Today’s Homemaker

One of the benefits of living a more purposeful, simple life is that there are less things to take care of. The goal is to only have things in your house that you love or that are useful. Today, we’re going to take a tiny step in that direction.

All you have to do is find five items that you want to part with. If you want to make it challenging, make it five things that you know that you don’t want or need, but you just haven’t been able to get rid of. For instance, that stunning puke-green lopsided scarf that was lovingly made for you. Or that thing that you paid way too much for but are never going to use. Anything that gives you negative feelings like guilt or anger or sadness probably needs a new home.

Here are my favorite ways to get rid of things:

1. For the good stuff that I can’t just give away, I use craigslist. Always take a buddy with you when meeting a stranger for “the drop,” since there are a few rumors going around about safety issues. My personal experience has been extremely positive, however. The people I’ve dealt with have always been really friendly.
2. For small, light, easy-to-ship items, I use eBay. Of course. I know there has been talk about recent price increases, so I’ll have to research it, but for the occasional seller, you can’t beat it.
3. For specific items that aren’t worth selling but still have use in them, I use freecycle. I LOVE freecycle! I get one or two emails a day (since I’m in digest mode), and I get to peruse all of the great stuff that’s being given away in my community.
4. For clothing, I donate to my local Salvation Army. It’s right around the corner, and all you have to do is drop it off on a shelf in the front by the register. They even can give you a receipt for tax purposes.
5. The recycling bin or trash can is the last resort, of course. Some things just can’t be salvaged.

Giving/throwing away unneeded stuff is one of the most important things you can do to get (and stay) organized. Sure, you can organize all of your junk, but it’s eventually going to get back to the mess it was in before. By keeping only things that you love and need, you are releasing your commitment to take care of junk. Your time is much too valuable to be wasted on junk maintenance.