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[sidsmom]

@Nataliesgramma 

If donating...just think how happy someone would be if they received

your pretty clothes or kitchen items! Someone who might not have

the good fortune to afford these items new....you gave them the 

opportunity to better their life!   They will go to a good home where

they will be used & appreciated on a daily basis.  

No no one can appreciate your items if they are in your

closet 24/7/365.  Go ahead...donate. Make someone happy!

You’ll be left with a lighter mindset & a warm heart!

[CAcableGirl2]

@Nataliesgramma  What I do is to get a box (or several) for donating and put them in the spare room.  Place the items that you think of donating in the boxes and it will clear up the space in your closet.  

After a few weeks, or even months, if you haven't even thought about those items, it's time to take them to the donation or consignment shop.  Always check the pockets for anything that you might have placed for safekeeping. 

Some of my favorite sweaters have been turned into pillows, and old blanket/throws have covered old bed pillows and then donated to the animal shelter.  

I find if the items are "out of sight" and "out of mind", it's a lot easier to donate.  I also think that their usefulness for me has ended and maybe someone else who needs it will end up with it and be able to use it. 

Honestly, I've donated clothing items never worn still with tags, but once they were gone, I never looked back.   Except to kick myself for spending money foolishly.

And the bonus is that you are helping a charity, AND you have a much cleaner and organized home.

[qvcfreak]

When I downsized homes, I had to get rid of a lot of things I liked. I asked myself, if I’m not using it then someone else should. It made it much easier. 

In my closet I face the hangers opposite and when I use the item and put it back, I place the hanger back correctly. If the hanger is facing backwards at the 6 month mark, I donate it. 

[nomar]

Everytime I read a post of this type, I get enthused even more to downsize. Hubby and I are in our 70's and it is getting to be a chore to "warehouse" stuff. I do not dress up much anymore, as I now go for comfort  in clothing rather than style. Old dishes or dishes for entertaining are not being used, as entertaining is different nowadays. Like others mentioned, I have gathered the dishes and antiques I plan to put in an auction and took pictures of them. I have boxed up other things I will not use again along with clothes I have not worn in a long time. When spring comes that boxed up stuff will go in a garage sale and what does not sell will be donated. For me, once it is boxed up and sold, I do not even miss it other than I am not warehousing it and taking care of it. This topic has again sparked me to gather more to get rid of. I keep telling myself, "a cluttered house is a cluttered mind." It does clutter my mind, as it seems to weigh on me as I have gotten older.

[ScarletDove]

Donate it, sell it, just do it....if you haven't used something for a year, you probably do not need it!  NEED, that is truly the word!  Once "things" are gone, you will forget you had those "things".  It is a very freeing and satisfying sense to clean out and unclutter!

[Mominohio]

What I do, and would suggest you try, is to look at a particular category of something you know you should purge, a very narrow category, like if you have way too many dress clothes after retirement, look at just your dresses, or just your suits.

Lay them all out of the closet, and realize just how many you have. Decide, based on current lifestyle, how many you would use in a given month. So for dresses, would you wear a dress to church four times in a month, once to a wedding or other formal affair, and maybe once for a fancy date night? So you might calculate you will wear a dress only on 6 occasions out of any given month. Do you think you need six different dresses, or would a total of 4 work, just rotating them and changing accessories or jackets with them? Consider climate and keep ones that could be added to in the colder weather with jackets and made cooler in the warmer months by removing other article. 

If the category is especially hard, just get rid of one. The least favorite, the worst fitting or the most worn. If that doesn't hurt too bad, do another, and another until it is realistic. 

Sometimes we think we have to purge completely any given area or category, but really we don't. If we start small, the pain may be less, and the momentum built grows, along with the confidence to get rid of more. Getting rid of that first something is often the first step to success.

The other thing that can work is allowing yourself only so much space for something. Like in the closet, only one foot of rack space for a particular item, and any that doesn't fit in that space, has to go, again, getting rid of the most worn, least liked, most ill fitting things first.  

[Sooner]

If something bothers you, makes it hard to maintain your house, or isn't useful to you, get rid of it.

Throw it in the trash, give it away, sell it--just get rid of it!  It is only stuff!  If someone left it to you, it was the thought that was important so if you hate dusting it, throw it out, give it away or sell it.

Nobody needs it.  The charities are swimming in clothing and stuff.  Nobody will suffer.  

Just do it!  It's only stuff.  It doesn't remember, doesn't talk to you, doesn't make money for you hanging in the closet.

You own it, you decide.  Just get rid of it!  It's ok!  You have my permission!  LOL!!!  I won't tell, and nobody will know!  It will be OUR secret!  OK?  OK!!!!!!    You are officially absolved, by me, today, of any guilt associated with ditching it!  

[spot555]

If you want to keep it, then don't purge it. Do what's best FOR YOU.  

[ILTH]

There's a difference between wanting to get rid of things and feeling that you have to get rid of things. 

If you feel you have to or should get rid of things because others do it, say you should do it, influence your thoughts --- don't. 

If you want to because you feel suffocated, uneasy or guilty looking at these things taking up unwanted space in your mind, preying on your mind, etc. -- do it.  

Ask yourself if you would buy this thing right now, at this time if you didn't already have it. If not, give it away or toss it.  You won't miss it once it's gone. It's the active getting rid of it that's the hard part. 

I think many people overthink and overcomplicate the process. It takes just that one simple question and one simple action.

[Annabellethecat66]

OMG!  I give them to friends of mine!  I've given away so many things I could never tell you how much (you'd be bored out of your mind listening to me).

If a friend comes over sometimes they'll ask what this or that is.  Sometimes I'll say, do you want it?

I've gotten myself into trouble that way though.  I've given away things I will later need.

Here's an example of just ONE thing (among too many).  I don't travel much anymore.  So when a friend needed a suitcase, I gave her one I had.  I thought I had lots more because my philosophy is ....If one is good two is better and three is even better.

Well, not long after that I decided to visit my daughter in Denver.  Guess what I didn't have?  The exact size I'd just given away.  But what bothered me was when I talked about needing the suitcase, the friend's husband wouldn't let HER let ME use it.  I said, I'd give it back but he was being a pain.

So, I don't give them much anymore.  Actually, I did give them one of those really good humidifiers.  I thought all of the boxes were empty but they weren't.  They had brand new humidifiers in them!  So, since he'd just gotten out of the hospital (he's old like me) I gave him one of the brand new one's I had and didn't need.

I've given so much STUFF away that different friends give it to other friends of THEIRS.  My dearest friend just told me her nephew is getting married and thanks to me he just bought a house and was set to go because of all of the things I'd given her and she gave him. 

So, that is how I get rid of stuff.  However, I have to say that I've learned a little (since the suitcase incident) to be more careful about what I give away.

That's not a good thing because junk...errrr...QVC 'stuff' is piling up. 

Go ahead, ask me about QVC stuff and there are so many things I've given away....it's stupid.  I'm slowly learning.

Oh!  I just thought of something.  OK, so I went through a phase where I bought Dooney purses and didn't return them (not a lot maybe 3 or 4).  My friend saw them laying in a pile and asked if she could have one.  I said, "Yes, pick one" (they were the zip-zip ones).  She did.

Then another friend (not seeing the pile) said she'd always wanted a Dooney purse but couldn't afford them.  So, I gave her another zip zip purse.  She loves the thing.  It's wonderful giving people things they like and want.

Actually, it seems selfish because most of us know the pleasure WE get by seeing the smiles on people's faces.

Here's my latest project.  I'm about to buy 2 new wigs.  I haven't counted them but they're all over the house.  Same style, same color.  Toni Brattin wigs.  I love them.  I'm about to donate them to a cancer place for women who've lost their hair.  I just need to do the investigating and find out where to take/send them.

I've actually donated a brand new TV (but it was a 720) and copier/fax machine (new) to a place that will raffle it off during their wine tasting thingy.  They take care of unwanted pit bulls.  There are several places like that.

I used to be able to use the donations for my taxes but the tax laws keep changing that it is very difficult to be able to claim things like that anymore.  I give everything (i.e. the receipts from donation companies) to the accountants but my daughter says often not to bother reporting it because it isn't worthwhile.

That's sad because I think it keeps people from donating.

So, someone I know has to do community work as punishment for something she did.  She just texted me pictures of the amazing things people have donated to Goodwill.  She has to work there (volunteer) as part of her punishment.  She loves doing it.

My problem with Goodwill is that often their prices are way too high.  I haven't been in there in years but when I went in to find a particular thing I thought their prices were high.  Have no idea now what they are.

I'd rather give my stuff (don't call it junk...my girls do that) stuff to friends who put it to good use.