Trash or Treasure?

Now comes the hard part—decision-making! A good organizing idea is to take four large bins or boxes and label them, “KEEP,” “SELL,” “DONATE” and “GARBAGE.” The next step in getting organized is to now go through your stuff and place each item into one of these categories.

The “KEEP” pile should include items you absolutely need or love. Items in the “SELL” pile are things in great condition that you could sell at a yard sale or on eBay. If you aren’t the yard sale type, put those items in the “DONATE” pile. Add to the “DONATE” pile any items that aren’t worth selling, such as old sweaters or CDs. Lastly, the “GARBAGE” pile should include items that are of no use to you or anyone else. (Note: Be sure to separate out any items that can be recycled).

As a general rule, keep items that you use on a regular basis or that enrich your life in some way— family photos, motivational books, art, etc. Take the time to think about each item; ask yourself why you need it. You can even “practice” getting rid of items by placing them in storage for six months or a year; promise yourself that if you haven’t looked for them or missed them in that time, they’re out!

As you are getting organized from inside out, remind yourself that the average home has 350,000 items in it—a few less won’t hurt!