Just yesterday I donated my entire truckbed full of perfectly good items that I *could* have sold but just needed to get it out. I have been decluttering intentionally for weeks now and just piled the bags and boxes of things “to donate” in a space that also needed to be decluttered. The other day, it just clicked and enough was enough. I enlisted the help of my oldest son and together we filled the back of my truck. The next morning I took it all to goodwill and breathed a huge sigh of relief that it was gone. The hangup for me was not that I wanted to sell it, but perhaps the embarrassment of how much excess crap I have and now want to get rid of. The goodwill employee came out with a smile on his face and when I said it was the whole truckbed - he just chuckled and said he’d grab a bigger cart. In less than five minutes, I had unloaded years of clutter and mental chaos into his bin and that was that. When I walked into my home later, I was able to tackle another area and now I have several more boxes and bags to donate. Hurray!!
When my kids were little we went through a hard time financially. Free clothes other people passed on to us kept them clothed. I made it a rule back then to never sell anything that was given to me for free and that's been super helpful. I also feel good donating because I remember how much it has helped me to be able to buy things at Goodwill and other thrift stores rather than pay full price.
This could be my story as the kid. 💜 I also feel this way. I also remember how great it is to find that awesome find at the thrift store and hope even one of my items makes a person say YES! Donating ? Yes please. TFS your story.
Yeah. We wouldn't have had clothes without handmedowns. Goodwill was too expensive for us. Tha k God for those that gave to us. My daughter doesnt need second hand, but loves them. Lol I actually don't like the idea of selling things simply because I believe giving is a gift to God. That said, I know some people have done better reselling their clothing at consignment shops.
I can't afford to give much to charities. Instead I decided that I would give our used things to charity stores, and support causes that way. I do something good, and don't have to deal with the stress of trying to sell things.
I was raised HAVING to shop in thrift stores. All of our furniture and all of our clothes came from thrift stores because that’s all we could afford. Thinking about that now allows me to be joyful in donating. It makes me happy knowing how I could possibly make someone else’s day when they come across my items I’ve donated. BUT… I also know when something is just junk and time for the garbage.
I agree. Knowing the delight of finding really great condition, nice brand clothes for my children in a thrift store (because that's the only way I can afford to buy those brands for them) makes it easier to donate the things that I still love, are in great condition... but are beyond my clutter threshold.
I have decided that donating perfectly good items I’m not going to use actually helps me feel better about the money I spent on it in the first place. It’s like I’m gifting it to someone else to use and enjoy. The real monetary loss for me is keeping it packed away and allowing time/critters/bugs to ruin it completely so it’s no use to anyone ever. It’s been such a freeing mindset, Dana. Thank you so much!
Exactly! I ask myself if a friend needed/wanted this thing would I give it to them happily. If so, why not a stranger? I hate having things sitting around going bad in my house knowing that someone out there might be able to use it right now. And if the charity can also make some money to help more people that’s a win-win-win.
Totally worth it to pay someone to take unwanted items out of your house. I don't have a car because I can't afford a monthly car payment, but for less than a car payment, I pay a teenager to help me declutter every Saturday morning, & she drives me to a local charity to drop off donations. She has been helping for over a year. My quality of life wouldn't be as good if I didn't pay someone to help me each week. Not done with the decluttering process yet, probably another year yet, but paying someone to help has been totally worth it.
Think how much you would pay someone to declutter and organize your home-it makes it easier to donate those things so you actually make progress. Dana is so helpful in understanding what helps us simplify and change our collecting habits!
This gave me "permission/justification" to get rid of stuff that's in my way regardless the perceived value of said stuff, I'm still ahead if I do it myself!
@@MorningClarity I watched that. I thought it was cool! What a timesaver. I can't afford that, and I think I need to do the work to prevent getting mired in crap again. If it's uncomfortable and annoying for me, I'm less likely to get back in bad shape!
My husband sees $$$$ every time I declutter. He thinks everything he owns is worth a ton of money! Lord help me. I don't even bat an eyelash. The money was lost when it was purchased, and now it's just sitting in my home
My husband does too and he is pretty much a hoarder because he is always "gonna" sell the stuff but never does. It affects our whole life and drives me crazy
Ugh, my mother is the same way. It’s all worth so much money, forgetting it’s not new anymore and being used the value has decreased. We’re not talking antiques here, just “stuff”.
Years ago I used Got Junk. It was worth the money. First they wanted to see the items you want taken away and then will give you a quote. Then it was time for fun. I pointed, they picked it up and away it went into their truck. I didn't touch a thing. It was their backs not mine. Extremely nice, friendly, professional. It was worth it! Thanks to you I now have a donate box in our coat closet. When that gets full it goes with the other boxes. Another box takes it place. When I have enough to fill the back of my car I head to Good Will. It is such a relief to have the physical and mental items gone!!
My sister had a huge garage sale once. But the items that didn’t sell ended up back in their house. Donation is the quickest & easiest way to declutter if that’s your primary goal. 😊🦋
A friend and I had a yard sale together. By the time we advertised, took hours to gather up and set out the items, set up tables, box up what didn't sell and haul it to donation center it just wasn't worth it. Plus our teen boys kept sneaking items back in the house! We barely made $100 each. I always have a donate box handy and when it's full, it goes!
I'm planning on having a yard sale in a couple of weeks, but I have a little rule for myself: whatever doesn't sell gets packed up into boxes and goes straight to goodwill.
Dana, thank you for this! I am a long-time donator of items, but I feel like I get pushback from people who do not live with me about not selling. For those who tell me I should sell, I always offer the items to them to sell. Funnily enough, not ONE has ever taken me up on it! Like you, I believe it better gone than draining my time and energy on getting things sold. After all, the money has already been spent - sometimes years ago. I need a clutterless home much more than the dollars earned by selling. This wasn't always the case, and I am so thankful that my life supports this stage now.
That's hilarious. I would definitely bless someone with the ability to sell my junk. On the flipside, my parents LOVE garage sales. And when my dad lost his job people donated their stuff to them for them to sell. It was a huge blessing but it was for a very specific reason.
Yes, it is all about time vs money! I don’t want to spend my precious free time trying to earn a few measly bucks selling my junk. I want it gone as quickly as possible so I can use my time on better things.
Dana, you are a miracle worker! Yesterday we had drop in company and at first I panicked! Then I turned around and saw that our living room looked nearly perfect! Your methods not only make “progress and only progress” - they form good new habits that help maintain a new higher standard. Thank you SO much!💜
Ironically, I clicked over to this video while in the midst of listening to Podcast #58 - The Value Trap. I used to be a, “this is worth $x, so I need to figure out a way to sell it,” person… while clutter accumulated. Now I’m ready to GET IT OUT and am doing so. 🙌
So many of the ideas you expressed have literally (as in word for word) come out of my mouth. I was raised by frugal parents and now after decades of my own collecting ('keep it you may need' it or its ugly twin, 'save it, you can get some money if you sell it'), I am in early stages of releasing through donating. Just knowing someone who needs it is using it is finally moving from my heart to my head. TY so much.
Exactly - same here (Dana's words and yours!). I have recently found peace with letting "perfectly usable items" go, for someone else to use and enjoy now, rather than storing them for myself (or my "fantasy self"). I also keep reminding myself that certain items break down over time, whether they're being used or not... so it is better for those to be used NOW while they still can, since I'm not using those "just in case" items right now, and they've been taking up space in my home for years. Example: two sets of curtains that don't even fit any of the windows in my house - and we've lived here for over 8 years!
@@katiegleaves3792 So true. TY for that reminder about using stuff or risk having it lose its quality. I finally opened a tube of eye cream only to find it had dried up in the tube. There's a lesson in there. Your curtain story made me smile! And likely more common among us than you know. :)
@@deedsh6280 OH YES! I hear you! Marie Kondo has a great story about an art set she received as a child and was "saving" it and her mother gave it away and said, " I thought you didn't like it!". I am a huge save for the future BUT am unlearning that here ....
Everything left over from my garage sale was put into well organized boxes. I wanted to donate the rest in a creative, fun way. We set one or 2 boxes at the end of the driveway labelled ex: "Boys Clothes - sizes 5-7 and wrote " FREE" We had so much fun peeking through the window and watching people's excitement!
Another great video. I personally have been donating stuff for years, and years. Not only am I way to lazy to go through the hassel of selling things, but it makes me feel good to donate to places that resell items, so that people who are less well off financially can still get good quality stuff at affordable prices. I have a sister who raised her two kids and they almost exclusively bought their clothes and stuff for school at the Salvation Army. Her husband was disabled so she stayed home and took are of him as well as the kids. If people are really in need of extra money than I completely understand wanting or needing to sell possessions, but aside from that I personally don't get it. But to each his own. Today I dropped off several bags at our Goodwill. It's nice to have more space in my house. 😃
I love donating because when I need something, the thrift store is the first place I look. I am so appreciative of people who donate really nice things they don’t need. Thus, I feel good returning the favor to others. Plus, it is so easy and my house is always better when boxes of things are gone.
Funny. I am currently decluttering my house space, but I do run a small eBay business from my home. I have an office space dedicated to this. I still donate a lot of stuff from my actual home space & my office space. I've sold thousands of items. I list & ship every day. It is an absolute learning curve. There is a lot of work involved, even after you've mastered the process. I treat eBay as my job. Otherwise I'm a stay at home, homeschooling mom. I earn a good bit of money on eBay. More than any minimum wage job. I enjoy going to yard sales. I go specifically for the purpose of sourcing inventory that I actually sell. Sometimes I make bad buys. Those items get donated. It's possible to do both, but it has to bring value to your life. You have to be willing to learn and dedicate time & space to eBay. Donating is my favorite way of getting rid of stuff that no longer brings value to my life. Things that I sell have to meet a certain criteria to make it to my office.
Just wondering what criteria you have for making it to your office to sell? I’m trying to make sell/donate piles and am struggling. Since you seem to have a good system down, I’d love your perspective!
I'm also trying e-bay. My motivation isn't there all of the time. So do you do only auctions or the buy it now. On eBay? Just curious. Learning to get the photos from phone to laptop is a challenge for me.
So agree with you, just do whatever it takes to get it out of your house quickly. I have been decluttering for a few years off and on and I don’t sell any of it. I like to bless others with it, that’s all the “gift” I need. That and getting it out! ❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉 I also would not feel safe meeting up with people or pointing anyone to my own home for a porch pickup but that’s just me. Too many weirdos out there.
I was also reluctant about giving my home address for "porch pickups" or dropping items off at stranger's homes. Yes - there are way too many weirdos out there, and you never know. For the things I simply needed the money for and couldn't afford to just donate them (furniture, valuable collectibles, appliances) I have ALWAYS had another person or two come with me (my husband is 6'4" and looks like a bouncer, so that helps), and we do a "meet up in a public place" during the day - and I took the advice of someone else - that place is often a municipal building like the police station parking lot: some even have designated areas for exactly that kind of thing!
@@michelesusanne1 I know a lot of people use it with no issues but it happens to be a concern of mine. There are people who use that type of thing to case a house. You can also just hang out and case a house. So there are other ways. I just personally don't want to invite it. ❤️ My hubby has had to sell stuff for his workplace and it's been a royal pain for him...just the few things he had to try to sell. It just isn't for everyone.
Watching this as I’m staring at 5 boxes of things we’ve been tripping over and I’ve been wanting to sell for over a year. 😳🤪😕 All the energy spent toward seeing this stuff every day in my house is exhausting. Thanks for the nudge. 😉
Dana's methods for decluttering work best for me because of the "better is good" and "no mess method" and all these concepts she uses very much match my style. That said, I'm still learning lol So, little story and hopefully I'm not the only one this has happened to: I'm organizing my books (difficult for me!) and I decide to put a certain type of books on a certain shelf. Later, I need to put another one away and of course it won't fit on the shelf, and I say to myself "[DANGIT!] Its a container!" lol Well... I don't need TWO Thesaurus'... Thesauruses? Thesuarai? whatever the plural of Thesaurus is, I just need one. The realization moment and subsequent expletive for the fact that the spot for them was a "container", really cracked me up. :)
How are you inside my head?!? I binge listen to your TH-cam videos DAILY! A big THANK YOU!! My house has never felt and looked better and the women's shelter in my town has been blessed big.
This is wonderful! I’m in the declutter group which is helping me a lot. My area is rural so I’m not doing some of these options. I do take clothes & smalls to our local GW and so far they’ve taken it all 👏🏿👏🏼👏🏾 What I’m most excited about is my neighbors who apparently love my crap because I put it on the road with a *free sign* ( across the street so they don’t know it’s my stuff but I’m sure they know 😂) & within in hours it’s ALL gone! Last time they even took my cardboard *free* sign. I’ve decluttered my kitchen so the neighbors will be getting a ton of kitchen items ~ I’m so excited to get it out of here! I even have empty cupboards & drawers. Thank You for ALL you help! ❤️
Tried to take baby clothes to a consignment store. They had been stored in a vacuum bag. They wouldn’t take any of them until I took them home and washed them. Went through that and only got $20. Took 3 trips across town and it didn’t even cover the gas 😅😅😅 DONATE!
In a few different moves, I used junk haulers, it was great. I just pointed at piles and furniture that I wanted them to take and it was gone for good. I didn't have to figure out where the best place was to donate or trash items. Yes, it cost money but the peace of mind, each time, was amazing.
I moved two years ago. I have a bunch of boxes in the garage. A week ago, I pulled 5 boxes with a label that says glass, I didn't want to deal with it. I just took it to the donation center. I wanted to check what was in there, but I kept staying to myself. NOOOO. These videos are helping a lot to simplify my life.
D: You are providing such a service to the de-cluttering audience. I've enjoyed your books as well as your actual uploads. Of anyone, I believe you have the gift, the insight and ability to present your thoughts is many different ways so that anyone can get it. You come across as sincere and thoughtful; which is a great aid for those people just beginning to see the light! For those just beginning..... try Decluttering at the Speed of Life. I listened in audio format and was able to absorb her message as I went about my day to day routine.
Oh my gosh! When you said you were an ebay seller that saw everything as money being thrown away. That's me right now. I love doing ebay, but I really need to get this house in shape. I'm watching your videos. Just went around and threw out all of the garbage.
Great tips & so true! Safety first! And your time is absolutely the most valuable part of the whole process, not to mention your sanity. I’ve gotten over trying to recoup money. It’s a sunk cost. My brain needs the mental space too.
Most people don't seem to understand the "sunk cost" premise. Also, my time and energy are too valuable to spend trying to get money back. It's also such a good feeling to know my donations help someone who wouldn't otherwise be able to have those things. I've been there as a single mother years ago.
It's so true, I had an entire storage unit of things I thought I would sell. It is so much work plus you have to deal with shipping and then people who don't pay or complain after they receive it. Often about how expensive shipping is but it really is a lot! so now I only sell specific items that are easy to ship. Personally I don't want to deal with hagglers so garage sales or marketplace just isn't for me. Thank you Dana for breaking it down for real.
Your story from a year ago (?) about donating your car to just the right place? Still sticks with me... good enough is good enough! That one video has saved me SO much angst! This is a good follow up!
The misery of dealing with rude idiots on FB marketplace has really helped me donate. I’m not going to all that trouble for anything I can’t get a least $25 out of.
I look at donating as an opportunity to bless someone else who may be able to give my items a second life. I've also adjusted how I think about money. Money is a tool. It buys me food to keep me alive, it pays for a roof over my head, and sometimes, it pays for services I need to make life more manageable. Works for me!
I had a garage sale last fall and sold quite a bit. The things that were left I donated the following week. No second guessing. Saving things for another sale takes up valuable space. 👍
Thank you Dawn! This is much to keep in mind. Donation is easier for me, and such an easy way to help so many people. I am a member of your group “Take your house Back” I struggle in many ways with clutter and continual mess, time management and it did not matter during my life before children or after. I am not lazy, everyone who knows me knows I am constantly working on something when not work. I still live chaotic, but this program and getting rid of things laying on every surface, in several corners, over-stuffed closets, items I only see near the front part of the closets and have not any idea what is in the depths and want to avoid; I now am beginning to see will be vital! The places I have removed clutter, tossed in the black trash bag, filled in my cardboard boxes, and the salvation Army removed from my garage, these spaces are a source of calmness, and encouragement to keep up Ruth Your program and TH-cam videos. I am sentimental to the extreme about items people have given me, so I will have to be very attentive in this part of your course because I am aware I cannot keep everything!! It does me no good if hidden away, so if not displayable, at least part of the year, I need to 🙏 to store my treasures in heaven instead.
My one goal my friend is something you just said .. store your treasures up in Heaven, yes am! I'm thinking of one of the tiny houses so I can't over buy!
I always feel so inspired to action when I watch your videos. Already messaged family about a Soda Stream I no longer use because my oldest son bought me a snappier one. And, now my mind is starting to list things I don’t use. Thank you for your helpful guidance.
"I am a collector of things, and free is my favorite price" 😂😂😂 I belong to Buy Nothing and I've been super careful and I've only taken home a top sheet, a comforter and a blanket that I really needed. I also got rid of a pool table and a ping pong table on Buy Nothing and we now have our car in the garage!!! But Goodwill or Thrift Town is my very favorite way to move stuff from the house. OH! And renting TWO 20 yard dumpsters 😱 to empty my mom's house really worked!
I find that what helps me to donate is finding a good charity or connecting with someone who has just gone through a house fire and lost everything. It will make you feel so good! We have a local ministry whose proceeds from sales go to widows and orphans in the Dominican Republic. I don't know about you, but I'm helping people in a third-world country, and that's a pretty big deal! There's no local Goodwill store in my town. If you remove the dollar sign from your brain, you can really feel good about donating. I hope that this prospective helps someone. 🙂👍
As far as meeting up with people, our city now has an area of the police station parking lot set aside for those kinds of transactions. A grocery store parking lot would also work. I love donating. I've done the yard sale thing over the years, but at 65, it's not fun. I used to do one once a year with two of my best friends, and even if we didn't make a lot, we had so much fun hanging out for a couple of days, just visiting with each other. My husband has a really hard time donating, or even getting rid of stuff at all. He's trying, but he sees value in absolutely everything. His biggest challenge is just ahead. We have a business, a countertop shop, and we have our building up for sale and when it sells, everything except for some hand tools will have to go. We are talking 6000 square feet of shop. I just hope it doesn't cause him to have a stroke when he has to let it all go. We've already tried selling the business and he will try an sell some of the individual equipment and supplies when the time comes, but a lot will just have to go.
Well this was totally timely! I’m all about wanting to sell my items, but I haven’t done anything yet. I also want to be able to just donate everything… But I haven’t done that either. In the meantime, everything sits at the front door or stuck away in cabinets. I’m just going to bite the bullet load up everything in my car and go donate it to a resale shop that supports men in recovery. Thank you so much!!
Teen challenge is our favorite place to donate too. Town is 100 miles away but it's a joy to know we are helping someone twice. Firsy the men in recovery and the folks who buy the goods. Actually 3 people: getting a freed up place in our home.
One word no one ever mentions is FEES, sometimes as high as 15 - 20%. Most selling platforms, like eBay and consigners are going to take a chunk of your selling price right off the top. So you are "paying" someone to sell your stuff after all!
This is something that discouraged me in the past, but, if it is a quick way of disposing a houseful of stuff, the fee might be worth it. I would love a video about the pros and cons of estate sales.
I started watching you on TH-cam. Back in April, I decided five items a day. I did more, and Thousands of items has left my house. I used the Ohio method, take there now, and 4I have gave, donated, and and threw away. I did as you suggested, and started with only my stuff. My husband has seen the difference, and startedhis room yesterday. Thank you!
My favorite places to donate do good for someone else. The hospices in my area take the items to help both the patient and the famliy! Imagine helping someone live there remaining life by helping them with medicine, medical supplies, respite care and eventually grief counseling. I had those services for my family and this way my sentimental item, I kept one and donated one, became a blessing to someone else. And the person that bought it is helping to keep items out of the landfills! Blessings!!!
I sooo appreciate you continually reminding us to donate! I do OK for a while, then get bogged down with ideas of "I gotta sell it!". I told a friend about you and she gets so excited when she declutters her house....BUT, her idea is to keep it in her garage (hey, it's out of the house) and sell it. Last summer she bought a $500 event tent, set it up in her driveway and filled it with some her junk (it wouldn't all fit). All the time and money she put into this...she lives in the middle of nowhere, so guess how much she sold? Zip. She keeps telling me to sell my stuff...I remind her I'd just rather have my space. Dana, thank you, keep at it! You are changing so many lives! Oh yeah, last week I donated 12 boxes of quilting fabric to a local charity where they make quilts for whoever needs them. They said they'd love to have my fabric stash. I still have about 10 boxes to go. The woman who told me that they ' would love to have it all,' yesterday said "You gave us boxes of green fabric, I don't like green." ha ha ha......ah well, there's always the Goodwill.
Great Video! I love doing my own garage sales to get rid of stuff. I don't do it for the money, although that's a nice benefit. I like meeting people and fenagling. However, I have learned that the key to garage sales is that you MUST either toss or donate the leftovers right away. No storing items for another sale. That was my mistake at first and I felt like I didn't get rid of enough. Once I started donating after the sale and truly clearing things out, I felt great. Another thing, when you price things for a Garage sale, think 10% of what you paid for it. That's about what the typical person will pay for things at a Garage sale.
Agreed! Same, learned from several years of garage sales. What's best? Baby and kids items. Furniture that is still semi new, under 5 yrs old. I often tell people trash things over 5 yrs old, unless very usable, like a dresser. Dressers are forever, if made from real wood. Chip board, or laminate that is damaged should probably be thrown out.
Since I started watching your channel I have been able to donate a great deal of stuff that I don’t need anymore without any qualms. Thanks so much for your channel 👋😊🇦🇺
Selling, was the thing that kept me stuck, I am donating it all. The money has gone, it costs me to keep it, mentally, emotionally, physically too much stuff messes up your life. Getting it out asap the same day if possible has been a game changer, it’s creates space and gives me energy.
Garage sales in our area are a LOT of work & are NEVER worth the time & effort. Nobody is willing to pay more than $1 for really nice jeans that cost $40-$50 new. We had so many people with resale shops wanting to buy in bulk for pennies on the dollar. THAT'S when I decided to load it all up & donate it! I DO sell a FEW items on Mercari. (It is simple & the fees are low.) I ONLY sell things that are new or NWOT & everything has an expiration date & a minimum profit price. If it hasn't sold in 6 months or if I can't make my minimum amount, I cancel the listing and it gets donated also. It takes me about 5 minutes to take some pix, edit them, upload them & do the listing. To each, their own!
Been decluttering since the lockdown in 3/2020, I have sold 45 handbags and a bunch of clothing. Plan to finish next year. It’s been the best thing ever, freed my space and mind.
Don’t make it hard for yourself to get the stuff out of your house. Make it easy. Donating is a great thing. Our church runs an up-cycle home goods store. We donate most of the money we make to Charitable Organizations in the area. The store is staffed with volunteers. It is a WIN-WIN! We even have volunteers that refinish donated furniture so we can sell it for a good amount.
Whenever I do a yard sale, it's with the understanding that whatever is left over DOES NOT come back into my house. Everything left over by the end of the day goes in my car to be donated the next day. And I keep the sale itself super simple. I don't advertise, except for signs posted at either end of my block. (These are re-useable, painted wooden boards.) Everything smaller than furniture is a dollar, so I don't need to put price tags on almost anything. Everything worth less than a dollar goes in a basket marked "free." Towards the afternoon, I am super willing to let people bargain or just take things. The point is for it to go, and give me a little cash in my pocket. Not to recoup the value of the items per se. The other point is to have an excuse to sit in my front yard in the sun and meet my neighbors. Can't put a price on that!
Your comments about eBay are right on. We have been doing eBay for several years. Started out by getting rid of some "collections". But when you figure all your time, you really don't make much "per hour". We look at it as a hobby. Figure most hobbies cost money. This one makes a little! So if you enjoy doing it, go for it. However, not what I would use to "get things out" in a hurry.
I think this was just for me… I’ve got so many things I’ve set aside for EBay - takes up so much space. I’ve done lots of selling in the past - but have just procrastinated so much. Now that and the other clutter have overwhelmed me. Thanks for your videos… I like them because I feel like you “get me.” You speak directly to my excuses and experiences. I kind of see a glimpse of light at the end of this tunnel, now, thanks to you.
I had my husband actually SAW THE TOP OFF our perfectly good china cabinet in order to repurpose it in his workshop downstairs.(It wouldn't make the turn at the bottom of the stairs.) Yes, I could have sold it, but he needed the storage, and the $100 I would have gotten wouldn't have purchased equivalent storage. My mantra is, "If it is in my way, figure out how to get it out of my way." I kept one, crystal egg out of the entire upper cabinet, and my rice cooker from the lower part. I gave the glass away on Buy Nothing to an artist who was thrilled to get it. (I don't get stuff on Buy Nothing because I figure there are people who actually NEED things as opposed to wanting them as I might.)
Fantastic video, Dana! Valuable information that can help me to reason through which way to go with getting rid of my excess things. Selling stuff is not always worth the valuable time and effort it demands of the seller.
My first sale on eBay- I LOST $3 after paying the shipping 🤣 I eventually became a “Top Seller” but realized I wasn’t even making minimum wage for my time 🤷🏽♀️
Dana you have helped me so much, thank u, today ill be getting rid of more in my kitchen area..it still feels too cluttered...maybe u can do a video on kitchen.
You are so right. I am still limping from having dropped a table on my toe. Swollen. PURPLE. I wound up paying our building porter to take it. Should have done that first. Nothing you have told me isn't true. Not always easy to accept, but honest, true and generous. People first.
We’ll, as luck would have it I was On my way to the donation dog rescue site while listening to this. I got rid of a two layer fleece king sized blanket that I have had for many years. I hated it. It was large and cumbersome AND it barely fit in my washer and dryer AND it didn’t keep us warm!! So there you have it, I finally woke up! 😂
Thanks for the reminder! I forgot that animal shelters will take bedding! (I don't know about other places, but where I live, Goodwill does not accept donations of bedding.)
My New Year's Resolution was to get serious about decluttering our house in 2023. In years past, we've decluttered a day or two a couple times a year. Not this year. And we've been doing great! We have donated a bunch.When we have even 1 bag or box to donate, we get it out of the house asap...preferably that day. We have put extra trash & recycling out every week. We are seeing big gaps in all sort of places all over our house. This is a sign of progress....& it feels wonderful. If it's been in a box for years & we've never wondered where something was ....if we've never gone looking for it, let it go. We evidently don't need it. If we avoid wearing something for whatever reason, give it away. If something is never used, why are we keeping it ? Let it go.
I agree to just donate it quickly! You will be relieved to have it gone. I got lucky and was able to give all my things to my great nephew that just moved into his first apartment. He was so glad to receive my things and it brought me joy to help him ❤. So, if you know someone moving away for college or just starting out, it’s a great way to bless you both 😊.
I just had a yard sale and dumped so much stuff I had collected at yard sales - years worth! In my sale I had a bunch of little stuff I didn't want to deal with pricing so I made a "25 cent-ville" section and the second day this turned into a 'free' section. I also gave some items to a fire chief who came along for the FD, and made package deals. Only a few items to put to the curb and most of them went. My elderly neighbor brought stuff to mine and she's going to host another one next month so I have a couple weeks to get the next round ready. Feels so good to get rid of this stuff. Now I'm very choosy about what I order or buy or bring in the door.
Yes! I had tried one of those kids consignment sales because I had a ton of kids clothes, some never worn. After I bought hangers, tags, and a pricing gun, I really didn't make all that much money from it! And, I still had unsold items to contend with. Not to mention my time spent! From then on, I decided it was my KARMIC RESPONSIBILITY to put good items out into the world for others to enjoy 😊
Donating is generous! Be generous. :) Also, if your donating options where you live include leaving stuff uninspected, DO NOT leave things no one will buy, or anything their signs say they can't accept. My local charity shop has to pay hundreds of dollars to a rubbish removal company EVERY WEEK to take away the worthless things people dump at their door. It's so sad. Put it in your own bin! Dana is by far my favourite un-mess tip giver. Her brain works the same way that I do so I know her advice will actually work for me.
I’m halfway through the video and yes - this is me. I set things aside for “special” people… and then I always want to have a garage sale but honestly I am SO OVERWHELMED with life it is impossible right now. When I donate stuff, I have to have it categorized for the poor people going through my donations. It’s hard y’all. So so hard to just get it out of my house 😩 maybe I should just try it for once and see what happens!
I had started downsizing/decluttering VERY slowly about 3 years ago, but had dedicated a corner of the basement for "items with possible value" so I could have a yard sale. (This is separate from "actual valuable COLLECTIBLE" items I was planning to sell on Ebay or something: many of those were passed on to me when my stepdad died - he was a seller on Ebay and these were the items he hadn't valued/posted yet). Well, two years went by and the "saving for Yard Sale" pile grew and grew, becoming its own problem collection. During the pandemic, I couldn't host a yard sale, and donation centers were not accepting donations (either for safety protocols, low staffing, or were overrun with stuff already). Well, because of videos from Dana and Dawn (the Minimal Mom) I learned that my Basement is a Container, and it was overflowing - it was way too much to manage. MIND 🤯BLOWN! So (with pandemic restrictions lifted) I set a date and had that yard sale last fall! 😅 It took 4 friends to carry everything outside and set it up, and we ended up turning it into a 2-day yard sale, because there was so much stuff! At the end, I didn't allow myself to sneak anything back into the house. We still took two full carloads to donation centers! I feel so silly that I waited so long to have that yard sale, and I had to convince myself not to bring anything back into the house to try again next summer. But the feeling of relief that all those things are GONE is FANTASTIC! 🥳 It gave me the space in the basement (and my mind) to actually work on going through more of my things and start a new round of decluttering.
Dana, I follow your channel but for some reason I just found this video, six months later. This is really great and motivating. I am going into my basement today to start the decluttering process and any thing that is left will be donated or I will call the junk removal service. Like you said, it is worth the money! Thanks for your inspiration!
Thanks for keeping it real Dana. Every video, I get something positive from, every podcast. I'm almost a minimalist 😱 and never thought I would get out of my hoards, but thanks to you. I stay on the right track and have removed so many items that I never thought I could have. 🥰
I have tried to donate. It is next to impossible in this town I currently live in. In the past I have had no problem donating. The stores here put on requirements that you have to launder, press and even hang the item up in their store. With household items they have specific times and days they accept items. It is just easier to put all decluttering items in the dumpster. I’m disabled and being hassled just to donate is not worth it.
Great tips! Someone at my office started an internal freecycle page for employees to post photos and descriptions to give away unwanted items. It’s so easy to just take something to work, and many items are gone in minutes.
That's a great idea. I had a pair of votive candle holders that I liked but the donation center would consider trash. I found someone at work who wanted them and she loves them. Another coworker said never goes to the donation center because she always finds stuff at work.
My Goodwill wants everything sorted into bins by category when I drop it off. Such a nightmare for me! I found a smaller organization that will take mixed boxes but their donation center is often full. It shouldn't be this hard to donate it!
Dana we have been through the same process. Over the last 20+ years I've tried it all and now I offer it to my local Buy Nothing Group or donate to a local shop.
When I relocated after retiring, I got lots of things free from Freecycle and some things from thrift stores to replace items I regret leaving behind. I’m grateful I filled that gap and rarely get anything more. I’m still decluttering by donating, but it’s getting harder because I’m down to my favorite things! My motivation now is mainly “Swedish death cleaning” so as to leave less for my daughter to deal with when I pass!
Dana love your hair. This video is timely. We are going through everything this month. We completely decluttered a year ago. We are down to the good stuff now. Selling or donating is my final dellima. Pray I can get through this. 😃
I sell on NextDoor. Just last night I sold an item more cheaply than I think it would go for on eBay. As I watched it leave, my honest thought was "I love it when my garage declutters itself." It was fun. But, I do agree safety is paramount.
Spot on! I'm so frugal and planned to sell on ebay. My bf said don't look at the offer price -that's pie in the sky. Look at the SOLD price. Huge difference! I donate and am sooo relieved and it's easypeasy. You are the first clutterbuster TH-camr I found and you changed my life! THANKS! ❤️🙏🤗🥰
I'm personally on the Donate bandwagon. It suits my temperament and saves me time and extended effort. It ultimately solved my guilt problem too: family items that I was certain had monetary value which I felt obligated to "not just give away"...for years. Researching actual values online was an eye-opener and I was finally able to donate all over time to a thrift store run by a local multi-service center. Win-win. What I hadn't anticipated was my immense relief...couldn't put a price on that. Everything I passed along had meaning to others which is why they'd kept them, but those same things didn't have the same or any meaning to me other than the familial connection. I can't imagine that my relatives would have quibbled with supporting the center's work, but even if they had...my choice in the end. I've kept those very few pieces that I truly love...treasure, in fact. Good luck with your own strategies, reasons and results.
All of our donation centers have restrictions and have become incredibly picky because they got overwhelmed with stuff! As in they won’t take something with a scratch or a dent that someone could refinish or minor cosmetic issues. But you are right it stops you from bringing in too much and being cautious because you not only spent money on the item, but now you have to pay to get rid of stuff. I don’t know if it’s our area but people will say they’re interested in free items and never show up or just stop responding. I don’t have the mental capacity to deal with that because getting it out becomes difficult. But that’s the thing people should recognize is having to actually care for all of these items takes it toll even as you try to get rid of it so you don’t have so much to worry about!
Excellent information. I’ve used some of the selling methods in the past, but by far, at this stage of my decluttering journey, donating is the way to go. I have kept a donate bin in my linen closet for years. I put things in it spontaneously, when it is full, I transfer the things to a garbage bag to put in the car and drive to the donation center. This transfer, also lets me know what the kids put in….so something does not go when it shouldn’t. (Like the lost remote or spare keys to the car…. You know what I mean!…. Or garbage like fast food wrappers etc. Of course, finding money in a pocket is a good thing!)
What a great video! I donate my useable excess stuff to our hospital auxiliary thrift shop. Much to my husband/sons' dismay. I have no interest in doing all the work you so eloquently expressed to 'get back' some $ that was spent years ago. 100% of what the (volunteer-staffed) thrift store receives supports our hospital. It's a win win win! My clutter gone to a new user, $ to the hospital, and a weight off my shoulders and space in my home. Thank you for this post!
Thank you for the encouragement to donate! I was going to do a flea market booth but have been on the waitlist since July! So I decided to just donate it all and let it be a blessing to someone else! ❤
Dana, I part time / Flex Time sell on eBay and cross-post on Craigslist and Next door Neighbor items from our home that are very good or new that I no longer want / ended up not using/needing, AND/OR my husband (the collector) wants to sell. You are correct…there is A LOT involved and it isn’t as straightforward. In 2 years, I’ve sold 680 items with 100 percent positive feedback AND donated double of what I didn’t list OR what didn’t sell. I’m super proud of my endeavors, but have learned from experience to ask, “is this worth my time/energy/etc., based on “like items” that have already sold? AND, if an item doesn’t sell within a certain time frame, you have to deal with thoughts of, “But, I spent all this time listing this and cross-listing this…ya da ya da”, and now I have to just donate it? Every potential listing/donation is a decision for me…I HAVE to decide, “is this worth it to spend time/energy listing AND possibly donating down the road after all this work IF it doesn’t sell?” This 2 part question must be a “yes”. If it isn’t a “yes”, I just automatically donate it- no looking back. This ability, however, has come with 2 years of experience. If you are thinking about doing eBay, please understand that it is a learning curve AND you will get better at donating and/or making selling decisions. Thanks to eBay, making decluttering decisions is actually easier because I know it is a gamble and most of the time, I’m just not willing to take that gamble so “donate” is an option that I’m super grateful to have and an option that I can choose unequivocally.
It's been worth selling items over $20. I sold enough to have an emergency fund and stock our pantry. I list on Marketplace, if it doesn't sell in a week, it gets donated. I have had great success in getting rid of stuff while at the same time, it financially has helped my family.
I got over how much money I was 'missing' out on when I donated something instead of selling it by thinking about what a blessing it could be to someone else and how much they would love it or be thankful to have it. The vast majority of things we donate go to our community swap shop/free store or a lovely local church thrift store that feels very upscale and boutique-y yet many nice things are only $1. I get many things for free/cheap then pass them on for someone else to have a turn.
I’m new to your videos! I’m moving to a new apartment, I want to leave clutter behind and bring new habits with me. I created something for myself and I call it “10 Minute Tidy”…. I set a timer for 10 min and tidy up! Love your videos and will continue to soak in your content. I love it. “Do The Dishes” is now going to be in my journal for every day task.
In my little town, we have a local thrift store that takes donations. Then, what money they make goes to help a local food bank. I'm kind of in that transition place of starting to find more donations and less trash...if you know what I mean. It's been encouraging to know that I can donate to this local thrift store and help others at the same time--even motivating! Having a plan of where to donate really helps, and I believe they do pick-ups...although I'll probably do better to donate as I go. This "decluttering thing" is starting to come together...
Just yesterday I donated my entire truckbed full of perfectly good items that I *could* have sold but just needed to get it out. I have been decluttering intentionally for weeks now and just piled the bags and boxes of things “to donate” in a space that also needed to be decluttered. The other day, it just clicked and enough was enough. I enlisted the help of my oldest son and together we filled the back of my truck. The next morning I took it all to goodwill and breathed a huge sigh of relief that it was gone. The hangup for me was not that I wanted to sell it, but perhaps the embarrassment of how much excess crap I have and now want to get rid of. The goodwill employee came out with a smile on his face and when I said it was the whole truckbed - he just chuckled and said he’d grab a bigger cart. In less than five minutes, I had unloaded years of clutter and mental chaos into his bin and that was that. When I walked into my home later, I was able to tackle another area and now I have several more boxes and bags to donate. Hurray!!
YES!!! I absolutely relate to this. Good Job!!
I don't even know you, but I am so proud of you!
Congrats on your new found FREEDOM!!
Yes!! 🎉🎉
You should be proud 👏
When my kids were little we went through a hard time financially. Free clothes other people passed on to us kept them clothed. I made it a rule back then to never sell anything that was given to me for free and that's been super helpful. I also feel good donating because I remember how much it has helped me to be able to buy things at Goodwill and other thrift stores rather than pay full price.
This could be my story as the kid. 💜 I also feel this way. I also remember how great it is to find that awesome find at the thrift store and hope even one of my items makes a person say YES! Donating ? Yes please. TFS your story.
Yeah. We wouldn't have had clothes without handmedowns. Goodwill was too expensive for us. Tha k God for those that gave to us. My daughter doesnt need second hand, but loves them. Lol
I actually don't like the idea of selling things simply because I believe giving is a gift to God. That said, I know some people have done better reselling their clothing at consignment shops.
This is so good to hear!
I can't afford to give much to charities. Instead I decided that I would give our used things to charity stores, and support causes that way.
I do something good, and don't have to deal with the stress of trying to sell things.
I was raised HAVING to shop in thrift stores. All of our furniture and all of our clothes came from thrift stores because that’s all we could afford. Thinking about that now allows me to be joyful in donating. It makes me happy knowing how I could possibly make someone else’s day when they come across my items I’ve donated. BUT… I also know when something is just junk and time for the garbage.
I agree. Knowing the delight of finding really great condition, nice brand clothes for my children in a thrift store (because that's the only way I can afford to buy those brands for them) makes it easier to donate the things that I still love, are in great condition... but are beyond my clutter threshold.
I have decided that donating perfectly good items I’m not going to use actually helps me feel better about the money I spent on it in the first place. It’s like I’m gifting it to someone else to use and enjoy. The real monetary loss for me is keeping it packed away and allowing time/critters/bugs to ruin it completely so it’s no use to anyone ever. It’s been such a freeing mindset, Dana. Thank you so much!
Exactly! I ask myself if a friend needed/wanted this thing would I give it to them happily. If so, why not a stranger? I hate having things sitting around going bad in my house knowing that someone out there might be able to use it right now. And if the charity can also make some money to help more people that’s a win-win-win.
What an excellent attitude to have when giving away good items! It does feel good!
Totally worth it to pay someone to take unwanted items out of your house. I don't have a car because I can't afford a monthly car payment, but for less than a car payment, I pay a teenager to help me declutter every Saturday morning, & she drives me to a local charity to drop off donations. She has been helping for over a year. My quality of life wouldn't be as good if I didn't pay someone to help me each week. Not done with the decluttering process yet, probably another year yet, but paying someone to help has been totally worth it.
Great idea! Just a second person/perspective is a help!
Think how much you would pay someone to declutter and organize your home-it makes it easier to donate those things so you actually make progress. Dana is so helpful in understanding what helps us simplify and change our collecting habits!
‼️I watched a video recently by a woman who PAID $1,350 for 5 sessions for a stranger to get rid of her stuff!
It’d be worth every penny!
This gave me "permission/justification" to get rid of stuff that's in my way regardless the perceived value of said stuff, I'm still ahead if I do it myself!
@@MorningClarity I watched that. I thought it was cool! What a timesaver. I can't afford that, and I think I need to do the work to prevent getting mired in crap again. If it's uncomfortable and annoying for me, I'm less likely to get back in bad shape!
Excellent perspective!!
My husband sees $$$$ every time I declutter. He thinks everything he owns is worth a ton of money! Lord help me. I don't even bat an eyelash. The money was lost when it was purchased, and now it's just sitting in my home
Thank you for this. I needed the reminder.
My husband does too and he is pretty much a hoarder because he is always "gonna" sell the stuff but never does. It affects our whole life and drives me crazy
I am always donating stuff, but he hardly even throws out his trash. I just have to keep my head down and work on what I can do.
My husband is the same!!!I have to sneak things out. 9:07
Ugh, my mother is the same way. It’s all worth so much money, forgetting it’s not new anymore and being used the value has decreased. We’re not talking antiques here, just “stuff”.
Years ago I used Got Junk. It was worth the money. First they wanted to see the items you want taken away and then will give you a quote. Then it was time for fun. I pointed, they picked it up and away it went into their truck. I didn't touch a thing. It was their backs not mine. Extremely nice, friendly, professional. It was worth it!
Thanks to you I now have a donate box in our coat closet. When that gets full it goes with the other boxes. Another box takes it place. When I have enough to fill the back of my car I head to Good Will.
It is such a relief to have the physical and mental items gone!!
My sister had a huge garage sale once. But the items that didn’t sell ended up back in their house. Donation is the quickest & easiest way to declutter if that’s your primary goal. 😊🦋
A friend and I had a yard sale together. By the time we advertised, took hours to gather up and set out the items, set up tables, box up what didn't sell and haul it to donation center it just wasn't worth it. Plus our teen boys kept sneaking items back in the house! We barely made $100 each. I always have a donate box handy and when it's full, it goes!
My parents always brought the things that didn't sell, back in the house. We should have been donating cause there was way too much stuff.
I'm planning on having a yard sale in a couple of weeks, but I have a little rule for myself: whatever doesn't sell gets packed up into boxes and goes straight to goodwill.
Dana, thank you for this! I am a long-time donator of items, but I feel like I get pushback from people who do not live with me about not selling. For those who tell me I should sell, I always offer the items to them to sell. Funnily enough, not ONE has ever taken me up on it!
Like you, I believe it better gone than draining my time and energy on getting things sold. After all, the money has already been spent - sometimes years ago. I need a clutterless home much more than the dollars earned by selling.
This wasn't always the case, and I am so thankful that my life supports this stage now.
Love that! So true, they don’t want to sell it!
That's hilarious. I would definitely bless someone with the ability to sell my junk.
On the flipside, my parents LOVE garage sales. And when my dad lost his job people donated their stuff to them for them to sell. It was a huge blessing but it was for a very specific reason.
Yes, it is all about time vs money! I don’t want to spend my precious free time trying to earn a few measly bucks selling my junk. I want it gone as quickly as possible so I can use my time on better things.
Dana, you are a miracle worker! Yesterday we had drop in company and at first I panicked! Then I turned around and saw that our living room looked nearly perfect! Your methods not only make “progress and only progress” - they form good new habits that help maintain a new higher standard. Thank you SO much!💜
Ironically, I clicked over to this video while in the midst of listening to Podcast #58 - The Value Trap. I used to be a, “this is worth $x, so I need to figure out a way to sell it,” person… while clutter accumulated. Now I’m ready to GET IT OUT and am doing so. 🙌
Thank you. I’m going to find that podcast so I can hopefully get to where you are on this journey.
So many of the ideas you expressed have literally (as in word for word) come out of my mouth. I was raised by frugal parents and now after decades of my own collecting ('keep it you may need' it or its ugly twin, 'save it, you can get some money if you sell it'), I am in early stages of releasing through donating. Just knowing someone who needs it is using it is finally moving from my heart to my head. TY so much.
Exactly - same here (Dana's words and yours!). I have recently found peace with letting "perfectly usable items" go, for someone else to use and enjoy now, rather than storing them for myself (or my "fantasy self"). I also keep reminding myself that certain items break down over time, whether they're being used or not... so it is better for those to be used NOW while they still can, since I'm not using those "just in case" items right now, and they've been taking up space in my home for years. Example: two sets of curtains that don't even fit any of the windows in my house - and we've lived here for over 8 years!
@@katiegleaves3792 So true. TY for that reminder about using stuff or risk having it lose its quality. I finally opened a tube of eye cream only to find it had dried up in the tube. There's a lesson in there. Your curtain story made me smile! And likely more common among us than you know. :)
@@deedsh6280 OH YES! I hear you! Marie Kondo has a great story about an art set she received as a child and was "saving" it and her mother gave it away and said, " I thought you didn't like it!". I am a huge save for the future BUT am unlearning that here ....
@@heidibonjour kk
Can I also suggest donating at a men’s or women’s homeless shelters
Everything left over from my garage sale was put into well organized boxes. I wanted to donate the rest in a creative, fun way. We set one or 2 boxes at the end of the driveway labelled ex: "Boys Clothes - sizes 5-7 and wrote " FREE" We had so much fun peeking through the window and watching people's excitement!
Another great video. I personally have been donating stuff for years, and years. Not only am I way to lazy to go through the hassel of selling things, but it makes me feel good to donate to places that resell items, so that people who are less well off financially can still get good quality stuff at affordable prices. I have a sister who raised her two kids and they almost exclusively bought their clothes and stuff for school at the Salvation Army. Her husband was disabled so she stayed home and took are of him as well as the kids. If people are really in need of extra money than I completely understand wanting or needing to sell possessions, but aside from that I personally don't get it. But to each his own. Today I dropped off several bags at our Goodwill. It's nice to have more space in my house. 😃
I love donating because when I need something, the thrift store is the first place I look. I am so appreciative of people who donate really nice things they don’t need. Thus, I feel good returning the favor to others. Plus, it is so easy and my house is always better when boxes of things are gone.
Funny. I am currently decluttering my house space, but I do run a small eBay business from my home. I have an office space dedicated to this. I still donate a lot of stuff from my actual home space & my office space. I've sold thousands of items. I list & ship every day. It is an absolute learning curve. There is a lot of work involved, even after you've mastered the process. I treat eBay as my job. Otherwise I'm a stay at home, homeschooling mom. I earn a good bit of money on eBay. More than any minimum wage job. I enjoy going to yard sales. I go specifically for the purpose of sourcing inventory that I actually sell. Sometimes I make bad buys. Those items get donated. It's possible to do both, but it has to bring value to your life. You have to be willing to learn and dedicate time & space to eBay. Donating is my favorite way of getting rid of stuff that no longer brings value to my life. Things that I sell have to meet a certain criteria to make it to my office.
Just wondering what criteria you have for making it to your office to sell? I’m trying to make sell/donate piles and am struggling. Since you seem to have a good system down, I’d love your perspective!
I'm also trying e-bay. My motivation isn't there all of the time. So do you do only auctions or the buy it now. On eBay? Just curious. Learning to get the photos from phone to laptop is a challenge for me.
So agree with you, just do whatever it takes to get it out of your house quickly. I have been decluttering for a few years off and on and I don’t sell any of it. I like to bless others with it, that’s all the “gift” I need. That and getting it out! ❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉 I also would not feel safe meeting up with people or pointing anyone to my own home for a porch pickup but that’s just me. Too many weirdos out there.
I was also reluctant about giving my home address for "porch pickups" or dropping items off at stranger's homes. Yes - there are way too many weirdos out there, and you never know. For the things I simply needed the money for and couldn't afford to just donate them (furniture, valuable collectibles, appliances) I have ALWAYS had another person or two come with me (my husband is 6'4" and looks like a bouncer, so that helps), and we do a "meet up in a public place" during the day - and I took the advice of someone else - that place is often a municipal building like the police station parking lot: some even have designated areas for exactly that kind of thing!
I have sold dozens of things where people come to my house for pickup and never have a problem. Marketplace is all I use.
@@michelesusanne1 I know a lot of people use it with no issues but it happens to be a concern of mine. There are people who use that type of thing to case a house. You can also just hang out and case a house. So there are other ways. I just personally don't want to invite it. ❤️ My hubby has had to sell stuff for his workplace and it's been a royal pain for him...just the few things he had to try to sell. It just isn't for everyone.
Watching this as I’m staring at 5 boxes of things we’ve been tripping over and I’ve been wanting to sell for over a year. 😳🤪😕 All the energy spent toward seeing this stuff every day in my house is exhausting. Thanks for the nudge. 😉
Dana's methods for decluttering work best for me because of the "better is good" and "no mess method" and all these concepts she uses very much match my style. That said, I'm still learning lol So, little story and hopefully I'm not the only one this has happened to: I'm organizing my books (difficult for me!) and I decide to put a certain type of books on a certain shelf. Later, I need to put another one away and of course it won't fit on the shelf, and I say to myself "[DANGIT!] Its a container!" lol Well... I don't need TWO Thesaurus'... Thesauruses? Thesuarai? whatever the plural of Thesaurus is, I just need one. The realization moment and subsequent expletive for the fact that the spot for them was a "container", really cracked me up. :)
How are you inside my head?!? I binge listen to your TH-cam videos DAILY! A big THANK YOU!! My house has never felt and looked better and the women's shelter in my town has been blessed big.
That's wonderful!
This is wonderful!
I’m in the declutter group which is helping me a lot. My area is rural so I’m not doing some of these options. I do take clothes & smalls to our local GW and so far they’ve taken it all 👏🏿👏🏼👏🏾
What I’m most excited about is my neighbors who apparently love my crap because I put it on the road with a *free sign* ( across the street so they don’t know it’s my stuff but I’m sure they know 😂) & within in hours it’s ALL gone! Last time they even took my cardboard *free* sign. I’ve decluttered my kitchen so the neighbors will be getting a ton of kitchen items ~ I’m so excited to get it out of here! I even have empty cupboards & drawers. Thank You for ALL you help!
❤️
Great video.
What is more precious in life than time and peace of mind ?
Tried to take baby clothes to a consignment store. They had been stored in a vacuum bag. They wouldn’t take any of them until I took them home and washed them. Went through that and only got $20. Took 3 trips across town and it didn’t even cover the gas 😅😅😅 DONATE!
Especially kids clothes and toyed. Just donate....
Made a few $$ on consignment once. After that I only donate.
In a few different moves, I used junk haulers, it was great. I just pointed at piles and furniture that I wanted them to take and it was gone for good. I didn't have to figure out where the best place was to donate or trash items. Yes, it cost money but the peace of mind, each time, was amazing.
I moved two years ago.
I have a bunch of boxes in the garage.
A week ago, I pulled 5 boxes with a label that says glass, I didn't want to deal with it. I just took it to the donation center. I wanted to check what was in there, but I kept staying to myself. NOOOO.
These videos are helping a lot to simplify my life.
D: You are providing such a service to the de-cluttering audience. I've enjoyed your books as well as your actual uploads. Of anyone, I believe you have the gift, the insight and ability to present your thoughts is many different ways so that anyone can get it. You come across as sincere and thoughtful; which is a great aid for those people just beginning to see the light! For those just beginning..... try Decluttering at the Speed of Life. I listened in audio format and was able to absorb her message as I went about my day to day routine.
Oh my gosh! When you said you were an ebay seller that saw everything as money being thrown away. That's me right now. I love doing ebay, but I really need to get this house in shape. I'm watching your videos. Just went around and threw out all of the garbage.
Great tips & so true! Safety first! And your time is absolutely the most valuable part of the whole process, not to mention your sanity. I’ve gotten over trying to recoup money. It’s a sunk cost. My brain needs the mental space too.
Most people don't seem to understand the "sunk cost" premise. Also, my time and energy are too valuable to spend trying to get money back. It's also such a good feeling to know my donations help someone who wouldn't otherwise be able to have those things. I've been there as a single mother years ago.
I made a hazardous waste collection appointment so now I have a deadline to collect and dispose of old paint cans, etc. Hooray!!
It's so true, I had an entire storage unit of things I thought I would sell. It is so much work plus you have to deal with shipping and then people who don't pay or complain after they receive it. Often about how expensive shipping is but it really is a lot! so now I only sell specific items that are easy to ship. Personally I don't want to deal with hagglers so garage sales or marketplace just isn't for me. Thank you Dana for breaking it down for real.
Plus the people who mess you about and don’t turn up! 😢
Your story from a year ago (?) about donating your car to just the right place? Still sticks with me... good enough is good enough! That one video has saved me SO much angst! This is a good follow up!
The misery of dealing with rude idiots on FB marketplace has really helped me donate. I’m not going to all that trouble for anything I can’t get a least $25 out of.
FB marketplace people are the worst! They only come through when something is free. As a buyer, it’s never worked out for me either!
I donate stuff also. Quick, easy and I enjoy knowing that someone might find the items and be really happy to have them. 🧡
Literally thanking God every day for leading me to you. It has truly changed my life! ❤
I look at donating as an opportunity to bless someone else who may be able to give my items a second life. I've also adjusted how I think about money. Money is a tool. It buys me food to keep me alive, it pays for a roof over my head, and sometimes, it pays for services I need to make life more manageable. Works for me!
I had a garage sale last fall and sold quite a bit. The things that were left I donated the following week. No second guessing. Saving things for another sale takes up valuable space. 👍
yes!!!
Thank you Dawn! This is much to keep in mind. Donation is easier for me, and such an easy way to help so many people. I am a member of your group “Take your house Back” I struggle in many ways with clutter and continual mess, time management and it did not matter during my life before children or after. I am not lazy, everyone who knows me knows I am constantly working on something when not work. I still live chaotic, but this program and getting rid of things laying on every surface, in several corners, over-stuffed closets, items I only see near the front part of the closets and have not any idea what is in the depths and want to avoid; I now am beginning to see will be vital! The places I have removed clutter, tossed in the black trash bag, filled in my cardboard boxes, and the salvation Army removed from my garage, these spaces are a source of calmness, and encouragement to keep up Ruth Your program and TH-cam videos. I am sentimental to the extreme about items people have given me, so I will have to be very attentive in this part of your course because I am aware I cannot keep everything!! It does me no good if hidden away, so if not displayable, at least part of the year, I need to 🙏 to store my treasures in heaven instead.
No offense meant, but this one's name is Dana, not Dawn.
My one goal my friend is something you just said .. store your treasures up in Heaven, yes am! I'm thinking of one of the tiny houses so I can't over buy!
I always feel so inspired to action when I watch your videos. Already messaged family about a Soda Stream I no longer use because my oldest son bought me a snappier one. And, now my mind is starting to list things I don’t use. Thank you for your helpful guidance.
"I am a collector of things, and free is my favorite price" 😂😂😂 I belong to Buy Nothing and I've been super careful and I've only taken home a top sheet, a comforter and a blanket that I really needed. I also got rid of a pool table and a ping pong table on Buy Nothing and we now have our car in the garage!!! But Goodwill or Thrift Town is my very favorite way to move stuff from the house. OH! And renting TWO 20 yard dumpsters 😱 to empty my mom's house really worked!
I find that what helps me to donate is finding a good charity or connecting with someone who has just gone through a house fire and lost everything. It will make you feel so good! We have a local ministry whose proceeds from sales go to widows and orphans in the Dominican Republic. I don't know about you, but I'm helping people in a third-world country, and that's a pretty big deal! There's no local Goodwill store in my town. If you remove the dollar sign from your brain, you can really feel good about donating. I hope that this prospective helps someone. 🙂👍
I needed this today! I’ve got more things I need to let go of in my closet. I’m all about just donating my stuff too! Thanks for the motivation Dana!
As far as meeting up with people, our city now has an area of the police station parking lot set aside for those kinds of transactions. A grocery store parking lot would also work. I love donating. I've done the yard sale thing over the years, but at 65, it's not fun. I used to do one once a year with two of my best friends, and even if we didn't make a lot, we had so much fun hanging out for a couple of days, just visiting with each other. My husband has a really hard time donating, or even getting rid of stuff at all. He's trying, but he sees value in absolutely everything. His biggest challenge is just ahead. We have a business, a countertop shop, and we have our building up for sale and when it sells, everything except for some hand tools will have to go. We are talking 6000 square feet of shop. I just hope it doesn't cause him to have a stroke when he has to let it all go. We've already tried selling the business and he will try an sell some of the individual equipment and supplies when the time comes, but a lot will just have to go.
Well this was totally timely! I’m all about wanting to sell my items, but I haven’t done anything yet. I also want to be able to just donate everything… But I haven’t done that either. In the meantime, everything sits at the front door or stuck away in cabinets. I’m just going to bite the bullet load up everything in my car and go donate it to a resale shop that supports men in recovery. Thank you so much!!
That's a wonderful thing to do. We need to support those in recovery.
Thank you! Yes!
Teen challenge is our favorite place to donate too. Town is 100 miles away but it's a joy to know we are helping someone twice. Firsy the men in recovery and the folks who buy the goods. Actually 3 people: getting a freed up place in our home.
One word no one ever mentions is FEES, sometimes as high as 15 - 20%. Most selling platforms, like eBay and consigners are going to take a chunk of your selling price right off the top. So you are "paying" someone to sell your stuff after all!
This is something that discouraged me in the past, but, if it is a quick way of disposing a houseful of stuff, the fee might be worth it.
I would love a video about the pros and cons of estate sales.
I started watching you on TH-cam. Back in April, I decided five items a day. I did more, and Thousands of items has left my house. I used the Ohio method, take there now, and 4I have gave, donated, and and threw away. I did as you suggested, and started with only my stuff. My husband has seen the difference, and startedhis room yesterday. Thank you!
My favorite places to donate do good for someone else. The hospices in my area take the items to help both the patient and the famliy! Imagine helping someone live there remaining life by helping them with medicine, medical supplies, respite care and eventually grief counseling. I had those services for my family and this way my sentimental item, I kept one and donated one, became a blessing to someone else. And the person that bought it is helping to keep items out of the landfills! Blessings!!!
I sooo appreciate you continually reminding us to donate! I do OK for a while, then get bogged down with ideas of "I gotta sell it!". I told a friend about you and she gets so excited when she declutters her house....BUT, her idea is to keep it in her garage (hey, it's out of the house) and sell it. Last summer she bought a $500 event tent, set it up in her driveway and filled it with some her junk (it wouldn't all fit). All the time and money she put into this...she lives in the middle of nowhere, so guess how much she sold? Zip. She keeps telling me to sell my stuff...I remind her I'd just rather have my space. Dana, thank you, keep at it! You are changing so many lives!
Oh yeah, last week I donated 12 boxes of quilting fabric to a local charity where they make quilts for whoever needs them. They said they'd love to have my fabric stash. I still have about 10 boxes to go. The woman who told me that they ' would love to have it all,' yesterday said "You gave us boxes of green fabric, I don't like green." ha ha ha......ah well, there's always the Goodwill.
Silly woman. A multi-fabric green quilt would be beautiful. With greens, reds and whites one would have a winter theme quilt.
Great Video! I love doing my own garage sales to get rid of stuff. I don't do it for the money, although that's a nice benefit. I like meeting people and fenagling. However, I have learned that the key to garage sales is that you MUST either toss or donate the leftovers right away. No storing items for another sale. That was my mistake at first and I felt like I didn't get rid of enough. Once I started donating after the sale and truly clearing things out, I felt great. Another thing, when you price things for a Garage sale, think 10% of what you paid for it. That's about what the typical person will pay for things at a Garage sale.
I agree - great advice!
Agreed! Same, learned from several years of garage sales. What's best? Baby and kids items. Furniture that is still semi new, under 5 yrs old. I often tell people trash things over 5 yrs old, unless very usable, like a dresser. Dressers are forever, if made from real wood. Chip board, or laminate that is damaged should probably be thrown out.
Since I started watching your channel I have been able to donate a great deal of stuff that I don’t need anymore without any qualms. Thanks so much for your channel 👋😊🇦🇺
“Free is my favorite price” that made me chuckle!
Selling, was the thing that kept me stuck, I am donating it all. The money has gone, it costs me to keep it, mentally, emotionally, physically too much stuff messes up your life. Getting it out asap the same day if possible has been a game changer, it’s creates space and gives me energy.
Garage sales in our area are a LOT of work & are NEVER worth the time & effort. Nobody is willing to pay more than $1 for really nice jeans that cost $40-$50 new. We had so many people with resale shops wanting to buy in bulk for pennies on the dollar. THAT'S when I decided to load it all up & donate it!
I DO sell a FEW items on Mercari. (It is simple & the fees are low.) I ONLY sell things that are new or NWOT & everything has an expiration date & a minimum profit price. If it hasn't sold in 6 months or if I can't make my minimum amount, I cancel the listing and it gets donated also. It takes me about 5 minutes to take some pix, edit them, upload them & do the listing. To each, their own!
Been decluttering since the lockdown in 3/2020, I have sold 45 handbags and a bunch of clothing. Plan to finish next year. It’s been the best thing ever, freed my space and mind.
Thanks for your advice !! Its very helpful while we struggle (or at least I do) with de clutter, procrastination and depression 😊
Don’t make it hard for yourself to get the stuff out of your house. Make it easy. Donating is a great thing. Our church runs an up-cycle home goods store. We donate most of the money we make to Charitable Organizations in the area. The store is staffed with volunteers. It is a WIN-WIN! We even have volunteers that refinish donated furniture so we can sell it for a good amount.
Whenever I do a yard sale, it's with the understanding that whatever is left over DOES NOT come back into my house. Everything left over by the end of the day goes in my car to be donated the next day. And I keep the sale itself super simple. I don't advertise, except for signs posted at either end of my block. (These are re-useable, painted wooden boards.) Everything smaller than furniture is a dollar, so I don't need to put price tags on almost anything. Everything worth less than a dollar goes in a basket marked "free." Towards the afternoon, I am super willing to let people bargain or just take things. The point is for it to go, and give me a little cash in my pocket. Not to recoup the value of the items per se. The other point is to have an excuse to sit in my front yard in the sun and meet my neighbors. Can't put a price on that!
Your comments about eBay are right on. We have been doing eBay for several years. Started out by getting rid of some "collections". But when you figure all your time, you really don't make much "per hour". We look at it as a hobby. Figure most hobbies cost money. This one makes a little! So if you enjoy doing it, go for it. However, not what I would use to "get things out" in a hurry.
I think this was just for me… I’ve got so many things I’ve set aside for EBay - takes up so much space. I’ve done lots of selling in the past - but have just procrastinated so much. Now that and the other clutter have overwhelmed me.
Thanks for your videos… I like them because I feel like you “get me.” You speak directly to my excuses and experiences.
I kind of see a glimpse of light at the end of this tunnel, now, thanks to you.
I’m also procrastinating on selling stuff because it’s so much work and emotional energy. I don’t think most of it is worth the hassle.
Donating gives you immediate results and such a great feeling of “yay, it’s gone! That was easy! And someone else will benefit. Altruism has value!
I had my husband actually SAW THE TOP OFF our perfectly good china cabinet in order to repurpose it in his workshop downstairs.(It wouldn't make the turn at the bottom of the stairs.) Yes, I could have sold it, but he needed the storage, and the $100 I would have gotten wouldn't have purchased equivalent storage. My mantra is, "If it is in my way, figure out how to get it out of my way." I kept one, crystal egg out of the entire upper cabinet, and my rice cooker from the lower part. I gave the glass away on Buy Nothing to an artist who was thrilled to get it. (I don't get stuff on Buy Nothing because I figure there are people who actually NEED things as opposed to wanting them as I might.)
Thank you for this Dana. I love your quote - free is my favourite price x
I'm all about donating! Just loaded up my car and trunk full. I'm downsizing to move again and tired of the junk.
Fantastic video, Dana! Valuable information that can help me to reason through which way to go with getting rid of my excess things. Selling stuff is not always worth the valuable time and effort it demands of the seller.
My first sale on eBay- I LOST $3 after paying the shipping 🤣
I eventually became a “Top Seller” but realized I wasn’t even making minimum wage for my time 🤷🏽♀️
Dana you have helped me so much, thank u, today ill be getting rid of more in my kitchen area..it still feels too cluttered...maybe u can do a video on kitchen.
You are so right. I am still limping from having dropped a table on my toe. Swollen. PURPLE. I wound up paying our building porter to take it. Should have done that first. Nothing you have told me isn't true. Not always easy to accept, but honest, true and generous. People first.
We’ll, as luck would have it I was On my way to the donation dog rescue site while listening to this. I got rid of a two layer fleece king sized blanket that I have had for many years. I hated it. It was large and cumbersome AND it barely fit in my washer and dryer AND it didn’t keep us warm!!
So there you have it, I finally woke up! 😂
Thanks for the reminder! I forgot that animal shelters will take bedding! (I don't know about other places, but where I live, Goodwill does not accept donations of bedding.)
My New Year's Resolution was to get serious about decluttering our house in 2023. In years past, we've decluttered a day or two a couple times a year. Not this year. And we've been doing great! We have donated a bunch.When we have even 1 bag or box to donate, we get it out of the house asap...preferably that day.
We have put extra trash & recycling out every week. We are seeing big gaps in all sort of places all over our house. This is a sign of progress....& it feels wonderful.
If it's been in a box for years & we've never wondered where something was ....if we've never gone looking for it, let it go. We evidently don't need it.
If we avoid wearing something for whatever reason, give it away. If something is never used, why are we keeping it ? Let it go.
I agree to just donate it quickly! You will be relieved to have it gone. I got lucky and was able to give all my things to my great nephew that just moved into his first apartment. He was so glad to receive my things and it brought me joy to help him ❤. So, if you know someone moving away for college or just starting out, it’s a great way to bless you both 😊.
I just had a yard sale and dumped so much stuff I had collected at yard sales - years worth! In my sale I had a bunch of little stuff I didn't want to deal with pricing so I made a "25 cent-ville" section and the second day this turned into a 'free' section. I also gave some items to a fire chief who came along for the FD, and made package deals. Only a few items to put to the curb and most of them went. My elderly neighbor brought stuff to mine and she's going to host another one next month so I have a couple weeks to get the next round ready. Feels so good to get rid of this stuff. Now I'm very choosy about what I order or buy or bring in the door.
Yes! I had tried one of those kids consignment sales because I had a ton of kids clothes, some never worn. After I bought hangers, tags, and a pricing gun, I really didn't make all that much money from it! And, I still had unsold items to contend with. Not to mention my time spent!
From then on, I decided it was my KARMIC RESPONSIBILITY to put good items out into the world for others to enjoy 😊
Donating is generous! Be generous. :)
Also, if your donating options where you live include leaving stuff uninspected, DO NOT leave things no one will buy, or anything their signs say they can't accept. My local charity shop has to pay hundreds of dollars to a rubbish removal company EVERY WEEK to take away the worthless things people dump at their door. It's so sad. Put it in your own bin!
Dana is by far my favourite un-mess tip giver. Her brain works the same way that I do so I know her advice will actually work for me.
Thank you so much, l thank God for this message.
I’m halfway through the video and yes - this is me. I set things aside for “special” people… and then I always want to have a garage sale but honestly I am SO OVERWHELMED with life it is impossible right now. When I donate stuff, I have to have it categorized for the poor people going through my donations. It’s hard y’all. So so hard to just get it out of my house 😩 maybe I should just try it for once and see what happens!
I had started downsizing/decluttering VERY slowly about 3 years ago, but had dedicated a corner of the basement for "items with possible value" so I could have a yard sale. (This is separate from "actual valuable COLLECTIBLE" items I was planning to sell on Ebay or something: many of those were passed on to me when my stepdad died - he was a seller on Ebay and these were the items he hadn't valued/posted yet). Well, two years went by and the "saving for Yard Sale" pile grew and grew, becoming its own problem collection. During the pandemic, I couldn't host a yard sale, and donation centers were not accepting donations (either for safety protocols, low staffing, or were overrun with stuff already). Well, because of videos from Dana and Dawn (the Minimal Mom) I learned that my Basement is a Container, and it was overflowing - it was way too much to manage. MIND 🤯BLOWN! So (with pandemic restrictions lifted) I set a date and had that yard sale last fall! 😅 It took 4 friends to carry everything outside and set it up, and we ended up turning it into a 2-day yard sale, because there was so much stuff! At the end, I didn't allow myself to sneak anything back into the house. We still took two full carloads to donation centers! I feel so silly that I waited so long to have that yard sale, and I had to convince myself not to bring anything back into the house to try again next summer. But the feeling of relief that all those things are GONE is FANTASTIC! 🥳 It gave me the space in the basement (and my mind) to actually work on going through more of my things and start a new round of decluttering.
Dana, I follow your channel but for some reason I just found this video, six months later. This is really great and motivating. I am going into my basement today to start the decluttering process and any thing that is left will be donated or I will call the junk removal service. Like you said, it is worth the money! Thanks for your inspiration!
Thanks for keeping it real Dana. Every video, I get something positive from, every podcast. I'm almost a minimalist 😱 and never thought I would get out of my hoards, but thanks to you. I stay on the right track and have removed so many items that I never thought I could have. 🥰
I have tried to donate. It is next to impossible in this town I currently live in. In the past I have had no problem donating. The stores here put on requirements that you have to launder, press and even hang the item up in their store. With household items they have specific times and days they accept items. It is just easier to put all decluttering items in the dumpster. I’m disabled and being hassled just to donate is not worth it.
Great tips! Someone at my office started an internal freecycle page for employees to post photos and descriptions to give away unwanted items. It’s so easy to just take something to work, and many items are gone in minutes.
That's a great idea. I had a pair of votive candle holders that I liked but the donation center would consider trash. I found someone at work who wanted them and she loves them. Another coworker said never goes to the donation center because she always finds stuff at work.
My Goodwill wants everything sorted into bins by category when I drop it off. Such a nightmare for me! I found a smaller organization that will take mixed boxes but their donation center is often full. It shouldn't be this hard to donate it!
Amazing as always Dana. I feel like “All About Donating” would be a phenomenal t-shirt. 😊
Dana we have been through the same process. Over the last 20+ years I've tried it all and now I offer it to my local Buy Nothing Group or donate to a local shop.
When I relocated after retiring, I got lots of things free from Freecycle and some things from thrift stores to replace items I regret leaving behind. I’m grateful I filled that gap and rarely get anything more. I’m still decluttering by donating, but it’s getting harder because I’m down to my favorite things! My motivation now is mainly “Swedish death cleaning” so as to leave less for my daughter to deal with when I pass!
Dana love your hair. This video is timely. We are going through everything this month. We completely decluttered a year ago. We are down to the good stuff now. Selling or donating is my final dellima.
Pray I can get through this. 😃
I sell on NextDoor. Just last night I sold an item more cheaply than I think it would go for on eBay. As I watched it leave, my honest thought was "I love it when my garage declutters itself." It was fun. But, I do agree safety is paramount.
Spot on! I'm so frugal and planned to sell on ebay. My bf said don't look at the offer price -that's pie in the sky. Look at the SOLD price. Huge difference! I donate and am sooo relieved and it's easypeasy. You are the first clutterbuster TH-camr I found and you changed my life! THANKS! ❤️🙏🤗🥰
Yes, please‼️ I'd love for you to do a video on having a successful garage sale. Thanks for all you share with us. Love your helpful tips 😎
I'm personally on the Donate bandwagon. It suits my temperament and saves me time and extended effort. It ultimately solved my guilt problem too: family items that I was certain had monetary value which I felt obligated to "not just give away"...for years. Researching actual values online was an eye-opener and I was finally able to donate all over time to a thrift store run by a local multi-service center. Win-win. What I hadn't anticipated was my immense relief...couldn't put a price on that. Everything I passed along had meaning to others which is why they'd kept them, but those same things didn't have the same or any meaning to me other than the familial connection. I can't imagine that my relatives would have quibbled with supporting the center's work, but even if they had...my choice in the end. I've kept those very few pieces that I truly love...treasure, in fact. Good luck with your own strategies, reasons and results.
All of our donation centers have restrictions and have become incredibly picky because they got overwhelmed with stuff! As in they won’t take something with a scratch or a dent that someone could refinish or minor cosmetic issues. But you are right it stops you from bringing in too much and being cautious because you not only spent money on the item, but now you have to pay to get rid of stuff. I don’t know if it’s our area but people will say they’re interested in free items and never show up or just stop responding. I don’t have the mental capacity to deal with that because getting it out becomes difficult. But that’s the thing people should recognize is having to actually care for all of these items takes it toll even as you try to get rid of it so you don’t have so much to worry about!
Excellent information. I’ve used some of the selling methods in the past, but by far, at this stage of my decluttering journey, donating is the way to go. I have kept a donate bin in my linen closet for years. I put things in it spontaneously, when it is full, I transfer the things to a garbage bag to put in the car and drive to the donation center. This transfer, also lets me know what the kids put in….so something does not go when it shouldn’t. (Like the lost remote or spare keys to the car…. You know what I mean!…. Or garbage like fast food wrappers etc. Of course, finding money in a pocket is a good thing!)
What a great video! I donate my useable excess stuff to our hospital auxiliary thrift shop. Much to my husband/sons' dismay. I have no interest in doing all the work you so eloquently expressed to 'get back' some $ that was spent years ago. 100% of what the (volunteer-staffed) thrift store receives supports our hospital. It's a win win win! My clutter gone to a new user, $ to the hospital, and a weight off my shoulders and space in my home. Thank you for this post!
I have been thinking alot of all the items we have that we never use or even know where it is. I love the motivation you give!!
Thank you for the encouragement to donate! I was going to do a flea market booth but have been on the waitlist since July! So I decided to just donate it all and let it be a blessing to someone else! ❤
Dana, I part time / Flex Time sell on eBay and cross-post on Craigslist and Next door Neighbor items from our home that are very good or new that I no longer want / ended up not using/needing, AND/OR my husband (the collector) wants to sell. You are correct…there is A LOT involved and it isn’t as straightforward. In 2 years, I’ve sold 680 items with 100 percent positive feedback AND donated double of what I didn’t list OR what didn’t sell. I’m super proud of my endeavors, but have learned from experience to ask, “is this worth my time/energy/etc., based on “like items” that have already sold? AND, if an item doesn’t sell within a certain time frame, you have to deal with thoughts of, “But, I spent all this time listing this and cross-listing this…ya da ya da”, and now I have to just donate it? Every potential listing/donation is a decision for me…I HAVE to decide, “is this worth it to spend time/energy listing AND possibly donating down the road after all this work IF it doesn’t sell?” This 2 part question must be a “yes”. If it isn’t a “yes”, I just automatically donate it- no looking back. This ability, however, has come with 2 years of experience. If you are thinking about doing eBay, please understand that it is a learning curve AND you will get better at donating and/or making selling decisions. Thanks to eBay, making decluttering decisions is actually easier because I know it is a gamble and most of the time, I’m just not willing to take that gamble so “donate” is an option that I’m super grateful to have and an option that I can choose unequivocally.
It's been worth selling items over $20. I sold enough to have an emergency fund and stock our pantry. I list on Marketplace, if it doesn't sell in a week, it gets donated. I have had great success in getting rid of stuff while at the same time, it financially has helped my family.
I got over how much money I was 'missing' out on when I donated something instead of selling it by thinking about what a blessing it could be to someone else and how much they would love it or be thankful to have it. The vast majority of things we donate go to our community swap shop/free store or a lovely local church thrift store that feels very upscale and boutique-y yet many nice things are only $1. I get many things for free/cheap then pass them on for someone else to have a turn.
I’m new to your videos! I’m moving to a new apartment, I want to leave clutter behind and bring new habits with me. I created something for myself and I call it “10 Minute Tidy”…. I set a timer for 10 min and tidy up! Love your videos and will continue to soak in your content. I love it. “Do The Dishes” is now going to be in my journal for every day task.
In my little town, we have a local thrift store that takes donations. Then, what money they make goes to help a local food bank. I'm kind of in that transition place of starting to find more donations and less trash...if you know what I mean. It's been encouraging to know that I can donate to this local thrift store and help others at the same time--even motivating! Having a plan of where to donate really helps, and I believe they do pick-ups...although I'll probably do better to donate as I go. This "decluttering thing" is starting to come together...