Unclaimed Money

We lived in our last house about four years. It had a large basement and lots of storage space. When it came time to move, I could hardly believe the amount of stuff that had accumulated in those storage areas. We had to downsize before moving because the distance of our move would not allow for multiple trips, and because the new house did not have nearly the storage space. The move happened fast. There was no time to sell things. We needed to declutter quickly so Goodwill and Freecycle were the recipients  of our excessive stuff.

We moved two years ago, and I am amazed at the amount of things that have accumulated in that time. It seems every cupboard and closet is stuffed to overflowing. It is time to declutter again.

Having too much stuff can cost you money. When storage areas are packed they tend to be disorganized. You can’t remember what is in there, or see what is in there for that matter. Have you ever cleaned out a closet and found a pair of shoes you’d forgotten about or a printer cartridge  you didn’t know you had? Have you ever found an item just after purchasing something similar? It has happened to me!

When there is less stuff you can organize your storage spaces. Then when you need something it is easy to look into the cupboard to see if you already have it, saving you from running out to the store to buy something you already have.

Decluttering can also make you money. Don’t let stuff just sit in your home and collect dust. If you aren’t using it, why do you need to keep it? Have books you haven’t read in years? Sell them on half.com or Amazon. Clothing that just doesn’t fit anymore? Baby items you don’t need? Take them to your local consignment store.  Sell those items or just about anything else using Craigslist, eBay or your local newspaper classifieds. You could also have a garage sale, but I think the return for your time is better using the other methods mentioned.

Decluttering is a constant process in this house. Decluttering helps you to stay organized. Staying organized saves you money. By selling unused, unwanted items, decluttering can also make some money for you.

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 6th, 2007 at 4:46 am and is filed under money. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.