Dear friends,

I am in the process of making a decision. I am wondering:

*should I declutter my home and put all the things in boxes
and *try* to find space to keep it until spring for a garage sale,
which will maybe give me maximum $150.00, if I sell everything?

OR

*declutter my home for GOOD and donate the things to charity,
like I was thinking for my aunt Francine's workshop or the
church?

My hesitation in my choice is that the garage sale would help out
in summer vacation money...BUT our home is soooo small and we are 6 here, that I don't know where to put it and I am tired of walking and triping over stuff....and when I see my home so full of things I get depressed, even more so Pierre and we indeirectly spend money anyways because of this clutter...

OR my other thought, was donate it all and since we are donating so much, not give money this year to our church when they sollicitate us for almost the same amount. Plus, I know deep down, if my home is FINALLY decluttered, full of much needed space---I will feel less stressed, Pierre also, and we will have no more worries about finding things around here...

But I find it so hard to give things we have paid for....and that are still nice and good....but then again, I do save too much unnecessary and unimportant things, too, like lots of magazines and papers...

Ok, what do you think?:confused: :D I'd love your advice, opinion and words of wisdom...

My advice, donate it. If you hang on to it, you probably won't get rid of it. I love donating to goodwill, it just makes me feel good. I'm helping others and I'm helping organizations raise a bit of $$ for their organization. When I look at Value Village and the $$ that go from them to the Canadian Diabetis Association, it thrills me to know I've had a small part. There is also another place where you can donate, that the $$ raised go to the MS association. I'm sure there are places the exact same way in Quebec.

I've had a couple of yard sales and in the most part, they were a pain. They are a lot of work and USUALLY don't bring in that much money.

These are just my thoughts though.

I do a littel of each. I donate most but if it is something I just can't let go of I sell it on e-bay or the paper, or consignment what ever I think will get me the most $.

I agree with Kim, so a little of each. That's what I do. I bring some of the outgrown, in good condition kids clothes to Once Upon a Child where they pay cash on the spot for clothes they can resell. Other things I just donate. When it closer to garage sale time I may save it up for a GS when our neighborhood has a block sale. But if it's in my way ....it's outta here!

Thanks everyone for your input. I'm still thinking....I have been starting to declutter magazines though....

Lucie,

I agree that it would be best to get rid of your decluttered stuff right away. The longer it stays, the harder it is to get rid of.

A note on decluttering magazines... my mom and I have a kind of magazine-sharing thing we do. I get way to many magazines (I'm letting subscriptions run out, but still), and so does she, so we share the ones the other doesn't get. That way, we both get to see a wider variety of magazines than we would otherwise, and it doesn't cost us any extra. Do you have friends or family you could share with? Otherwise, I think schools may take them for the childrens' projects?

For me? I'd donate. BUT that's because I'd rather have my teeth drilled without benefit of aneasthetic than hold another garage sale.

to each their own. Garage sales and I are not a good match. I get exhausted and the amount I make is never enough to make up for the stress and work.

Plus with the donation, it goes to help someone in need and I love that.

And the donation is instant relief, you don't have to worry about storing or having it creep back into the house in the sneaky way clutter can have.

And if that wasn't enough, most charity's will come and pick it up and haul it away.

I believe in the States it is a tax deduction as well

so that is my take on it

but remember I'm not a garage sale lady:D

Hi....... As far as the magazines go ..Dr offices and hospitals will take them.....thats what I do with all mine. Fern:D

Lucie I'm struggling with the same dilemma! I have stuff that's too good to give away that I know I could get a few $$ for. I'm just gonna hang onto it till spring. We do really well here with our yard sales. We made over $300.00 last time, not counting the drum set we sold for $275!

It slows down the decluttering process somewhat, though. I'm doing little things for now, then I'll tackle the basement. It's too cold down there now anyway.

Ugh...Lucie I struggle with this as well. For me, it's best to donate. I hang on to the stuff toooo long, end up putting some of back in it's original space, etc.... . Just bite the bullet and donate! Be done with it. Find peace in the new outlook that decluttering will give you :hug2:

I'd do a little of both.

I'm for getting it out of there & finding a good home for it.:) You are getting peace of mind, a neater&easier to clean & navigate home, and helping someone else out all at the same time. :thumb:

Good for you Lucie, keep up the good work.:)

I say get rid of it (donate) now--if for nothing but the stress relief alone :)

....deep down of me wants to give it all and a little part of is saying *keep it, you COULD make some money this spring...* but I kept everything last year and the year before and didn't have a garage sale...I never get around organizing it and I always lack some precious time...week-ends are always so filled...one week-end is aunt Francine, the other it's doing something with the boys, then comes the next week-end with Francine, then something else comes up then I just get squeezed in time and etc. etc. etc...and then I have ended up saving it all for so long...

...OH but it's tough desicion for me!:bang:

Pierre is helping me decide...he brought something like 10 boxes home last evening----to help me declutter-----he says....He says if it were for him, he would all give it...My poor husband...he is so generous and patient with me...but I know he is tired of seeing me accumulating so much things *in case of*

I'll be brave! I'll give the most I can feel capable of giving. So far I have filled almost 2 boxes... :)

...and you know, deep down, I KNOW I am going to feel liberated and so happy with so more space in our home! Ok, I'll tell how it's going in my *winter spring cleaning*...;) as I go along!:)

Thank-you so much for your opinions! All were very precious!:heartsm:

Lucie, as soon as you get those 2 boxes filled, take them to goodwill or the charity you plan on donating too. Then walk out of there knowing you've helped others. The freedom you feel will get you filling those other boxes. Baby steps - 2 boxes at a time if you have too. When your finished decluttering, you are going to wonder why you never did it before. HONEST!!

Originally posted by homesteadmamma
Lucie, as soon as you get those 2 boxes filled, take them to goodwill or the charity you plan on donating too. Then walk out of there knowing you've helped others. The freedom you feel will get you filling those other boxes. Baby steps - 2 boxes at a time if you have too. When your finished decluttering, you are going to wonder why you never did it before. HONEST!!

Ohh... you know it CJ! Go for it Lucie!!! I see that HONEST and whole heartidly agree!

Lucie, You can do this! I was raised to save "in case of". I got liberated suddenly from this.
here is my story.
MJ used to work for Rockwell (they helped build the space shuttles) Well the aerospace industry went down hill fast. In the end MJ's folks were moving to TX (we were in California) and we wanted the boys to know their grandparents (yeah I know if we had only known....:bang: ) long story short they gave him a yellow pages form here and he sent off resumes. Well about 2 weeks later he got a call, the guy wanted him to be there "last week" and we had 1 week to get ready to leave! We had no money for a moving van. MJ's folks offered to bring my 100 year old rocker but that was all. Everything else we were to bring had to fit in the back of our honda civic wagon and a friends ford escort. Not a problem, but we had 2 large dogs and 2 kids plus 3 adults!
We left almost everything behind! 1 week did not give us much time to sell off anything! we left 2 dining sets, 2 antique rockers, fridge, stove, couch, king size bed, dressers, dishes, clothes, 2 tvs and much much more! We had a friend who worked with a womens shelter helping battered women get resettled on their own, we gave her the key to the apt we had rented and told her to take it all! We even left behind some perishable food items.
Talk about a declutter bout!
2 boxes, not bad, you can do it!

Wow....Melissa...That is an amazing story! That must have been something! ...makes me think alot...thanks.:)

Well, I'm doing good! I have filled 3 other small boxes to give today and I have filled the equivalant of a medium box of old papers to recycle...I am soooo happy! I can't beleive I am actually doing it!:D I can start to see some empty spaces and the upstairs small hallway is totally cleared! I have had 2 baskets full of stuff there forever!

It feels good to make space! I'll tell you more as I go!:)

Thanks everyone for your encouragements!:hug2: