Last week we talked about organizing all of those new Christmas gifts. I told you about how hard it used to be for me to put all of the new gifts away until I developed a system to make it easier. When you are making room for the new items, it is a great time to get rid of unused items or replaced items. I love this part of putting all of the Christmas gifts away. I think it feels great and I love anything that helps declutter my house.

When I was younger I really believed that a bit of clutter didn’t bother me. I don’t know if it is because I am older or because my kids are older or what the change is but now clutter really bothers me. As I begin to put away all of the new gifts from Christmas I see the potential for adding to clutter. To keep from adding to the clutter I take a few minutes and get rid of unused items. This makes room for new gift items and may even free up some extra space. It doesn’t take very long to get rid of unused items if you have a system and a plan. I have a few tips that help me when I get rid of unused items and reduce the clutter around my house.

Collect
Sometimes it is easier to have a location where you temporarily place when you begin to get rid of unused items. This is a lot like a central holding area where you gather the unused items in preparation to sort them and get rid of them. Sometimes you have enough time to remove something from its place but not get it 100% ready to go. I have a Rubbermaid tote in the garage that I use for this purpose. Anything that helps me get rid of unused items and declutter is a bonus, so this small step is a good one.

Sell
Online yard sales and physical yard sales are a great way to get rid of unused items. If I have an item that is in good condition and of decent value, I try to sell it. It is always nice to get a little bit of money when I am trying to get rid of unused items.

Donate
Sometimes I have items in good condition that I just don’t want to sell for some reason or another. I donate these items. There are lots of different ways to donate items. You might be surprised. We’ll talk about that in a blog later this week.

Repurpose
This is a fun way to get rid of unused items. Sometimes an unused item can be used in a new way which can save you money. Repurposing an item can be a great way to get rid of unused items while helping you save money by not needing to buy something new.

Recycle
If you can’t sell something, donate or repurpose it, can you recycle it? When you start to get rid of unused items and have to dispose of something, try to recycle it. I always feel a bit better about getting rid of something if I can recycle it.

Throw Away
The last resort when you are trying to get rid of unused items is to throw them away. I usually hate to throw things away but if I have gone through all of the other options, I do it. It is better to throw unused items away than to keep the clutter in your house.

Do you have more ideas to help get rid of unused items? Let us know, we love to hear from you!