Its that time of year! Time to switch from the summer closet full of shorts and sundresses to the winter closet full of sweaters and boots. We went through everyone’s closet last week and had four piles: Keep, Sell, Donate and Trash.
But which pile do your items belong in? I have a few simple tips:
WHAT TO SELL:
- Only put something to the ‘Sell’ pile if it’s actually worth selling. A t-shirt from Target that you only paid $10 when you bought it 3 years ago? NO. By the time you pay fees and shipping or the consignment store takes its cut, its not worth it. A Coach purse from 5 years ago that’s still in good shape? SELL. You’d be amazed what you can get for purses!
- Only put something in the ‘SELL’ pile if you have the time to sell it. Save yourself time and guilt. We have enough of that already, right? If you need the cash, by all means. But if you are just wanting to declutter and clean out your closet, that box of ‘Sell’ items will just stare at you for months.
WHAT TO TRASH:
- Stained, torn, stretched out and general icky clothing. No one wants your old smelly workout sweatshirt. No one wants baby clothes stained with poo. No one wants t-shirts with pit stains. You’re NOT wasting it. It WILL get tossed. Don’t make the volunteers throw away your crap. Do it yourself.
WHAT TO DONATE:
- If it looks nice – nothing ratty, torn, rusty, etc – and is decent quality, donate. Donate things in good condition and sell-worthy.
- If you haven’t worn it in over a year… donate.
- If it doesn’t fit… donate.
- If its not flattering… donate.
- If its not something you love that makes you feel gorgeous… donate.
Personally, I’m more inclined to donate than sell. I am too busy to try to sell things generally – and I love to support my community through my local Goodwill!
Did you know that donating one bag of clothing and one bag of books can equal up to 2.3 hours of on-the-job training for someone in your community? Add to that a used lamp, a dusty computer and perhaps a box of DVDs and CDs, and that number nearly doubles to 5.2 hours. A simple item donated to Goodwill® can help provide job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs for people who have disabilities, lack education or job experience, or face other challenges to finding employment. In fact, Goodwill is the leading nonprofit provider of job training programs and career services in the United States and Canada.
When you’re cleaning out your closets and switching your clothes from summer to winter, don’t forget your donate pile for Goodwill!
Image credit: antikainen / 123RF Stock Photo
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