Are you planning on doing some spring cleaning? Read this blog for a few ideas!
Spring cleaning seems to be an almost universal concept. Even the Orangutans at the zoo are getting their homes ready for Summer! We take the time to go through and clean out our homes from top to bottom. We often end up tossing things out that could possibly be recycled or donated so here are some suggestions on what to do with all that stuff!
Garage/Yard sales
There's an old saying "One man's trash is another man's treasure." Your old items could put a few dollars in your pocket. See what you are are going to toss that is still serviceable. If you have children odds are they have outgrown perfectly good clothes over the past year. You probably also have a lot of knickknacks and dust catchers around that you no longer want. Pick a Saturday and have a garage sale. Books, clothes, knickknacks, old DVD and CD's always seem to sell well. Be sure to check with your city first and see if you need to have a permit.
Thrift Stores
The Salvation Army and Goodwill both operate thrift stores. You can donate your usable items to them and get a break on your taxes for the donation. This works well with large items like furniture. In many cases the stores will come and pick up your items sparing you the trouble. Let your fingers do the walking and check your local yellow pages for thrift stores in your area.
Consignment shops
When it comes to several items especially clothing you may want to consider a consignment shop. The item must be in good repair without a lot of wear and tear. This is a great idea for formals and business attire that you no longer want or fit into. Be sure that the clothing does not have stains, the buttons are all attached and there are no rips or snags in the fabric. Clothing must be cleaned so take them to the dry cleaners first. The consignment shop will offer the clothing for sale and split the profits with you on a percentage basis.
Find a new use for it
Many things can be given new life simply finding a new use for them. What immediately comes to mind are large cable spools. I knew a few guys in the past that would look for these on the side of the highway take them home and viola! instant coffee table. Look beyond the orignal use and see what you can come up with. A rusty bucket with a fresh coat of Krylon makes a nifty little planter. Use your imagination. An old bathmat makes a great mat for your pet dishes it's non skid and catches the mess. There's no limit to what you can use things for and you save a little money in the process!
Try these suggestions this year! By doing these things we create a lot less garbage to be placed in a dump somewhere.
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Comments (18)
Jeff Greene8
Online Marketing Specialist/Consultant
Those dolls are worth a small fortune, Cheryl...
They still give folks the creeps, and it seems that there are very few of them around from (the original year) when the movie was made... Interesting to find out who the original maker was, and all... Lotsa a horror- history makes that find a very interesting one! :)
Cheryl Baumgartner12
Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
I guess your lion is hanging out with my Chucky doll. (Yes Child's play Chucky) At least I still have my ALF puppet!
Jeff Greene8
Online Marketing Specialist/Consultant
I'm still pining over my lost stuffed Lion-- That damn thing used to scare the pee out of people! :)
How do you lose a Life-sized stuffed Lion, you might ask?
Well, you choose the wrong movers, and they steal everything that you own and disappear, that's how.
Oh well.. I can't say that I haven't found anything worthwhile since, though-- I have a work of art ( that might be worth a freaking fortune ) hanging on the wall, and I found it in the damn trash... Let The Good Times Roll!
Cheryl Baumgartner12
Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
My sister and I actually go look for stuff that we can then turn in for consignment auctions. Luckily we have a lot of thrift stores in San Antonio in addition to the old standbys of Goodwill and Salvation Army.
Cindy Bolley16
HHCTB?
I LOVE IT!!
There is nothing like a junk store.
My whole house is done with cast offs. "OPS"
(I will admit I have filled it with furry cast offs as well)
But I am a collector, Of everything. I just hate to part with things.
When I finally do pitch something that has been taking up space
for years no doubt I will reget it .
I think it is a sickness. And I have it bad.
Just like my fetish for bags and shoes.
Cindy
Cheryl Baumgartner12
Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
I go for the shoes too, but my thing is the knick knacks and china
Cheryl Baumgartner12
Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
Actually my guilty pleasure is trolling the thrift shops. I bought a set of Royal Worcester mugs for 49cents each and looked them up online when I got home. They were selling for $16 each on E-Bay
Cheryl Baumgartner12
Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
Well now that is a recycling idea with possibilities Juenelle ROFLMAO!!!!
Jeff Greene8
Online Marketing Specialist/Consultant
Found a bunch of costume jewelery... ( 1970 hooker vintage) and sold it to some fashion school kids for $75.00 on the spot... Same stuff on Antiques Roadshow fetched Thousands.. will never do that again.
I have a link for appraisals and selling... PM if you need it...
Cheryl Baumgartner12
Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
It's true that the stuff in the back of your closet can be worth a few pennies. Just make sure you get anything that you think may be of value appraised first our you could end up feeding Juenelle's penchant for thrift store lamps. I have to admit I did the same thing with a ring at a yard sale. 25 cents ended up being worth about $300. It was ugly as all get out but it was marked 18k
Arthur Webster7
Just plain honesty
Ain't got no springs.
Don't do no cleaning.
Once you clean something you create a job for life because it will get dirty again.
The only things about which I am acquisitive is books - and a good thick layer of dust on a book tells me it is about time I read it again.
One other thing about cleaning, if everything is clean, you can't tell if something is missing by the small areas on a shelf (for example) that are cleaner, nor can you tell where to replace it if you find something.
Jeff Greene8
Online Marketing Specialist/Consultant
A full closet or garage can become a hedge aginst inflation these days! :)
Look Before You Toss, and then only toss what really needs to go in the trash... Sell stuff, Donate it, or auction it off... ;)
Cheryl Baumgartner12
Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
You're welcome. So many people just fill the trash can. A lot of service items end up in landfills. Using these tips not only reduce the amount of waste we generate but also can put a few dollars in your pocket.
Linda Welch8
Thanks for the tips, I need to just take my whole closet some where and leave it........tee,he