteriorated and had to go straight to landfill. Such a waste! So ironic!

NotJen

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4290 on: November 14, 2020, 02:42:28 PM »
You see posts in this thread when someone has not been able to sell something for a long time finally decides to give it to charity. What they really are doing is giving the organisation an expense instead of a gift.

I'll definitely think about this before I donate any unsold items. 

My assumption was that different people might want the items who don't use Marketplace or eBay.  But my goal is to get stuff to the people who want/need it - not to contribute money to an organization through a donation of things.

Sometimes it just takes a while to find a buyer.  Yesterday I sold something that I had listed on eBay 2 years and 2 months ago!  Since I started decluttering with no end-date, I can hang out and wait for that to happen.  Hopefully reducing the amount of trash I have to deal with when I finally move.

PMG

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4291 on: November 14, 2020, 03:20:55 PM »
We have our little old IKEA loveseat disassembled and in our tiny little car to drop at goodwill  I guess we’ll reassemble in the parking lot. I was surprised they accept soft furniture but they said yes when I called to check!  I also have a small bag of household odds and ends and a small bag of clothing.

Plina

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4292 on: November 14, 2020, 04:12:05 PM »
You see posts in this thread when someone has not been able to sell something for a long time finally decides to give it to charity. What they really are doing is giving the organisation an expense instead of a gift.

I'll definitely think about this before I donate any unsold items. 

My assumption was that different people might want the items who don't use Marketplace or eBay.  But my goal is to get stuff to the people who want/need it - not to contribute money to an organization through a donation of things.

Sometimes it just takes a while to find a buyer.  Yesterday I sold something that I had listed on eBay 2 years and 2 months ago!  Since I started decluttering with no end-date, I can hang out and wait for that to happen.  Hopefully reducing the amount of trash I have to deal with when I finally move.

It is a nice feeling to be able to donate or sell something that is of use to someone else. As a private seller it is possible to hold on to things a lot longer while waiting for it to be sold. The charity shops can not do that because they have limited amount of space and they have to have a turnover of stuff. To hold on to something like you have been able to do would mean that it takes space from stuff that could be sold and make money to whatever their goal is.

 They have a pretty good idea of what is sellable and what is not. All those stuff that are not sellable in one way or another end up at the landfill or energy recycling.

I am giving to charity shops to not have to deal with the hassle of selling if it is not items of little higher value.

okisok

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4293 on: November 14, 2020, 06:45:00 PM »
SO and I decided to go a different way on some holiday gift items, so I immediately took the ones I'd already purchased back to the store for a refund. I still had my receipt and got full price back. One of the items wasn't with me at the time, so I will still need to make time to take it back. Posting here to make myself accountable.

Got this done. Now I have another bag of items to return that we didn't use for a project. Tried to do it last weekend, but I noped right out after I saw all the people streaming into the store. I'll try again.

Was given a holiday gift early that won't work for me, so I looked up the store where it came from and how much it cost. I have a plan for the gift card I can get for returning it, to replace some clothing items that are wearing out.

AerynLee

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4294 on: November 14, 2020, 07:29:57 PM »
This week we moved into our new house. We got rid of a ton of stuff last time we moved, 5 years ago, and have kept things pretty minimal since then. But as always there's more that can go. Even though our new place is bigger (1800sqft vs 950sqft) I'm being very selective as I unpack trying to decide what we actually want to keep.

Already in the donate bin is ~5 tshirts that are either from events I've done (running/biking) but didn't like the look of, or some I bought 12+ years ago that never fit but that I loved and hoped one day to. Plus two tumblers from we were given from our mortgage company at closing that I know we will never use.

There's a few things in the basement and a lot of stuff in a couple of outbuildings that were left by the previous owners that we'll need to toss. We figure once we get settled in and have a chance to sort through what could be nice to keep (it's a 100 year old house so original doors and flooring are keepers) and what needs tossed and we'll probably have to rent a small dumpster to get rid of it all. Unless someone wants a pink bathtub :)

SunnyDays

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4295 on: November 15, 2020, 10:08:15 AM »
@AerynLee, funny you should mention a pink bathtub.  When I bought my house in 1993, the original blue bathtub and sink from 1971 were still in the bathroom.  In my desire to have neutral ones instead, I exchanged a heavy, iron (?) tub that held the heat like crazy for a flimsy, tin (?) tub that gets cold in 15 minutes.  I so wish I had just had the blue one repainted.  So if I lived near you, I might just take that pink tub off your hands!

AerynLee

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4296 on: November 15, 2020, 02:06:48 PM »
@AerynLee, funny you should mention a pink bathtub.  When I bought my house in 1993, the original blue bathtub and sink from 1971 were still in the bathroom.  In my desire to have neutral ones instead, I exchanged a heavy, iron (?) tub that held the heat like crazy for a flimsy, tin (?) tub that gets cold in 15 minutes.  I so wish I had just had the blue one repainted.  So if I lived near you, I might just take that pink tub off your hands!
Haha, I learned from reading Snacky's journal here that for bath lovers, old cast iron ones are great. I'm not a bath person and get board even before the cheap plastic-y tubs get cool, so I may even rip out the newish bath and replace it with a large walk-in shower (eventually....).

But yeah, if you happen to be in the midwest you're more than welcome to my pink bathtub. And the purple toilet with matching purple laundry sink that are still installed in the basement. And I'm pretty sure there was some other pink fixture in one of the outbuildings :P

MayDay

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4297 on: November 15, 2020, 02:23:33 PM »
@AerynLee, funny you should mention a pink bathtub.  When I bought my house in 1993, the original blue bathtub and sink from 1971 were still in the bathroom.  In my desire to have neutral ones instead, I exchanged a heavy, iron (?) tub that held the heat like crazy for a flimsy, tin (?) tub that gets cold in 15 minutes.  I so wish I had just had the blue one repainted.  So if I lived near you, I might just take that pink tub off your hands!
Haha, I learned from reading Snacky's journal here that for bath lovers, old cast iron ones are great. I'm not a bath person and get board even before the cheap plastic-y tubs get cool, so I may even rip out the newish bath and replace it with a large walk-in shower (eventually....).

But yeah, if you happen to be in the midwest you're more than welcome to my pink bathtub. And the purple toilet with matching purple laundry sink that are still installed in the basement. And I'm pretty sure there was some other pink fixture in one of the outbuildings :P

Definitely post the sink, toilet, and tub on CL..if you can find local vintage groups, people will probably want them!

1. We need a mint green toilet, anyone in Mpls have one?
2. You can't buy a good heavy duty laundry sink anymore, they just don't exist, I'd take a purple one!

SunnyDays

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4298 on: November 15, 2020, 03:06:24 PM »
@AerynLee, funny you should mention a pink bathtub.  When I bought my house in 1993, the original blue bathtub and sink from 1971 were still in the bathroom.  In my desire to have neutral ones instead, I exchanged a heavy, iron (?) tub that held the heat like crazy for a flimsy, tin (?) tub that gets cold in 15 minutes.  I so wish I had just had the blue one repainted.  So if I lived near you, I might just take that pink tub off your hands!
Haha, I learned from reading Snacky's journal here that for bath lovers, old cast iron ones are great. I'm not a bath person and get board even before the cheap plastic-y tubs get cool, so I may even rip out the newish bath and replace it with a large walk-in shower (eventually....).

But yeah, if you happen to be in the midwest you're more than welcome to my pink bathtub. And the purple toilet with matching purple laundry sink that are still installed in the basement. And I'm pretty sure there was some other pink fixture in one of the outbuildings :P

Alas, I am in Canada.

Goldielocks

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4299 on: November 16, 2020, 08:52:05 PM »
I have craigslisted my piano.   Arranged for a truck rental and a couple of helpers to get it out of my home for Friday.   Offering delivery seems to give interest to people, although they have to get it from their driveway into their homes themselves (I just cite Covid but really, less moving I personally do, the better, I am getting too old for that).

We'll see if I can get it gone before my move at the end of Dec.

I need to sell my piano also: I have been putting that off for a while. In my area  costs at least $300AUD to get a piano moved even a short distance, ...so I can imagine offering delivery would help to get it sold and out. Fingers crossed for you.
Piano is GONE!  Happy dance.  I got $350 for it.. It was in good shape but 1976 vintage.

We rented a large commercial style cube van with a lift gate for $150.  We used the van to move heavy furniture to a new condo in the day, and the piano at night.  Without the piano, I would have rented a uHaul with a ramp, which would have been harder to load / unload the heavier furniture, so it was a win.