Garage Sale Purge

I'm not a fan of garage sales. There is a significant time investment with the chance of a small return. We had a neighborhood garage sale last weekend. I hadn't planned to participate. My children thought it would be great fun. They found several toys they could agree to sell, so I consented.

I needed to find some items I could get rid of. I checked closets, drawers, the attic & basement asking these questions:

• When did I last use this?
  
• Do I love it?
  
• How many of these do I have and how many do I need?
  
• Is the item in good condition? (I even threw out a few items that were worn.)

I came up with several items I could add to the sale. It wasn't a huge sale. We didn't make much money. Anything that didn't sell, I loaded up and dropped at a donation station. If I'd decided I didn't need these items anymore, there was no point taking them back into my home. I gained storage space, which made all the time worth it!

Does this mean I'll have more garage sales? No. I don't enjoy it. I will look at the belongings I'm storing with a more critical eye and donate those I don't love and use regularly. Purging belongings by deciding if they had more value in my home or in a garage sale worked well. In fact, yesterday I noticed some cookie cutters that I haven't used since last summer. Time to move those to my donation bin and make more room for the items I do use.

What helps you to purge no longer used items from your home?

From Chaotic Storage to Peaceful Retreat

I've seen many homes where the extra bedroom becomes the "catch-all" room. At first, belongings are neatly stacked along the walls; slowly the piles take over until no one knows what goes where or even what they have stored in the room. Finding an item stored in the room becomes an adventure, usually not an enjoyable one!

This owner had goals. She wanted this room to become a peaceful getaway where she could write and meditate. She was motivated. She was willing to donate many items and make room in the attic and storage shed for other items in order to get the space she dreamed of.

She has a writing space with convenient storage for her writing materials. The closet is neatly organized, so she has access to items in storage. Containers are labeled. Shelves are labeled, so she knows exactly where items belong. She has her sanctuary!

No More Late Fees

According to a Harris Interactive Poll, 23% of adults say they pay bills late (and thus incur fees) because they lose them. Now, more than ever, eliminating those late fees is a must. Paying bills on time not only saves money, it improves your credit score.

Developing a routine for dealing with mail and paying bills is a great way to prevent late fees.

As soon as you get the mail, sort into:

• Recycle - put in recycling immediately.


• Shred - paper with identifying information should be shredded. If it's not convenient to shred immediately, put in a "To Shred" file or container.


• To Read (for leisure) - store near your favorite relaxing & reading spot. Once the items have been read, recycle or pass them along to someone else.


• To File - file immediately or put in a "To File" file and deal with on a weekly basis.


• To Pay/Action Items - place mail that needs attention in a "To Pay/Action" file or basket.

Set a specific day and time to take care of To Pay/Action Items. (For example, every Friday at 5:00 PM.) Allow enough time to complete this task - at least one hour.

• Attend to items in the To Pay/Action Items: pay bills, make phone calls, balance the checkbook, etc., taking care of all the items in this file.


• File items from the "To File".


• Shred mail that has accumulated in the shred container.

Developing a system for handling mail and specifically bills, will prevent late payments, eliminating the late fees and keeping more money in your pocket! What will you do with the money you save?