One good thing about days when you’re stuck inside is that they’re perfect for spring cleaning. Once you have your items sorted into piles, what do you do with them?
Donate It
As long as the belongings you no longer need have some use left in them and they’re still in reasonably good condition, someone else will likely benefit from them. Charities taking donations include the well-known Salvation Army, Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Goodwill. Habitat for Humanity ReStores run on donated furniture and home improvement materials.
Most communities have their own charities such as homeless shelters, church groups and safe havens for women and children. The social services office in your town may be able to give you a list of locations accepting gently used items. Call ahead to check on what types of items can be donated.
Source: https://makespace.com/blog/posts/where-to-donate/
Sell Them Online
The internet has changed the way people hold garage sales. Hundreds of millions of people use Facebook Marketplace to buy and sell items every month. Other options for selling online include eBay, Poshmark and thredUP. While some sites are specifically for clothes, others may focus on items like books. That could be useful if you’re cleaning out your home library. There are other sites where you might consider selling your car, your furniture or even your old baby clothes.
Source: https://www.podium.com/resources/free-advertising-sites
Neighborhood Swap
It might be fun to get together with your neighbors and see what they’re getting rid of. Their junk could contain just the treasure you’ve been looking for, and one of your hand-me-downs might be on their wish list.
In these times of social distancing, this could potentially be done safely in someone’s driveway or remotely from home. Neighbors would have a chance to check in with each other after cleaning their houses, and you could trade suggestions on what to do with anything left over.
Source: https://smcapproved.com/how-to-organize-a-neighborhood-swap-meet/
As you strive to reduce and recycle, your options are many, and the process can be a great homeschooling project. Take some time to research where you can donate your old car or who would benefit most from the crib your youngest child has outgrown. Sometimes it’s not about how you can get rid of items you no longer need but rather about where they would be most appreciated.
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