Books

My collection of 1000+ books has always been a prized possession. As much as I treasure them, I knew keeping all of them no longer made sense. I managed to cut the collection by about half. Some went to Little Free Libraries, others were sold online via Bookscouter, some went to Goodwill. But there were still a lot I had to toss; turns out not many people are interested in science textbooks, or ancient National Geographics! I winced every time I had to put a book in the trash.

Files

The only thing I had more of than books, was paper. This mountain is the contents of just one of four file cabinets. I scanned anything that I was reluctant to part with. The rest went to recycling.

Clothing

I started the clothing cleanout by dumping every article of clothing I owned into a pile on the floor, Then I separated them into a Keep pile (left side) and a Dispose pile (right). Those that were still wearable were donated to thrift stores, the rest went to a clothing/rag drive.

Dress For Success

All those corporate suits I spent several decades of my life in, will find new life with an organization–Dress For Success–that provides access to professional attire to women entering the work force.

Electronics – Ecopark

It took multiple trips to Ecopark, an electronics recycling place, to dispose of printers, laptops, vacuum, toaster, lamps, Xmas lights, and dozens of orphaned electric cords and cables.

Buy Nothing

Yes, those are empty toilet paper rolls. They were the hottest item I posted on the local Buy Nothing site. (Buy Nothing is a group that encourages exchange of items at no cost). Why did I have 50 toilet paper rolls in my house? I started saving them a while back when I heard about a teacher who needed them for craft projects in her classroom. But then she quit her job, and I was stuck with 50 TP rolls. As soon as I posted it in the Buy Nothing group, I got multiple requests for them almost immediately. My favorite was a mom who wanted them for her child’s costume – she wanted to be a macaroni & cheese for Halloween! (I have since learned that there are hundreds of people (no exaggeration!) selling empty toilet paper rolls on eBay…who knew it was such a hot item? )

Keeping Our Promise

Several decades ago (pre-internet), I placed a mail order for a travel iron. Instead of receiving 1 iron, I received 1 case of irons. Multiple attempts to return the extra irons (as well as to give them away) got me nowhere, so I buried them in the depths of my closets. This year, I finally found someone who wanted them. The wishlist for Keeping Our Promise (a nonprofit that supports Afghan refugees who were at one time our wartime allies) listed irons, along with hangers, which I also had in abundance.

Furniture

The couple who purchased my house also purchased much of the furniture. Not having to worry about moving them out of the house definitely made my life easier. A few other pieces were sold or given away to friends.

Good Vibes Music

This hand-made djembe drum was a much-cherished item during a time in my life when I was in a drumsong orchestra at the Michigan Women’s Music Festival, but I was ready to let it go. It was the most expensive item at my yard sale and not surprisingly it did not sell. So I was happy to find a local music shop, Good Vibes Music, that was willing to sell it on commission. I’m leaving it with them and hoping for a sale in the near future.

Eye Glasses

I’ve worn glasses of one kind or another since the 6th grade, and I think I must have kept them all, because I kept finding them in every drawer. They went to a drop-off at Walmart Vision Center, which works with the Lions Club to distribute used glasses to optical missions around the world

Expired Meds

Those meds that expired in 2010 you know you should have gotten rid of? Yeah, it was finally clean-out time. Walgreens pharmacy provided convenient boxes for safe disposal. (Yes, those are a some leftover birth control pills that I haven’t used since the 1980s. I just never know when I might need them again. Especially In our current climate, if/when they are outlawed, I could make big bucks selling them on the black market…)

Fleet Feet

Old sneakers will be put to good use with the Fleet Feet re-use program. Gently used ones are given to those who need them. Those that are no longer wearable are recycled for components.

Scrap Metal

Anything metal (like this non-working clothes dryer) was easy to get rid of. Guys with pick-up trucks seem to constantly patrol our neigborhood for scrap metal. The hardest part was getting it from the basement to the curb; from there it was snapped up almost immediately.

Yard Sale

A good old-fashioned yard sale was surprisingly successful, netting over $500, mostly from small items. It helped that my neighbors joined in to make it a multi-family event, attracting a couple hundred people.