Removing Clutter Before The Big Move
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Photo Credit: Steve Keys
We’ve reach a bit more than the halfway mark on packing up the apartment for the move. I had no idea how much stuff we had until I was combing our place and discovering some things I forgot we had. I’d say I had about 3 boxes of stuff that I’m not bringing over to the new place. They include
- Old video games (I’m talking about Win 95 era games like X-Com)
- Software that is obsolete (Lotus 1-2-3 anybody?)
- Books that I haven’t read in a while and don’t intend on picking up again
- Movies/Videos (VHS) that I don’t enjoy anymore
- Clothes that aren’t my style (or more likely; not my size)
- Old magazines laying around
It’s doesn’t sound like a lot, but they were really taking up space. I never got rid of them because I thought I would use it later. If you’re moving sometime in the future, here’s some things that you can do with your clutter:
1. Have a garage sale. This option can put a few extra dollars in your pocket, which is always handy during a move. Due to the time constraints of this move, I really didn’t have time for this. An alternative to this choice is putting items up on E-Bay or Craigslist and having people buy the items.
2. Donate. I personally like this option. I usually donate my things to a local children’s hospital. My baby brother has been treated by the hospital a few years back. They were wonderful and the staff went above and beyond their duties. I made a donation to the charity last week.
3. Trash it. This an easy, but wasteful option for some items. After David’s article on the history of stuff, I’m going to try and reduce this as much as I can. My goal is that next time I move (hopefully to a house), I’ll have less junk and more reusable items.
It’s been a busy weekend and I’m finishing up my last week at my current job. I’m trying to tie up any loose ends and train some people on my tasks. I’ll miss my co-workers. They are really good at what they do and pleasant to work with on a daily basis.
If this post was helpful, please buy me a cup of coffee. :D
Pinyo
Nice image. When my family moved from our apartment to the house 10 years ago, we threw out almost 20 bags of those big trash bags.
In addition to your three options, you could also check out Freecycle to give unwanted usable items to people in your neighborhood. Some books you could probably sell in local shops or on Amazon. If they are finance book, may be you can do giveaway on your blog.
March 17th, 2008 at 10:51 amadmin
I like your thinking Pinyo! I do have some like new books I could put on the web. With the pet deposit ($300!) due next week, any money would be appreciated.
March 17th, 2008 at 1:50 pmMrs. Micah
Ah yes, I’m still trying to figure out what to do with some stuff from our move. Throwing it away seems too wasteful, but I’m also not feeling motivated about getting rid of it in other ways either.
March 17th, 2008 at 3:37 pmjay
Thanks for sharing your process. Good luck on the move.
March 17th, 2008 at 4:35 pmI suspect it wouldn’t hurt anyone to once in awhile (Spring Cleaning?) to imagine themselves having to pack up and move. What would you not take with you? Then, go on and get rid of it NOW!
Save yourself, or someone else, much trouble later on.