Now’s a Great Time for a Garage Sale

With the summer nearly over and the leaves starting to turn, you might think that it’s too late to have a #garage, #yard or #tag sale. But late summer and early fall are great times to weed though your old stuff and sell some of it.

First of all, the #weather is favorable – not too hot and not too cold. This is the time of year that people in cooler regions try to take advantage of the great outdoors before it’s too late, and people in hotter regions venture out of their air-conditioned living rooms.

Offer people something to do while they’re out enjoying the weather, and they will come. What’s more, you won’t have the competition you would for a big summer sale. More people are in town — not visiting relatives, at vacation rentals or at summer camps.

Furthermore, this is a fantastic time to go through your extra #stuff and #declutter. If you have children, you can take all of those outgrown school clothes and resell them. You can also get rid of any outdoor games or summer sporting goods that didn’t get used.

Offer a warm beverage such as coffee, cocoa or cider to entice passersby to your sale, Bob Vila suggests: “You might rope in some hesitant shoppers and maybe even meet a few new neighbors.”

Stage a #sale now, and you’ll make money to use during the #holidays. #Thanksgiving and #Christmas will be here before you know it, and you can put a dent in the cost of hosting and giving long before the twinkly lights go up.

If you have extra #holiday tchotchkes to sell, now is the time; you’ll be helping other households get a jump on the season, even as you increase your home’s usable storage and living space.

Observe and post any precautions against the #coronavirus you’ll ask patrons to take at your sale. You may wish to provide disposable masks and hand sanitizer to any browsers who didn’t come prepared.

Finally, be sure to schedule a ClothingDonations.org pickup for the days following your garage sale. You’ve decided to get rid of that stuff, and stuff that goes unsold that you continue to store inside your house or garage is still #clutter.

Fall is not only a beautiful season; it’s also a great time to get things done. Have a garage sale while you still can! You and your neighbors will be happy you did.

Give Your Used Stuff to Benefit Veterans

Give the gift of #support and #charity this season simply by gathering up some of your old, unused stuff and #donating it to ClothingDonations.org. When you get a free, #contactless pickup, your lightly used clothing, decorative items, books and household goods are resold, and the proceeds go directly toward programs that fund #veteran housing, health care and community events. The bonuses? Donating your extra stuff is tax-deductible and can help you keep your home cleaner and more organized. Happy Holidays!

Digital Gifts Deliver on Demand

Looking to give a thoughtful #gift at the very last minute? Try a digital gift! Beyond the obvious content streaming services for in-home entertainment (Netflix, Amazon), there are options that concentrate on specific genres such as Shudder, Mashable suggests. Or you might consider #gifting a (virtual) party game package that recipients can play via a Zoom get-together, or a virtual gym membership for those health-conscious friends who are coping with mandated restrictions on health club capacity.

Stuck for a Gift? Send a Subscription

Subscription boxes are a great #gift for the foodie, the pet parent or the person who has (almost) everything, says the Mint Notion blog. Available to suit any taste or interest, boxes deliver comestibles such as coffee, chocolate and international snacks — or even a complete meal with a produce/recipe box such as HelloFresh. There are wine and cocktail kits for the aspiring oenologist and mixologist, and a yoga subscription for those seeking inner peace. Whatever you choose, these gifts won’t take up much space for very long.

Give the Gift of Knowledge

COVID-19 has left many of us with unused extra time at home. To help your friends and family make the most of that time without adding any paper, gadgets or other extra stuff to their already #cluttered lives, #give the #gift of knowledge. MasterClass offers online lessons taught by celebrity experts in topics such as cooking (Gordon Ramsey, Alice Waters), writing and filmmaking (Margaret Atwood, Spike Lee), and even tennis (Serena Williams). You may help your giftees open the door to a lifelong avocation.