Where to Discard Unwanted Items

So you want to declutter? You’ve read some great books or read some blogs and now you’re full of ideas and ambition. You’ve even started creating a big pile of things in your basement to get rid of. Now what? How do you physically get all of it out of the house. Where do you take it all? Some items are more difficult to get rid of than others like stuffed animals or those old cans of paint. I'm skipping the obvious solutions like selling on eBay and Craigslist, but aside from those, here is a list of places to send those unwanted items:

Things you think you might want to sell:

• If you have something kind of unique, you might look for dedicated websites specifically for the buying and selling of that item. In my case, I had an old Honda Pacific Coast or PC800 motorcycle. They’re a bit unusual but were one of the most useful motorcycles ever built for commuting. When I wanted to sell it a couple years ago, I received no responses from my Craigslist ad but when I finally posted on a forum specifically for PC800 enthusiasts, someone drove 4 hours from Chicago and bought it.

• Look for a consignment shop nearby that can sell your things for you.

• Another option that I'm not a big fan of is having a yard sale. It might work for you though. If you go this route, I suggest you keep in mind that the goal here is to get rid of things, not to make a fortune. Let things go cheaply.

• The method we have had the most success with lately is a Facebook group dedicated to buying and selling items in our local community. In our case, it's a closed group so that you have to request and get approved for access. Most of the things we've listed here have received a response within a few hours and in some cases it was even someone we know.

Things you want to just give away:

• Donate it to a charity by taking it somewhere like a Salvation Army Thrift Store, Goodwill, Kiwanis, or St. Vincent De-Paul Society. Some of these will even pick up items from your location or may have drop-boxes located in your town. I regularly receive postcards from the Easter Seals when they will have a truck in my area. I then go on-line to schedule a pickup, pack everything in boxes and bags, then put it outside that morning with the postcard taped to one of the boxes. They make it very easy.

• You may have another local resale shop or charity that will take your items especially for some specific things like cars. I once donated a motorcycle to the local Vietnam Veterans of America. We also have a small food pantry in our town that will take some non-food items.

• Donate not only books to your local library, but CDs and DVDs as well.

• See if any of your friends or coworkers can use any of your excess items.

• Some things can be a challenge to get rid of without sending them to a landfill. One of these is stuffed animals. Years ago I stumbled across an organization that will take them called SAFE (Stuffed Animals For Emergencies). They have volunteers throughout the country who collect the stuffed animals and distribute them to fire departments and other emergency service departments. They in turn give them to kids facing emergency situations like a devastating fire. Take a look at their website to find the nearest contact person and see what items they accept. Aside from stuffed animals, many also take books, blankets, and other baby items. A few years ago, I mailed them a large box of stuffed animals. I think almost everyone with kids probably has more stuffed animals in their house than they need.

• Finally, another easy way that I've been able to rid myself of unwanted things is to just place it on the curb in front of my house and put a sign on it that says "FREE". Somehow it always disappears and I assume that whoever took it will either use it, sell it, or recycle it for money that they need more than I do.

I hope at least one or two of these suggestions will help you get rid of the excess you have sitting around your house. I would love to hear other ideas. Good luck and don't forget to subscribe and follow me on Twitter.