I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit of a packrat. One of the things I have the biggest problem getting rid of is books. I've found 3 great ways to get rid of books I don't want. I just need motivation.
1. Book exchange on Reddit. You list books you want and books you have to giveaway and make a post on Reddit. People who have something to trade contact you and you mail your book to them and vice versa.
2. Paperbackswap.com. Kind of the same principle. Except you make a wishlist and the post books you don't want. If someone wants one of your books, you send it and then you get a credit. Then they notify you if someone posts a book you want and it's your turn on the waiting list for that book, you can exchange a credit for a book.
3. half.com. If I have a book I know I can actually get a decent amount of money for, I'll sell it. I don't go through the effort for less than 10 bucks (into my pocket after shipping and the company comission) so it's rare I actually sell anything other than textbooks.
We donate most of our unwanted stuff to a thrift store that supports the ARC, since our son has developmental disabilities. I've also tried trading in and selling used books on Amazon, but was not pleased with the results. I think I'm going to try our local used bookstore next.
Garage sales twice a year. Really helps with our get of debt plan. Plus, half the stuff we sell came from someone else's curb. Amazing how much people throw away that we can get at least a dollar for at our sale!
First I see if any of my friends could use/would want what it is I don't need anymore (if the items are still ok and in good shape). But most of the time I just donate it to a local charity. Also, I've never been in the habit of selling unwanted things.
I do a combination. I donate to a maternity resource center, I give things away on Freecycle, I donate to Goodwill and rarely I will sell to a local consignment shop. My neighborhood doesn't work well for yard sales.
I do all the above. If I think I can get decent $$, I'll do Amazon or ebay first, then Craigslist, then yard sale, then give it away. I only throw away trash.
When my family moved four years ago, we used many means to get rid of our unwanted items. We didn't throw anything away unless it was useless. We listed furniture on Craigslist and gave most everything else to Goodwill. When we still couldn't find anyone to take some furniture items even for free, we got www.1800gotjunk.com to pick them up. The driver assured me that they do attempt to donate or recycle the items before trashing them. Where we live now, we occasionally consign items at a used furniture and knick knack store. I have a friend who happily takes my boys' outgrown clothes. And I found a thrift store that will take just about anything for donation: they have people who can fix electronics or do minor repairs and clothes that are raggy can be recycled for different purposes depending on what material they are made from.
My husband is retired, receiving smallish 401K payouts and social security. I am 62 and still earning as a freelance marketing writer, though my income has dropped significantly with the recession and it fluctuates wildly from month to month. In order to save, we reduced our expenses in many ways, but primarily we sold our house in an expensive market and bought in a cheaper area where we can be mortgage-free. We could do this because I work from home. Now we save in the following ways: (1) I deposit 5% to 10% of every payment I receive into a savings account. If it builds up sufficiently and our emergency fund is at target, I send some to my SEP IRA. This has been dramatically reduced since 2008, however. (2) $50 a month goes automatically from checking into a 529 education savings plan for our grandson. (3) We pay for most purchases with a debit card from our credit union that rounds up and deposits the extra into savings. (4) I typically hang-dry laundry instead of using the dryer; when I do that, I pay 40 cents into my jar and deposit into savings periodically. Saving used to be easier when we had regular incomes from employers and could set up automatic savings plans.
For clothing I will donate it to Goodwill. Everything else I generally sell on eBay. You will usually get what the item is actually worth by doing this. It helps keep my finances in check and helps keep me decluttered.
I usually take things to Goodwill. Our local Goodwill has some really good services to help people find jobs so I feel like its a good cause. We did have a yard sale when we did a major clean out to make room for baby, we made over $300.
I have had many yard sales but now we choose to donate unwanted items to local a local rescue mission, battered women's shelter, Habitat ReStore, or Goodwill.
Craigslist, eBay and Yardsellr are all my go-to sources for making some space in my place. When it comes to clothes, shoes and other things that make for difficult online purchases, I scout out local resale shops. I've been interested, too, in cosigners that sell used clothes, but haven't had the chance to check one out in detail yet.
Recently, I have been selling items on Craigslist and it has worked wonderfully. Everybody wins - the stuff doesn't end up in a landfill, someone else gets something they need for a good price, and I get cash in my pocket!
I wrote this blog post and accompanying guide to help people figure out where to get rid of unwanted stuff - especially for folks who live in the Durham, NC area. Thanks! http://tinyurl.com/cw6oczp
I am a member to a few local facebook groups where you can list items you don't want anymore. Certain sites are for only freely given items and others are for sale only.
I usually list things on there, if they don't sell, then to Ebay, then to the goodwill store.
I give away unwanted things in a number of ways, depending on what it is. Books I donate to our local public library for their annual book sale; nicer clothing I consign; less nice clothes I give to the local donation center like Goodwill; housewares I give away using Freecycle or by just putting a note that says "FREE" on them and leaving them on the curb; electronics, furniture, lawn equipment, musical instruments, sporting goods and other items I could get some money for I usually sell on Craigslist; and craft supplies or odds and ends I donate to a local organization called The Scrap Exchange (www.scrapexchange.org) that uses them for creative reuse projects. Two other ways I get rid of unwanted items is sending out a note on our neighborhood listserve that something is available to a good home *OR* dropping them off at a place called The Swap Shop which is a facility run by our local government -- the idea is that if you have something you drop if off, and if need something you take it.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit of a packrat. One of the things I have the biggest problem getting rid of is books. I've found 3 great ways to get rid of books I don't want. I just need motivation.
1. Book exchange on Reddit. You list books you want and books you have to giveaway and make a post on Reddit. People who have something to trade contact you and you mail your book to them and vice versa.
2. Paperbackswap.com. Kind of the same principle. Except you make a wishlist and the post books you don't want. If someone wants one of your books, you send it and then you get a credit. Then they notify you if someone posts a book you want and it's your turn on the waiting list for that book, you can exchange a credit for a book.
3. half.com. If I have a book I know I can actually get a decent amount of money for, I'll sell it. I don't go through the effort for less than 10 bucks (into my pocket after shipping and the company comission) so it's rare I actually sell anything other than textbooks.
We donate most of our unwanted stuff to a thrift store that supports the ARC, since our son has developmental disabilities. I've also tried trading in and selling used books on Amazon, but was not pleased with the results. I think I'm going to try our local used bookstore next.
Garage sales twice a year. Really helps with our get of debt plan. Plus, half the stuff we sell came from someone else's curb. Amazing how much people throw away that we can get at least a dollar for at our sale!
I try to sell it on Craigslist, if that doesn't work I donate to Goodwill.
First I see if any of my friends could use/would want what it is I don't need anymore (if the items are still ok and in good shape). But most of the time I just donate it to a local charity. Also, I've never been in the habit of selling unwanted things.
I do a combination. I donate to a maternity resource center, I give things away on Freecycle, I donate to Goodwill and rarely I will sell to a local consignment shop. My neighborhood doesn't work well for yard sales.
I do all the above. If I think I can get decent $$, I'll do Amazon or ebay first, then Craigslist, then yard sale, then give it away. I only throw away trash.
I love donating things to the Goodwill. Its a great organization, encourages reuse and gives you a tax break! What's not to love?!
Some stuff does need to be just thrown away, though. Don't make it the Goodwill's job to sort your junk.
When my family moved four years ago, we used many means to get rid of our unwanted items. We didn't throw anything away unless it was useless. We listed furniture on Craigslist and gave most everything else to Goodwill. When we still couldn't find anyone to take some furniture items even for free, we got www.1800gotjunk.com to pick them up. The driver assured me that they do attempt to donate or recycle the items before trashing them. Where we live now, we occasionally consign items at a used furniture and knick knack store. I have a friend who happily takes my boys' outgrown clothes. And I found a thrift store that will take just about anything for donation: they have people who can fix electronics or do minor repairs and clothes that are raggy can be recycled for different purposes depending on what material they are made from.
I generally donate clothing and low to moderate value items. For higher value stuff, I sell on craigslist or at a yard sale.
My husband is retired, receiving smallish 401K payouts and social security. I am 62 and still earning as a freelance marketing writer, though my income has dropped significantly with the recession and it fluctuates wildly from month to month. In order to save, we reduced our expenses in many ways, but primarily we sold our house in an expensive market and bought in a cheaper area where we can be mortgage-free. We could do this because I work from home. Now we save in the following ways: (1) I deposit 5% to 10% of every payment I receive into a savings account. If it builds up sufficiently and our emergency fund is at target, I send some to my SEP IRA. This has been dramatically reduced since 2008, however. (2) $50 a month goes automatically from checking into a 529 education savings plan for our grandson. (3) We pay for most purchases with a debit card from our credit union that rounds up and deposits the extra into savings. (4) I typically hang-dry laundry instead of using the dryer; when I do that, I pay 40 cents into my jar and deposit into savings periodically. Saving used to be easier when we had regular incomes from employers and could set up automatic savings plans.
For clothing I will donate it to Goodwill. Everything else I generally sell on eBay. You will usually get what the item is actually worth by doing this. It helps keep my finances in check and helps keep me decluttered.
I usually take things to Goodwill. Our local Goodwill has some really good services to help people find jobs so I feel like its a good cause. We did have a yard sale when we did a major clean out to make room for baby, we made over $300.
I have had many yard sales but now we choose to donate unwanted items to local a local rescue mission, battered women's shelter, Habitat ReStore, or Goodwill.
Also, liked on facebook.
Fingers crossed!
Craigslist, eBay and Yardsellr are all my go-to sources for making some space in my place. When it comes to clothes, shoes and other things that make for difficult online purchases, I scout out local resale shops. I've been interested, too, in cosigners that sell used clothes, but haven't had the chance to check one out in detail yet.
Recently, I have been selling items on Craigslist and it has worked wonderfully. Everybody wins - the stuff doesn't end up in a landfill, someone else gets something they need for a good price, and I get cash in my pocket!
When I clean things out I generally end up with three categories: trash, Goodwill, and consignment store.
I wrote this blog post and accompanying guide to help people figure out where to get rid of unwanted stuff - especially for folks who live in the Durham, NC area. Thanks! http://tinyurl.com/cw6oczp
I am a member to a few local facebook groups where you can list items you don't want anymore. Certain sites are for only freely given items and others are for sale only.
I usually list things on there, if they don't sell, then to Ebay, then to the goodwill store.
I "liked" you on Facebook! :)
I give away unwanted things in a number of ways, depending on what it is. Books I donate to our local public library for their annual book sale; nicer clothing I consign; less nice clothes I give to the local donation center like Goodwill; housewares I give away using Freecycle or by just putting a note that says "FREE" on them and leaving them on the curb; electronics, furniture, lawn equipment, musical instruments, sporting goods and other items I could get some money for I usually sell on Craigslist; and craft supplies or odds and ends I donate to a local organization called The Scrap Exchange (www.scrapexchange.org) that uses them for creative reuse projects. Two other ways I get rid of unwanted items is sending out a note on our neighborhood listserve that something is available to a good home *OR* dropping them off at a place called The Swap Shop which is a facility run by our local government -- the idea is that if you have something you drop if off, and if need something you take it.
I liked you on Facebook
I consign unwanted stuff at the local thrift store.
I'm a Facebook fan!