Author | Kiki Wootten
Kiki here! I’m SO excited to be joining the Humble Home team. Allow me to introduce myself; I’ve lived in Harrisonburg for 15 [whoa] years. I graduated from JMU with my master’s in 2013, met my now husband, and then landed my first teaching job. I was a proud educator for 10 years, and have recently decided to take a step back. My husband and I have decided to take a few months off from our “real lives” and sail to the Bahamas because, well, why not? We set sail in November with our 10-year-old pup. In the meantime, I’ve been assisting Morgan as-needed in client’s homes, and will continue contributing to this blogpost from afar.
I’ve been busy getting my home renter-friendly before our trip, going from room to room, and doing all of our favorite thing…you guessed it, *decluttering*! So, for this week’s tip, I’m going to share how I categorize all the things I’m ready to let go of. Getting rid of your stuff doesn’t need to be scary. It can actually be - hear me out, now - fun. Let’s jump in!
Donate - I personally like to choose a donation center that gives back to the community. Don’t be afraid to do your research! There’s a donation center close to me that supports other local non-profits that provide for the houseless, refugees, and other at-risk populations in the community. I love that.
Sell - Are there things sitting around that you could actually make a little money on? Go for it! Facebook Marketplace is a great place to start. (Here are some great tips to get ya started!) Have clothes that are ready for a new life? Consider going to see Mary over at Dart.
Buy Nothing Project - If you haven’t heard of this amazing community, allow me to enlighten you! The main idea: no money is involved, whatsoever. Post an item as a free “gift”, choose the receiver, and bam. Your item goes directly to a community member! I personally like to gift things that donation centers can’t receive, and would otherwise end up in the landfill (opened bottles of shampoo, the new box of cereal that your toddler all of a sudden *hates*, etc.). You can also post a “wish” if there’s something you’ve been needing. As a teacher, I used to receive so many generous and useful items for my classroom. How cool is that? Go towww.buynothingproject.org to learn more and connect with your local group.
Another thing to consider while sifting through your stuff…can you gift that item to a loved one or friend, directly? For example, I found some old whale books of mine that I know my nephew would LOVE. His birthday is coming up, so I’ll pass them on to a little fella who will use and appreciate them.
So, how do you categorize your items before giving them away? Did I miss anything?
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