A few of Café Mom’s top 10 secrets to a successful Memorial Day garage sale are location, good signage, fair prices, clean stuff, advertising and organization. Also, don’t put something out if you don’t really want to sell it, the story says, and don’t be seller who tries to sell the same things every weekend. Be ready to haggle if you want to make some quick cash, and if something doesn’t sell, “either throw it out or (if you think it’s really good), donate it.”
Tag: charity donations pickup
Give Mom the Gift of Less Clutter
Many moms — especially older moms — already have lots of stuff, and some are entering their “downsizing decades” later in life. This Mother’s Day, give them the gift of decluttering! Stop by, cook brunch and clean the hall closet; throw everything she no longer needs into boxes and schedule a pickup with ClothingDonations.org. Then, give only gifts that offer Mom an experience rather than more stuff, says the Embracing Simple blog, or items such as fresh flowers and pampering bath products that she can use — and use up — quickly.
Things You Can Trash Immediately
The decision to trash things carries with it a blissful immediacy. There’s lots of stuff people shove into a drawer and keep that’s of little use to anyone. So, throw out or recycle the old magazines, orphaned socks, takeout menus, plastic cutlery, mystery keys, half-used cosmetics and other items that are only cluttering up your home immediately. If something is unopened, in good shape and could be useful to a new owner, however, donate it to ClothingDonations.org, and you will help fund valuable veterans’ programs.
Donations Should Be Somebody’s Treasure
One person’s trash is another’s treasure, as the saying goes—unless it’s just trash. When preparing charitable donations, “make sure what you donate is only clutter to you,” says Home Storage Solutions. “It defeats the purpose when we make a charity pay money to haul away our trash for us.” Turn ripped, torn and stained clothing into rags, and leave those damaged, broken and nonfunctioning appliances at the curb.
Get Organized with the 1-for-3 Rule
If you want to get organized in the New Year, use the one-for-three rule, says the blog Clean and Organized Family Home. For every new thing you bring into your home, eliminate three that just aren’t pulling their weight. Christmas decorations, clothing, and giveaway items that you’ll never use again go in the donation pile. Then, box them up and send them to ClothingDonations.org, where they can find a new life with people who need them.