I am getting ready for a yard sale and trying hard to pay off our 10 year anniversary trip. The combination of these two things have me really contemplating what I really need.
First of all, I am not saying that I shouldn’t have things I don’t need. I am just saying that there are some things I have that I have no real connection to. Why do I have those items in the first place? I am going to tell you about a few items I have found, and tell you what the fate of these items will be.
- Tons of Home Interior Christmas Decorations. Location: These have a current home in the top of two closets and under the spare bed. Why did I buy these? They were marked down extremely cheap, and I thought I might want them when we get a bigger house. What am I going to do with them? I am going to sell a few items, and keep the rest for now. If they don’t appear the first Christmas we have a bigger house, they are all going to a yard sale.
- Too many books to fit on a book shelf. Location: Office, coffee table, floor, you get the picture. Why did I buy these? Some were bought, some were gifts, some were free, and for some reason, I feel a compulsion to own ALL the J.D. Robb and Nora Roberts books. Please don’t ask me why. What am I going to do with them? I plan to organize them onto the book shelf. Any that don’t fit will be sold to Cash 4 Books or in the yard sale.
- Travel-sized items and samples overflowing the cabinet. Location: Bathroom linen closet in an overflowing basket. Why did I buy these? Fortunately, I did not buy most of these products. What am I going to do with them? I have a plan to sort through these. Any half empty products will be used up in the next few weeks while I am on summer vacation. The full ones will be kept for any trips we go on this year.
- More sheets and blankets than two people could ever use. Location: Hall and bedroom closets are stuffed with the extras we aren’t using on the two beds. Why did I buy these? Most of these were bought when the predecessors were worn or ready to be replace. Then what is the problem, you might ask. Well, I can’t seem to bring myself to throw them away or cut them up for rags. What am I going to do with them? I plan to do a ruthless, painful thing. Anything torn or tattered is going to be rags or trash. Anything nice we don’t use will go into the sale or get folded neatly into one closet for later.
- Odds and ends. Location: Everywhere. Candles, paper, movies, crayons, pens, gifts I can’t use. You name it, we have it. Why did I buy these? Once again, I didn’t buy it all, but some of it I did. When I first started couponing, it seems I couldn’t pass up a deal. Many of those deals are laying all around my house. What am I going to do with them? I am making several piles for school, church, donations, selling, and trash. That is right, some of it is probably just trash.
It is my goal to raise some money, but my real goal is to live an uncluttered, simpler life. That is Thrifty, isn’t it?
Do you have a Thrifty idea? Did you save a ton of money this week? Do you have a Thrifty deal you want to share?
If so, please leave a comment or link up below!
Please leave a link back to Coupon Teacher so that we can all share ideas.
This is linked to Life as Mom and Madame Deals.
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I know exactly where you are coming from. We also have too many books, and we’re going through our whole house this summer, dejunking everything we don’t need. However, we have nowhere to store things to prepare for a garage sale. Besides, we’ve been given so many things that we just donate most cast-offs to thrift shops. Big things we try to sell on Kijiji.
Annie Kate
PS We’ve got a great deal on a little Yamaha organ! LOL
I have been trying to declutter this summer too. I am having a yard sale this weekend too and I have decided that when the sale is over I am driving directly to the donation center. I am also going to try to make regular trips through out the year to the donation center. I don’t have the space anymore to be hoarding stuff just for the summer yard sale. I am pretty confident that when summer rolls around I will be able to find some more.
Thanks for the carnival.
I have been decluttering all summer. Our main problem is the kids clothes and toys. Its overtaking us. I normally pick up shoes for the boys at yard sales even if they are a few sizes ahead for a quarter or two and then I don’t have to buy full priced shoes. I just toss them in a box on their top closet shelf. I went through it yesterday and my youngest had 15 pairs of size 6 shoes!! I have no idea how that happened, but I’ll sell the majority of them at our yard sale for at least $1. I just can’t believe I bought that many! Today I’m working on the play area… Pray for me, lol.
I also keep all Nora Roberts and JD Robb! She is the only author I “collect”. If you plan to sell some please let me know-there are about 50 books I don’t have and I would happily pay you for shipping!
)
Becky,
I will let you know about the books. The J.D. Robb are definitely staying, but if I decide to let go of any Nora, I will email you. Also, shoes are something that I didn’t even want to address here. I think I have a shoe obsession, and it is hard to sell size 11s at a yard sale!
I have a shoe obsession too, I just accidentally passed on the too-many-shoes gene to my boys I guess, lol. A few years ago when I was in college I got a puppy (for a guard dog, lol) and she ate about 20 pair of shoes. I’ve slowly been building up my collection ever since! I bet you’d be surprised at what you’d sell at your yard sale! I have been looking for clothes for my husband at yard sales for about 3 years-I’ve found maybe 1 or 2 shirts total in all that time! Last weekend I was at a yard sale and a guy was selling basically his whole wardrobe because he’d changed sizes-and everything was in my hubby’s size! I brought him home a HUGE box of almost brand new clothes for $3! I thanked the guy and he said he was glad someone could use them-he didn’t think anyone would need that size! You might make someone’s day with your old size 11 shoes. ;o)
Hey, are you on Swagbucks? I saw their logo in your sidebar. Have you heard of the website iRazoo? It’s pretty similar to Swagbucks and actually easier to rack up points daily. I’ve been saving up for a Kindle, so that’s why I’m on these sites… to earn some Amazon gift cards!
My referral link, if you decide to try out the website:
http://www.irazoo.com/ReferedNewUser.aspx?Refby=purplelilskye
Well, gotta go. I do hope you’ll join in the fun!
Blessings,
~ Tarissa
Good for you! The longer you keep stuff (even if you don’t use it) the harder it is to get rid of. I have a bunch of these things too but I’m moving soon so that has inspired me to purge. I’ve put so many books into the donate pile in the last couple of weeks.
Isn’t it amazing how fast stuff accumulates? We have so much STUFF! I really need to start getting rid of it. How about clothes? Did you know I have some of the same clothes in my closet that I have had for 10 years? Yeah, time to clean out!
Don’t trash the sheets and blankets. You local animal shelter (or an animal rescue) could probably use these. I know the shelters and rescues around here are almost always looking for blankets, towels, sheets, etc.
I have been cutting back on everything. It was hard, but necessary since we downsized to a smaller place to save money. Try fitting a 3 bed/2 bath into an 800 sq.ft. 1 bed apartment! It was TOUGH. I’m much happier with less junk around though.
Good luck!
Rather than trash any old blankets or sheets, why don’t you donate them to an animal shelter? They are always looking for those type of things for animal beds-the animal gets to take to its new home so it has something familiar!
Just looking around and located your website – thanks for the share.
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