Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/475927
Get rid of multiples: Do you really need four DVD players since you watch most of your movies through your Xbox or laptop? Probably not. Do you really need five saucepans that are almost the same size when you only have four burners on the stove anyway? Nah. Get rid of the thinGs you don't/ won't use: If you haven't fit into it since high school and it has been 17 years, chances are it won't fit you in the next 17 years. If you received a frame as a gift but think it's hideous, get rid of it. If you have that bowl that you like to keep pretzels in but just for Easter, it's probably not worth storing all year (since half the time you forget to get it out of the back of the closet anyway). Get over it: This is the hardest part. I am not saying to get rid of everything that is sentimental to you but come on… what are you going to do with a movie ticket stub from 2003? Or every piece of classwork your child has ever brought home? Keep the important stuff — it makes what you do keep more special. sell the junk: Reward yourself with some extra dough from all your junk that other people can find places for. Hold a yard sale or sell it on one of the many social media sites (be safe though). Once it's out of your house don't bring it back in. If you had a yard sale, load up whatever doesn't sell and take it to The Goodwill or a thrift store that day. Try to regularly monitor Facebook so that you can answer questions in a timely manner. It's no fun when you found your dream item and have to wait three days for the person to answer how tall it is. Take good pictures. If it's all dusty, wipe it down. Don't include the dirty pair of socks on the floor in your pictures. Put all the information you can in one line. Don't write a 1,000 word essay — just get all the relevant details in. If Aunt June's chair has a broken leg, disclose that before someone comes to buy it. Once it sells…please, please take the picture down! No one wants to see the stuff that sold last month. Read the rules of the group. Different groups have different rules. Nothing good happens when you don't follow the rules. Believe me… someone will call you out on it. For safety reasons, pick a public place to meet the person. Unfortunately, there are creeps everywhere. You can sell items big and small. Sometimes one person's junk is another person's treasure. Be flexible with pick-up, but not too flexible. Find the common ground. Don't spend all your profits driving across town to sell your $3 toaster. Try more than one group. You could reach another whole group of people that are dying to get your junk. Don't' be sneaky and sell your item to someone who private messaged you after someone else has already shown interest. People get crazy… especially if it's a good deal. Play fairly — karma always catches up to you. One popular site in town is Yucaipa Buy Sell Trade 2.0. Tips for Selling Your Stuff on Facebook Spring Cleaning By Stacey Parr 6 OUR YUCAIPA | MARCH 2015 don't buy more: Don't buy things you don't need. Just because it's cute doesn't mean you need it. If you don't have a planned spot for it, you can probably live without it. The less clutter you have, the less tidying you have to do, and the more time you have to do fun stuff. don't start too many projects: This is my downfall. I blame it on Pinterest. I have purchased or found so many projects to do. I have stuff to refinish furniture, scrapbook, kitchen crafts, make frames, wreaths, kids crafts… I could go on forever. If we ever got snowed in (don't think it will happen in Yucaipa but if it does) we would never get bored. I have had to use self control and tell myself "No more buying this stuff until I at least get a few of my projects done I already have." This is a work in progress. have a set donate spot: Have a bin (or an extra bathtub with curtain as I have) that you keep all the stuff to donate in. On a daily basis if there is something that you decide you don't want put it in the bin. On a monthly basis take whatever you have to the donation center of your choice. This will help you stay on top of things. just because it cost a lot of money doesn't mean you should keep it: Simply admit it was a bad purchase and pass it on to someone that will use it. Storing it for eternity won't get your money back.