August may give you an extra day to #declutter, the chance to sell some of your extra #stuff and the warm, sunny weather necessary to do both. But before you have a #garage sale, you’ll likely need to clear out the #garage! The first thing to do is take everything out, says Budget Dumpster. Not only will you be able to sweep and wash the floors or repaint the walls, if necessary, you will also be able to make a realistic assessment of your #storage needs and add #shelves, hooks and other #organizational aids. Then, you can sort the things you want to keep — maybe even your car — back into a freshly #decluttered and #organized space.
Tag: schedule a pickup
Empty Your Garage and Start Sorting
Once you’ve removed everything from the #garage, you can sort everything into the familiar #keep, #donate/sell and #trash piles, says Living Well, Spending Less. This requires you to be absolutely honest about your answers to the following question: If you haven’t used whatever it is in the last year, will you really ever use it again? If the answer is “No,” that thing is #clutter. So get rid of the disused sporting goods, the rusty or duplicate tools, and anything that appears broken. Slap a price sticker on anything that someone else might want and host a #garage sale, or contact ClothingDonations.org for a free donation pickup.
What’s the Most Cluttered Area of Your Home?
While many people concentrate their #decluttering efforts on #closets and #kitchen cabinets, the #garage is often the most #disorganized space in a home, says Garage Living. Studies say half of homeowners rate the garage as the most #cluttered area of their house, and only one-third of those with two-car garages can fit more than one vehicle inside it. It’s an easy out-of-sight/out-of-mind dumping ground for #stuff — and especially the “aspirational” #clutter you rarely use, but might come in handy “someday.” Do yourself, your car and the things that you do use a favor: Contact ClothingDonations.org to #donate that stuff.
Observing National Give Something Away Day
July 15 is National Give Something Away Day, a calendar holiday launched in 2015 that invites people everywhere to #give something — anything — to friends, family and the less fortunate; be more aware of one’s carbon footprint; and practice mindful consumerism. Lofty goals!
But don’t hesitate — National Give Something Away Day is easy to observe. All you have to do is exercise some generosity with your money and possessions, and maybe reduce the number of things you own in the process.
For example, if you have an article of clothing, a knickknack or a piece of jewelry that a family member or friend might like better or get more use from, give it to them. Even #giving something as small as a compliment qualifies.
Consider giving the gift of time by volunteering at a local nonprofit such as an animal shelter, food bank or veterans home. Help an elderly neighbor with their yardwork or shopping. Donate needed supplies to a homeless shelter, school or charitable organization.
To make giving really easy, do a wholesale #decluttering and give a bunch of things away all at once. Go through a drawer, closet or room and sort out the things you don’t need; you may be surprised at how much you can do without.
“The world can always use more kindness and generosity,” says Mostly Mindful. “Why not view the day as an opportunity to give the things you no longer need to someone who could use them? After all, there’s no point keeping something if it’s just gathering dust.”
Put that extra stuff in bags or boxes and contact ClothingDonations.org for a free #donation #pickup. You’ll be celebrating National Give Something Away Day while funding programs that provide the nation’s #veterans with food, health care and other sustaining programs.
Giving is a simple act that can brighten another person’s day and effect real, positive change. Observe National Give Something Away Day to get started, and seek out ways to #give throughout the year. #NationalGiveSomethingAwayDay
Helping Aging Parents Downsize
Most people will eventually face the fact that their aging parents won’t live forever — and they’ll likely need to adjust their living situations as they age. And that typically means that they need to sort out a lifetime’s worth of stuff before moving into a smaller space.
It’s a big job — especially when the parent or parents have lived in the same home for many years. Moving is stressful under the best of circumstances, but giving up a home filled with memories can get emotional even if the kids are there to help.
To help a downsizing parent, schedule bite-sized #decluttering sessions, Houzz says — no more than four hours per day, a few times a week. Spacing the sessions out will allow all parties to have some quality time together without getting overwhelmed by the task at hand.
For proper downsizing, try to get a picture of what the parent or parents’ new lifestyle will look like: Will they be cooking, entertaining, traveling or dressing up to go out? Their goals and interests can have a big impact on what they need to have in a new place.
Start by #decluttering the least sentimental items such as linens and clothing. Chances are that they have a lot of these and can pare them down easily to only what’s needed in a given week. Then gradually move on to the more difficult decsions.
Consider digitizing photos and other memorabilia, says Highgate Senior Living. Prints and collectibles can take up a lot of physical space, but digital photos or video scrapbooks can preserve the memories without the burden of extra #stuff.
One wholesale #decluttering strategy is to label everything with Post-it notes, designating what will definitely go to the new housing environment, what gets distributed to family members and what gets sold or #donated.
You aren’t really helping a parent #downsize until that extra #stuff is removed from the home, however; they can backslide on their decisions if things are allowed to sit there in limbo. Schedule a #free #donation #pickup — or multiple #pickups — at ClothingDonations.org.
It’s difficult to watch your parents get on in years. But with a little forethought, you can help aging parents adjust to a new space and lifestyle in their golden years.