Help me donate stuff, please

[KrisM]

I have stuff I need to get rid of. Some, I know will sell at a mom2mom sale next month, so I'm doing that. A lot just needs to get donated somewhere. But, I can't itemize donations this year for taxes and I keep thinking I'm losing that money. It's not a lot of money, even if I could use it on taxes. But, the thrify person in me hates to get rid of something that I could benefit from at another time.

It's really annoying me that I can't seem to get past it and just get rid of the stuff! I really don't want to wait until January, when it would count for taxes, but that's what I'm tempted to do.

Can you talk me into it? Please?!

[kristenk]

The amount of space in your house and in your mind that you can clear out by donating the stuff NOW is so much more valuable that the deduction in January. Get it out of your house ASAP!

I think it's hard to commit to doing it (and depriving yourself of the deduction), but as soon as the decision is made and the stuff is gone, you'll be glad you did.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Just go drop it off. Someone who lives near you will be shopping at the thrift shop b/c her DH lost his job and they need exactly what you're holding onto.

How's that?

[KpbS]

Well, if you really don't want to store it til Jan. than I'd say look for some women's shelters to give your things to and some of your favorite charity thrift stores knowing that people will really need your things as the weather grows colder and kids go back to school.

[Melaine]

Just do it! I struggle with the same feelings, and have trouble letting go, but it is always SUCH a relief to have the space and sanity. We got rid of a bunch of stuff last weekend and more through this week and I'm SO happy. If only I can remember not to BUY more things we don't need to replace the stuff we got rid of.

[MamaMolly]

Having walked in your very shoes I can tell you that you are going to be SO relieved when you just get rid of the stuff. It isn't doing you any good cluttering up your house, it may well benefit someone else.

Peace of mind vs. tax deduction? I'll take the 5 months of peace! :)

[srhs]

RIGHT THERE with ya! Don't know your situation, but these 2 things help me:

1. I don't want to raise packrats...and I know they are watching.
2. We personally will have to move in the next few years, and moving STUFF is expensive. There is a financial cost to holding on to stuff.

[Ceepa]

Sometimes I just have to put things in my car, drive to a donation drop-off, hand over the boxes and drive away without looking back. Try that!

[niccig]

Just go drop it off. Someone who lives near you will be shopping at the thrift shop b/c her DH lost his job and they need exactly what you're holding onto.

How's that?


This.

Someone needs it, give it to the thrift store and someone can find it there. They can't find it when it's in your garage.

I've got the car loaded up and heading to Goodwill this afternoon.

[KrisM]

Okay, I can do this!

In a week, DH is taking all the kids up to my parents' lakehouse for the weekend with my parents. I'm staying home so I can have 2 days of cleaning and organizing. Before they leave, I am working hard to have nearly all the house nice and clean and neat. The basement and my bedroom are the huge mess areas and I'm not touching those until next Friday night.

My goal is to have my entire house neat enough so that I can hire housecleaners again. I had them for a while, but hated having to clear stuff off of surfaces for them to clean.

I know I have a ton to donate. I know others need it now. I know I need the space. And, I do want the kids to be better at this than I am. I'm getting there and have done a lot in the past 1.5 years, but this is sort of the final stages of my organization project.

Thanks!

[erosenst]

If you have Freecycle in your area, list some of it there. In addition to gaining space and organization, you *know* that the person who gets it wants it. The speed in which stuff is taken somehow makes me feel better about getting rid of it - my "no longer needed" and/or "junk" is giving someone else happiness.

I've been amazed at what people want for various reasons - a broken camera lens was in high demand because it contained a small motor that's hard to find. A box of miscellaneous wires and electrical stuff was used in a boy scout project. Sheets that didn't fit our new bed were perfect for someone who had splurged on a lower-end king, but then could only afford one set of sheets. And on and on and on. The other good thing about Freecyle is that you can list one thing at a time as you come upon something you no longer need - there are times it's easier to get rid of stuff that way, rather than making it an emotional 'big deal'. (And it's very common to just leave stuff for Freecycle on a porch, right behind the house, etc - so it's much less creepy/risky than Craigs List can be at times...)

I also make a point to donate to the local women's shelter, and to take DD with me when we go. There's almost always some of her stuff in there - and we take it "to the mom's and kids who aren't as fortunate as we are". I think it's a subtle, but good, lesson for her. As she's through with toys, etc they go into a specific place to be taken there.

Ok - I think I've talked myself into making another sweep here this weekend. Hope it's helped you too :).

[Momof3Labs]

My goal is to have my entire house neat enough so that I can hire housecleaners again. I had them for a while, but hated having to clear stuff off of surfaces for them to clean.


This is so me!!! In fact, I'm taking next week off of work and DH and I are working through the house over 3 days, purging all the stuff that we really don't need any more. We are overrun with stuff.

[Puddy73]

Just go drop it off. Someone who lives near you will be shopping at the thrift shop b/c her DH lost his job and they need exactly what you're holding onto.

How's that?

This is what works for me! I finally donated our baby swing, toys and clothes. It was hard to let them go, but I hope that someone else will benefit from them.

[KrisM]

This is so me!!! In fact, I'm taking next week off of work and DH and I are working through the house over 3 days, purging all the stuff that we really don't need any more. We are overrun with stuff.

Good luck, Lori. Any chance someone else is watching your kids while you do it? I can't get DH on board much with this. I plan to pile all his stuff in a very inconvenient place, like his music studio :).

[Momof3Labs]

Good luck, Lori. Any chance someone else is watching your kids while you do it? I can't get DH on board much with this. I plan to pile all his stuff in a very inconvenient place, like his music studio :).

Yep, our nanny will have the kids. I'd normally be working when we're doing this, so I'll have her still come. No way could I get it done otherwise! DH is fast to throw things out (almost too fast, IMO), so I'll probably get rid of more if he's doing this alongside me. I think...

A weekend in the house alone would be even better, but there's no way that's happening, so this is going to have to work for us!

[niccig]

Kris,
Just get rid of the stuff. It's just stuff, you don't need it, and someone else will use it either at thrift store or freecycle.

I just made a run to Goodwill today and FINALLY I can see the floor of our garage. DH came home and found DS and I dancing a jig in the garage. Why? Because there was space to move around. I still have 5 boxes of my stuff to sort through, but those are up on shelves, so I can't quite cross the garage off my list. But it looks so pretty in there with everything in boxes and stacked on shelves or in cabinets rather than spilling out all over the floor...

Motivated me enough that I just went through some hot spots in my house and cleared out the clutter - I have another box of things for Goodwill tomorrow.

I've still got a long way to go though - MIL is coming in 2 weeks and I'm going to try and get a lot of the closets done - not because she'll complain, but she shouldn't be hit on the head when she opens DS's closet to get to his clothes.

I'm going to go stand in my clean garage and just soak in all the room we now have to do projects in there...

[KrisM]

Yep, our nanny will have the kids. I'd normally be working when we're doing this, so I'll have her still come. No way could I get it done otherwise! DH is fast to throw things out (almost too fast, IMO), so I'll probably get rid of more if he's doing this alongside me. I think...

A weekend in the house alone would be even better, but there's no way that's happening, so this is going to have to work for us!

Great! My DH is awful. He doesn't get rid of anything. I'm going to work around his stuff and then make him go through it when he gets back.

I think in a whole week, you'll get so much done. I feel like the weekend won't be enough time and I'll be working like crazy the entire time they're gone.

[kransden]

What helps me is to put it in a box - then straight into the car. I hate a cluttered car. I donate my stuff to a refugee organization. I know they use everything.

[KrisM]

Nicci,

You probably remember that I've been working on this for a year and a half now. The closets are all pretty good, although mine could use a going through on the clothes and I'll do the kids in the fall when the weather changes. And, things like the kitchen cabinets are really organized and have stayed that way. Our garage is nearly always clean and we park 2 cars in there, unless we're doing a big project.

I've become addicted to the Org Junkie website and have gotten pretty good at putting this where they go immediately, but clutter still builds up. But, now it only takes me a morning to get most of the house looking pretty decent.

And then there is the basement and the master bedroom. Ugh! Huge mess. huge. Everything that came out of the other places for whatever reason is in 1 of those spots.

DS2's room used to be our office and my craft space. Now the office is in our kitchen, and that's working well. The craft stuff is in our bedroom and never quite got reorganized, so it's just stacked. And, it gives me a huge desk surface that I've covered with all sorts of other stuff. Not good.

I also have about 6 bins of fall/winter clothes that I'll sell at the mom2mom sale and they're in our bedroom. If the rest of the room was nice, it would be fine to have them stacked in the corner, but I think it lets me end up stacking more and more, since there is a stack started. So, I need to find another place to put the next seasons stuff each year. I like keeping them to sell, because I make a few hundred $$ each season and I like having a day to myself to sell it :).

If I'm brave I'll take before and after pictures later this week.

[niccig]

Kris,
Your house sounds better than mine. If you open the closets, kitchen cabinets or pantry things will fall on your head. I let things go the last couple of years and when I needed to do a quick pick up, I threw things into a closet :duck:

Well the garage is cleaned up as we're having DS friends over to work on a project today. It is sooooo nice to walk in there and find something - we don't have a basement or an attic, so our garage is our main storage place. It has lots of cabinets, which helps out. We don't have a big house, and not a tonne of storage room, so if something isn't needed, it needs to go.

I need to walk into the garage, soak in the feeling of uncluttered mess and use this as motivation to get the closets and kitchen/bathroom cabinets done before MIL arrives.

Good luck....

[WatchingThemGrow]

DS2's room used to be our office and my craft space. Now the office is in our kitchen, and that's working well. The craft stuff is in our bedroom and never quite got reorganized, so it's just stacked. And, it gives me a huge desk surface that I've covered with all sorts of other stuff. Not good.

I also have about 6 bins of fall/winter clothes that I'll sell at the mom2mom sale and they're in our bedroom. If the rest of the room was nice, it would be fine to have them stacked in the corner, but I think it lets me end up stacking more and more, since there is a stack started. So, I need to find another place to put the next seasons stuff each year. I like keeping them to sell, because I make a few hundred $$ each season and I like having a day to myself to sell it :).

If I'm brave I'll take before and after pictures later this week.
Kris, I know I say it all the time. I am your sister.

Boxes of craft stuff next to my bed - check
Bins of clothes to sell next to my bed - check
Bins of clothes to organize and put into the kids' rooms - check
hangers for the kids' clothes - check
things they need in a month, next to my bed - check
all the instruction manuals, random papers from who knows what (all baby stuff) on my nightstand - check
pile of dresses and church clothes to iron - check
toys that have come out of rotation, which have not been put in attic - check
toys that don't need to be "out" but can't be put away b/c we do use them when DS2 is napping sometimes - check
pile of Portraits to be labeled and sent - next to my bed - check

I will NOT take a picture. Instead, I got a rack to hold all the stuff so I could access it easier. It is working, though. I'm able to put stuff away better than when it is just piled up.

[KrisM]

Kris, I know I say it all the time. I am your sister.

I will NOT take a picture. Instead, I got a rack to hold all the stuff so I could access it easier. It is working, though. I'm able to put stuff away better than when it is just piled up.

I've always wanted a sister!

I have instruction manuals, too.

What kind of rack? Picture or link? I know that even once it's cleaned up now, it'll be easy to get back into the mess again unless I figure out a system to put the transition stuff.

[KrisM]

Kris,
Your house sounds better than mine. If you open the closets, kitchen cabinets or pantry things will fall on your head. I let things go the last couple of years and when I needed to do a quick pick up, I threw things into a closet :duck:



I throw things into the laundry room, since it's on the 1st floor. And we don't get overnight guests, so the upstairs never quite gets cleaned totally. But, the laundry room is nice in a way, as I have to clean it out to do laundry again. Often times all the baskets are full of stuff, but otherwise I have to be able to get in there.

Congrats on the garage!

[WatchingThemGrow]

I've always wanted a sister!

I have instruction manuals, too.

What kind of rack? Picture or link? I know that even once it's cleaned up now, it'll be easy to get back into the mess again unless I figure out a system to put the transition stuff.
:hug5: me too
Plano shelves (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=plastic+shelves&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=14276597782623453399&ei=17xdTLKlI4L68Abfhc2_DQ&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CEUQ8wIwBA#) from Aldi $14 absolutely ridiculous for a bedroom. But, I just haven't thought hard enough about where to put the transition stuff. Surely I can find just a few more homes for items in our 1400 sf. ;) Plano rack is not good for the zen of my bedroom. I would not recommend it.

[KrisM]

:hug5: me too
Plano shelves (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=plastic+shelves&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=14276597782623453399&ei=17xdTLKlI4L68Abfhc2_DQ&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CEUQ8wIwBA#) from Aldi $14 absolutely ridiculous for a bedroom. But, I just haven't thought hard enough about where to put the transition stuff. Surely I can find just a few more homes for items in our 1400 sf. ;) Plano rack is not good for the zen of my bedroom. I would not recommend it.

I have this shelf (http://www.amazon.com/Gorilla-Rack-GRZ6-4824-5IMP-72-Inch-Shelving/dp/B000WEMI7W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1281212310&sr=8-3)in my closet. It was one that was in the basement of our old house and we don't need in the basement here.

Are you moving anytime soon?

[WatchingThemGrow]

Are you moving anytime soon?
Well, when DH got home from his work trip and saw the mess o'cr@p I was going to sort through on our bed, he got REALLY freaked out, threw it all in a laundry basket and said that we need to just move. He suggested burning the whole house down and just leaving this one behind. He calmed himself down, I cleaned up (some) and we'll be back to the reality of one income, an overpriced town, or undesirable schooling choices elsewhere. Probably won't move anytime soon. I can't leave these boxes and stacks in our room, though. They HAVE to go. Where? I dunno..