Hellobee

I’ve blogged about our adventures in decluttering here and here, and even after getting rid of all those things, it’s amazing how there is always something more to get rid of! It is an ongoing, never-ending process for us. I think everyone already knows areas of their homes that could use some decluttering. But some commenters mentioned that just reading through my posts was overwhelming, so I thought I would share some tips on how to ease into decluttering, as well as where we sold/gave away/donated everything we did. A year and a half into this it’s definitely become a lifestyle for us, and I’m never going back!

1) Get rid of one thing a day for 365 days. I’ve seen several blogs where people get rid of one thing a day for a year, and some even photograph the item they got rid of.

2) Get rid of 40 bags in 40 days. The premise behind this is to get rid of 1 bag of items each day, no matter how big or small, for 40 days every spring (or whenever you choose). We’ve even tried doing this together on the boards!

3) Keep 4 boxes going at all times – I always have one for sell, donate, organize, recycle, and this is the most effective method for me. My sell bags are usually nicer kids’ clothes for the Hellobee classifieds/consignment shop, or something for my parenting listserv. My donate bag is clothes and homewares and as soon as it’s full, I drop it off at a local charity, at least once a month. My organize box is usually full of papers (it’s a neverending struggle) and other random things. My recycle box has papers I need to shred. Having a place for everything I want to declutter really helps me do it regularly.

4) 1 in 1 out. To have less clutter you have to create less new clutter. Whenever you bring one new thing into your home, get rid of one old thing.

5) Have guests over regularly. This is another method that works great for me. Even though we don’t have a lot of “stuff,” our place still gets unbelievably messy and our place never gets clean so quickly as when we have someone coming over. Every time my mom comes to visit, I embark on a 3-day cleanfest!

6) Start small and maintain it. Decluttering can be an overwhelming task, so start very small. Clean out your desk drawer and keep it clean. Then move onto your desktop and keep that clean. Little by little expand the zone you’re keeping clean until you eventually move through your whole house.

7) Ask yourself if you need an item several times. It’s easier to get rid of things gradually then to dive right in and start purging like crazy. For instance my closet has always been the easiest place for me to clean out because it’s obvious what I am and am not wearing. But when you do several passes, it’s amazing how something I thought I should keep the first pass gets tossed out in the second, third, fourth pass. I currently have the smallest amount of clothes I’ve had in my adult life, but it honestly feels like I have more to wear because I only kept the things I do wear, and I focus on basics and neutrals that can be easily changed up with accessories and shoes. It’s helped me better define my style, and become better at makeup and accessorizing!

S E L L

Hellobee Classifieds – I sell most of Charlie and Olive’s nicer clothes and shoes on the Hellobee Classifieds.

Consignment Shop – It’s a lot of work to sell, package, and ship things, so sometimes I take clothes to a high end kids’ consignment shop. Though I make less than I would if I sold it directly, I can also get rid of a bunch of things at once without having to deal with packaging and shipping. I get 40% of what they would sell the item for in the store in store credit (less if I opt for cash). It’s a fun way to get new clothes without spending new money. The downside of this particular shop is that they are very picky, with a focus on vintage, and don’t take everything that I bring in.

Local Parenting Listserv/Facebook Group – I’m lucky that our local parenting listserv is so large and active, and I’ve been able to sell everything there from kids’ stuff to rugs to furniture. High value toys like Tegu blocks, play kitchens, trains, etc. can be sold individually. Other toys, books, and clothes I sell in lots according to age (bag of 12 month toys for example). It’s a great way to get rid of a lot of stuff at once, but organizing pick-up times can also be a hassle. Now that we have less to get rid of, I tend to donate most things rather than sell.

Another similar option is a local Facebook group. I generally don’t like using Craigslist because I always get contacted by scammers.

Ebay – I don’t often sell items on ebay, but certain items like Ugg or Sorel boots sell for more on there than they would elsewhere, because I’ve purchased them off ebay myself!

Yard Sale – This was so much work and totally not worth the effort at all. People were constantly haggling, we had to sit outside for hours, it was so much work to set up/clean up/get rid of the things that didn’t sell anyway. I would never do a yard sale again and would rather save the time and donate everything to a good cause instead.

D O N A T E

Animal Shelters – Towels, sheets, and blankets go to our local animal shelter which has several drop-off locations throughout our neighborhood.

Churches/Temples/Shelters – Our local churches and temples regularly hold donation drives for different organizations throughout the year, including toys, food, toiletries, linens, towels, etc. A local temple recently ran a donation drive for toiletries for a homeless shelter for instance. I used to take all those hotel toiletries in my pre-decluttering days, and if you have a stash, they are perfect for donation. Whenever I see a donation drive, I always try to donate something and get the kids involved in the process as well.

Women’s Shelters/Organizations – Local organizations like the NYC Family Justice Center which works with domestic violence victims, or nonprofits like Little Essentials which helps families in poverty are often in need of items for women and children. They often ask for specific baby items for young or displaced mothers. I’ve donated things like our City Mini stroller and diapers to them in the past, and things like car seats can get a second life.

Textile Recycling – Admittedly we live in a “crunchier” neighborhood where there are a lot of recycling options. When we have clothes that are stained, holey, etc. I donate them to a local textile recycling nonprofit.

Electronics Recycling Centers – A local electronics recycling center has 2 drop-off locations as well as regular events in different locations throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn where people can bring old computers, monitors, printers, tvs, cell phones, etc. and you get a tax receipt.

Salvation Army – The Salvation Army in our area will only come to pick up items if you have furniture and a large donation, and it takes a while to set up a pick up if you’re planning on moving. Luckily they showed up on moving day and took a bunch of furniture and tons of clothes and housewares. You can always drop things off there as well, and they also provide a tax deductible receipt.

Thrift Store – I make a trip to our local nonprofit thrift store at least once a month with clothes and housewares. They provide a tax deductible receipt.

Daycare – We’ve donated a lot of toys and art supplies to Charlie and Olive’s daycare. They are always happy to take them!

Libraries – Our local library recently ran a book donation event, and we always have books to donate!

Food banks – Food banks are always in need of canned and nonperishable goods.

G I V E  A W A Y

Friends – I regularly give the kids’ play clothes and shoes away to friends. It’s funny to see Charlie and Olive’s younger friends wearing their old clothes around the neighborhood!

Street – Our neighborhood has a lot of foot traffic so no matter how random the item I put out on the street, someone will walk by and take it.

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Also be sure to check out Mrs. Wagon’s great post on where she donates and sells!

A commenter asked me this on one of my previous posts, and I thought it was interesting since I’m sure toy clutter is a big one for many of us! The kids no longer have any “big” toys because we recently sold their play kitchen and all their trains and tracks, and I’m selling Olive’s dollhouse since she never plays with it. So what toys do they have?

– Magnatiles
– Wooden blocks
– Basket of play food
– Basket of Legos
– Basket of superheroes/Transformers
– Basket of stuffed animals
– Basket of outdoor toys (balls, buckets, shovels)
– Basket of dress-up clothes
– 1 balance bike, 1 scooter
– 2 Ikea Alex drawer units full of art supplies
– 10 board games, many of which we received as gifts.
– 12 jigsaw puzzles
– 3 drawers of random small toys (princesses, Shopkins, animal figurines, toy cars, etc.)

Looking at this list I see where we can get rid of more, like stuffed animals and some jigsaw puzzles that they’ve outgrown. They spend most of their time drawing, building, and playing board games, and this is more than enough toys for them. They don’t miss any of the things we’ve donated over the years, and have never asked for them again either. The good news is that toys get way smaller as they get older!

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Share some of your best decluttering tactics as well as where you like to sell/donate donate items below!