Step #32: Plan Your Piles

As you de-clutter, your unwanted belongings generally fall under one of three categories: throw away, donate or sell. Sorting them accordingly can help speed the process along. However, it’s often tough to decide what to do.

Donating may be the easiest and fastest route to take, but many people shy away from it because it doesn’t result in a nice fat wad of cash in their pocket. What it does result in, in most cases, is a tax receipt for your contribution. The amount of this financial perk can vary greatly depending on your tax bracket and whether or not you itemize on your tax return. In general, the higher your tax bracket the more valuable your write-off will be. Decide what makes the most sense for you given your own financial situation and time constraints.

Including your kids in the de-cluttering process helps hone their organizational skills and builds self-esteem. Let them decide which of their belongings to keep and which to get rid of. Talk about the importance of giving to those in need and let them help select a charitable organization for their donation. Have them accompany you when you drop off their things.

For suggestions on where to sell your items, I've outlined some ideas in my eBook:
http://uniroyal.com/assets/pdf/start..._off_right.pdf
It's completely free, you don't even have to give out your email address - so I hope some of you take a peek!

Mommysavers Challenge:
Consider using our RAK (Random Acts of Kindess) forum to give away some items to other Mommysavers members who may really want or need them. Right now we’re running a contest where anyone who enters is eligible to win a Hairspray Prize Package or DVD. Improve your decluttering Karma by giving to others within our own community! Check it out here:
http://mommysavers.com/boards/random-acts-kindness/

__________________
Check out the Mommysavers Fan Page on Facebook
Frugal Tweets! Follow Mommysavers on Twitter
Preorder the NEW Mommysavers.com Book: Instant Bargains

There is something magical about spring and decluttering. I just took my first tote to Once Upon a Child yesterday. Of course I got 54$ for the stuff they took, and my dd (5yo) picked out 80$ worth for herself and her 8yo brother. but they are now stocked for summer....YEA!! I also did my closet recently, but in our rural area, no place for adult clothes. Our housing addition will be having a garage sale in May, so I hope to make some money then and the rest goes to Good Will for the tax write off.

Then on to the closets and kitchen. We are looking to merge 2 households this summer, and we want to paint the rooms in the house so less is definately more at this point.

keep the ideas coming Kim

Tracy

Getting started with this on Monday!

I have been working like crazy decluttering these past few weeks. I have already started b4 April 1. We decided to just give 95% of it away. I have only 1 box of items that I will try and bring to consignment or give it to someone we know. My problem in the past has been to get it ready for consignment but then we can't get it there and it sits here. My church is having their treasure sale and I can start dropping stuff off on Sunday,13th. I already have enough to fill the back of the van.

__________________
allgirls, mom to 3 girls

This is great advice. I've been seriously decluttering since after Christmas and am finally starting to slow down alittle. I do plan on making a thrift store run sometime this week when the weather is nicer. We don't seem to have many consignment shops here and any ideas I have for selling on Ebay, never seem to transpire. So, I should just be honest with myself that it's just going to sit in my basement until I haul it away.

I am finding I need a forth Pile the Store it Pile. Well I have made progress with My first Room, I have tackled DDs room. Its begining to look the way I invisioned. Still I feel like I am storing a lot of stuff. We are trying for a 2nd baby so everything is save it for the Next Baby. This past year we have lost both my grandmothers. I was very Fortunate to have had them in my life for so long as both passed at the age of 89. Still I have inherited more then I know what to do with. We have to goal that we will have a bigger home some day so I have a china cabinet full of stuff and no China Cabinet. Still that means lots of things to store and not a whole lot of room to do so. Limitted space in 1000 SqFt.

Still I feel keeping everything puts me into the pack rat mentality. I think I get it from my Parents who have a 3 car garage, Full Attic and a storage unit on the side. Yet I see where storing can Save. DD is getting as a b-day gift this year the play table and chairs that were given to me on my 2nd birthday.

Anyone else feel like a pack rat. I want to Declutter but am having too many things that fall into the sentimental must keep in forever, When we have another Baby and the when we get a larger space Category

__________________
Kimberly Proud Mommy to Bethany Rose April 2006 &

Organizer of the Coupon Clippers of Tacoma

It's so funny that I found this today since me and the kiddies were just trying to tackle the pile under their beds! It seems that for the past few months (or years, who knows!) when I've asked them to clean their rooms, they have been stuffing it under their beds. Yes, I know, this is not a new trick, and I wasn't born yesterday, but I am still not too happy. Needless to say, I have three garbage bags full of stuff to give to Goodwill! FYI - when you donate, keep the receipts and mark your mileage as well as well as details as to what you are donating. For me, that't big because we live about 20 miles away from any donation site, so this helps.