Decluttering With A Garage Sale

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We’re in the heart of garage sale season. My subdivision had a sale about 3 weeks ago.  Although I didn’t have a lot to sell there were about 12 homes scheduled to have sales so why not take advantage of the traffic already coming into the subdivision.

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I decided to look around my house for any items that had become clutter. This was a great opportunity to clear out as much as possible. After all, why not let other people take the items off my property instead of me having to haul it all away myself.

This included many things that were worth trying to sell but also included items that weren’t worth selling. In other words, some things should have been put in the trash a long time ago. The problem is I’m not always good at trashing some things that are useful but not donation worthy.

So what kind of items am I talking about? Well, I had some small empty but sturdy gift boxes from bath and/or perfume sets. These kind of boxes were too nice to throw away but I didn’t need them. Someone else may be able to use them for storage.

Other items were athletic shoes that were too worn to donate. Then there were some free promotional items I threw in the box. Also partly used school and office supplies that I no longer needed.

With all those shoppers driving up and down the streets I put these kinds of items in boxes with a sign stating they were free. Most of these things were taken so I felt good that someone else would be using them. What was left went into the trash.

I decided beforehand that the items I put out for the sale would go to Goodwill right away if they didn’t sell. Since I needed to fill the tables (I didn’t want it to look too skimpy) I went through each room of my house looking for things I hadn’t used and probably wouldn’t use again. So why keep them. I got them out of the house. Any money I made was a bonus.

If you are planning a garage sale or if your neighborhood is planning one then approach it from how much clutter you can get out of your house and not how much money you can make. With the clutter gone you’ll feel so much better. Your home will be much easier to keep clean.

I’ve had many garage sales over the years, some successful money wise and some not. But they all have been successful with helping me clear out the clutter.

I’ve written an eBook, “Decluttering With A Garage Sale” to give you all the tips I’ve learned over the years. So if you need help on how to go about using a garage sale as a motivating tool in your decluttering journey then check out this new eBook here:

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com/decluttering-with-a-garage-sale-ebook/

Janice

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Summer Can Be A Busy Time!

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It’s been a while since I wrote in here. The past month has been very busy and something had to give. Unfortunately it was this blog.

Both my sons and daughter-in-law came in town for a long weekend. It was also the same weekend my neighborhood was having a subdivision garage sale. Preparing my house for out of town company and a garage sale at the same time was a little hectic.

I made a little extra money at the sale. I also cleared out a fair amount of clutter from my home and what didn’t sell went to Goodwill.

The visits were great, although too short. The little money I made disappeared quickly with meals out and frozen custard desserts.

My invalid mother also got some new live-in caregivers during this time. Since I live down the street and my sisters are out of town the problems associated with the adjustment period fell on me.

And last weekend I participated in my local American Cancer Society Relay For Life. I walked 10 miles and so far have raised over $400. Yea me!

Whew! I’ve been busy. I’m sure you have been also. That’s what happens this time of year. It’s summer time. There are vacations, camps, summer school, 4th of July parties, etc. and that’s just during June and July. If you have children then you know that by the time August hits you’re preparing for back to school time.

I want this blog to be a place where I can share my tips and tricks I have learned over the years that have helped me get more organized. Each month and season brings new challenges.

I have done the research looking for information regarding holidays and special events during each month. I have put the links for some of the information on this blog but most are in the monthly newsletter.

I would like your feedback to know if this is information you like to receive. Is there other information you would like to read about in this blog that would help you get more organized each month? Your input will help me be able to give you the information that will be most relevant to you.

Please leave a comment and let me know.

Thanks,

Janice

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Clutter Free Mother’s Day Gifts

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Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday. Have you bought her a gift yet?

Mother’s Day is one of the most commercial holidays in the United States. Lots of cards and gifts are given on this day to honor our mothers. The problem arises when these gifts add clutter to their homes. When celebrating the holiday this year think of all the things you can give or do that don’t add clutter. Here are some ideas.

You may want to pass this list to your own children and/or spouse and ask them not to buy you anything that adds to your clutter. It’s the thought that counts. And even more important it is to honor mothers for all they do.

  • Give flowers. They are beautiful to see first thing in the morning and last about a week.
  • Take her out to eat or have her over for brunch. Spending this precious time together is what counts.
  • If you want to buy a gift make sure it is one she either wants or is something she can use up. Bubble bath, candles, or lotion would work.
  • If she likes candy but is watching her diet than look for a small but special candy she wouldn’t buy for herself.
  • You can give her a gift card for the theater or a movie. No clutter there.
  • Print out gift certificates for services you can do for her. You can promise to wash her car or trim her hedges. Make it things you can easily do for her when she turns in the certificate for your service.
  • You can buy a gift certificate for a day spa so she can pamper herself.

There are lots of things to do or give your mother without adding clutter. The best thing you can give her is your time.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

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Paper Clutter Challenge – Home Inventory List

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For the month of May I’m challenging myself to get my paper clutter under control. I’m going to use the information in the eBook “Cut Out The Paper Clutter” to guide me.

With all the tornados destroying homes in the Midwest and South this Spring I realized it was time to update my own inventory list. So that is where I’m starting.

Please join me in this challenge by following along. Be sure to leave a comment to let me know how you are doing.

Once completed this list will give me peace of mind in case of a disaster. It can also be used as a quick and clutter free reference for important information for warranty purposes. A second copy of this list should always be kept off premises preferably in a safe deposit box.

Creating this list can be overwhelming especially if you’ve accumulated many things over the years.

That’s why I suggest you start with taking a photo inventory first then work towards creating a written list.

Here are some great reasons for taking the time to create this list.

  • Both a photo and written inventory list can help with getting reimbursed from the insurance company in case of a disaster.
  • You get to see your possessions through the eyes of a camera. It doesn’t lie!
  • Both the photos and written list can help you recognize your abundance.
  • The photos can help you see what is clutter and what is not.

Week 1 Challenge

To keep from getting overwhelmed I’m only working on one floor at a time.

I’m happy to report that many of my pictures showed that at least some of my rooms, cabinets, and closets are under control. It will be easy to do the written inventory list later. Not everything needs to be on the written list.

The good dishes in the dinning room will be easy to inventory.

The kitchen cabinets aren’t too bad either. The photo will be all that I need. Nothing too valuable here.

The pantry may not have significant things to inventory but a picture speaks a thousand words. It needs some organizing!

Again not a significant area for a detail written list. However, a good decluttering and organizing will make it easier to know what is worth replacing in case of a disaster.

My next step in this challenge will be to take pictures of the upstairs bedrooms and the finished basement. Then I’ll start the written inventory list. Of course, the more I declutter the less I’ll have to write down.

Now that sounds like a good incentive to get rid of things!

Be sure to check back on this blog for the next report.

You can sign up to receive the updates through email on the right sidebar. ——>

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

The Home Inventory List is just one part of the eBook, “Cut Out The Paper Clutter”. You can see a list of the other chapters here. I’ve also extended the special sale price during the month of May while doing this paper clutter challenge.

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Is Your Email Inbox Too Crowded?

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Is your email inbox too crowded? Do you dread looking at it each morning?

I remember how exciting it use to be to see what the mailman left in the mailbox that day? A card from a dear relative, a letter from a friend who lived out of town, or a new magazine to read.

It also used to be fun to open my email inbox in the morning to see what interesting piece of information would be awaiting me. Now that I use email for most of my correspondence from friends, relatives, news, information (newsletters), and business information I have found that I dread opening the inbox. There are way too many emails that I’m not interested in anymore that are crowding out the few I want to read.

Several times a year I re-evaluate what I’ve subscribed to.

Many are the retail stores, both online and brick and mortar, where I gave my email address at the time of purchase. Although I rarely shop these stores I’m bombarded with special offers on an almost daily basis.

Sometimes I subscribed to a newsletter and find out it really isn’t what I thought it would be. But I take the time to open it just in case there is some tiny bit of information I could use.

It’s time to unsubscribe to the emails that are now clutter!

The following steps will help you keep your inbox to a manageable level. Take these steps every few months and you’ll start looking forward to opening your inbox daily.

Be sure to set a timer and only do so much time per day. It will keep you fresh and more objective when deciding what to unsubscribe to.

  1. Start with the easy ones such as retail stores you rarely shop at. Unsubscribe from the most recent email. Search for sender (each email browser is different) and delete all the old emails for that sender. Their specials are expired!
  2. Next look at what informational newsletters you have signed up for with retail stores. Most of the time you can find the same information on their website when you need it, not when they are trying to sell you something.
  3. Next look at the newsletters from individual smaller websites. Do their newsletters meet your expectations? Does the content add value to your life? Are there too many marketing emails sent in between the occasional newsletter? Only you can decide if it is worth it.
  4. Now look at your personal emails. Do you have certain friends or family that constantly forward those jokes, silly pictures, etc. If you are not interested in these email you can ask your friend/relative to please take your name off their forwarding list. Or you can set up a filter for those people and keep their emails out of your main inbox, away from your important emails.

Next time you subscribe to a newsletter or store email give it a month or two to decide if it is worth it. If not, then unsubscribe right away. You can always re-subscribe in the future.

Janice

Declutter and organize your piles of papers with the eBook “Cut Out The Paper Clutter”.

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