The Becoming Minimalist blog says it isn’t enough to declutter; for a lasting effect, you must “de-own” the things you don’t use. Why? Because only improving organization won’t encourage you to make tough decisions or decrease your desire for new things; often, it will just sort them into a place where they are temporarily out of sight. “Carry a trash bag from room-to-room,” the blog says. “See how big of a donation pile you can make. It doesn’t matter so much how you remove [these items], as long as you do.”
Tag: charity donations
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.
Donations Equal Deductions
When you donate used clothing and household items to ClothingDonations.org, the Internal Revenue Service allows you to deduct the fair market value (FMV) of the items on your income tax return. FMV is the amount you can reasonably expect people to pay for used clothes and other items in secondhand stores; tax preparation software programs such as TurboTax can help ascribe a value to many common items.
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.
Streamline to Make Your Space Gracious
Want to feel better about your home? One of the best ways is to streamline your stuff, according to HGTV’s “5 New Year’s Resolutions for Your Home.” Without regular purging, it’s hard to find what you really want, the story says, and too much stuff can make your space look dirty and dated. “This year, resolve to go room-by-room periodically clearing anything that you don’t use, wear or love and donate it to charity.”