When decluttering, this question will inevitably come to your mind. You see these items in a pile and you know you collectively spent $200+ on it. There’s that pair of shoes you bought your daughter for $20 that she wore one time. How do you just donate a brand new pair of shoes? Should I try to sell them? Should I have a garage sale?
The answer to these questions completely depends on the situation. Everyone is different, and different times call for different actions. Here are some things to think through:
- Should you have a garage sale? How likely are you to have a garage sale? Do you enjoy having garage sales? Could the sale happen next month or in the next 2 months? If the answer is “no”, to one of these questions, a garage sale might not be the best option.
- Should you sell your items on FB marketplace? Are these items worth your time posting and keeping up with messages? (We all have FB Marketplace horror stories. Eek.) Are you prepared to hold on to this pile for longer while waiting for things to sell? If the answer is “no” to one these, FB Marketplace might not be the best option.
- Should you donate? Are you motivated to just be done with the pile? Are the individual items worth less than $10? If the answer is “yes” to one of these, donating is probably your best bet.
The key is to BE REALISTIC. You know yourself and your tendencies. Yes, it can be hard thinking back on “all the money you spent” and you might feel wasteful, or you may have some regret. But the truth is, the money has already been spent. You probably can’t get back the amount you spent if you were to sell. And now these items are getting in the way of what you want your home to be: decluttered and organized. To make the quickest change, donating is the way to go. I try to support our local thrift store as often as possible. It’s helping me quickly get rid of unwanted items, and helping them provide affordable products to their customers. I try to think about how excited someone might be to find that brand new pair of shoes in a thrift store for $5.
That being said, I LOVE a good garage sale. I like going to them and I like hosting them. If you are a go-getter and can make it happen quickly, go for it! You can make a little extra cash and declutter in the process. I also like FB marketplace. My rule of thumb when selling on Marketplace is if an item is worth $10 or more, and if I have a designated place for it until it sells, I consider selling. If for some reason it’s not selling after a while, it gets donated.
I hope this gives you some practical questions to ask yourself when decluttering! The more you do it, the easier it becomes. Happy decluttering!
