Yesterday we talked about figuring out which supplies should stay and which should go. You may now find yourself with some piles/bags/boxes of things that need to go. But it can be hard to get rid of these things. I don’t want to feel wasteful. I put time and energy into this stuff, and if I’m not going to get any use out of them someone should. Below I have a few lists of ideas to move these things out of your life in ways that will let you feel good about it.
For times when you don’t want to feel like you’re wasting money:
- Sell them on Craig’s List. I’ve sold bags of random yarn on Craigslist for more than I would have paid for somewhat used yarn myself.
- Post a classified ad in the newspaper or your local alternative paper
- Have a yard sale. (If you do this, commit to taking any items that didn’t sell straight to an appropriate place, not back in the house.)
- Barter. Are there things or services you need? See if you can find people who are willing to trade what they’ve got or can do for what you’ve got. Babysitting, massages, clothing… see what’s out there. (Craig’s List is a great place for this too.)
- Take the items to a recognized charity and make sure you get a receipt. I don’t know much about other places, but here in the States you can use this receipt for a deduction on your taxes. If you don’t live near a donation center you can mail your donations in and send a SASE for them to send your receipt back in. You may be able to deduct the shipping costs too.
You’re not worried about the money but don’t want to see the things wasted:
- Talk to a teacher or your local school. Schools are usually dying for any sort of art supply. Paper, ink, markers, stamps, yarn, glue, paint, paint brushes… they will use these. Also ask if they have any use for things like fabric and thread. A junior high or high school especially might be able to use things in their Home Ec classes. Or shop classes, depending on your hobbies.
- Find a community center that teaches any classes that might relate to what you have to give away.
- Check with your local nursing home or retirement home. I know there are a few near me in which the residents do a lot of charity knitting
- Try giving it away to an interested person on Freecycle or the Free section on Craig’s List.
The Organizing Week… Guilt-free Letting Go by FasterCraft, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
