Tag: how to get rid of junk

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Professional-Organizer

When is it Junk?

If you’re reading this it’s likely you are considering whether something you own is junk or worth keeping. Here’s an opportunity to figure it out:

When is it Junk?

When is it JUNK?

It’s JUNK if:

  • It’s moldy, mildew, stinky and growing spores
  • It’s broken or obsolete (and fixing it doesn’t make sense or is too costly)
  • You’ve outgrown it (physically or emotionally)
  • You’ve always hated it anyway
  • It’s the wrong color, wrong size, wrong style
  • Using it takes more time than its worth
  • You won’t really care if you ever see it again
  • It generates anger, bad memories or bad feelings
  • You have to clean it, store it, and insure it (but you don’t use it)
  • Storing it somewhere else would cost more than its worth
  • It will horrify, bore or burden your kids or the generation to come

If you can truthfully agree to one or more of these, it’s most likely junk. Do yourself, the people you live with, friends who visit and posterity a favor…get rid of it! It’s robbing you (and probably several other people) of space and mental clarity.

It’s not JUNK if:

  • It helps you make a living
  • It will do something you need done
  • It generates happiness, good memories and good feelings
  • It has high or significant cash value
  • It gives you more than it takes
  • It will enrich or delight your kids or the coming generation

If you can agree to several of the above without hesitation, it’s most likely good stuff. Enjoy, appreciate, take care of, and be sure to use it. You don’t need to re-assess its JUNKi-ness until next year.

Resources for consigning, selling, trading, donating and recycling your unwanted furniture, clothing, housewares and more can be found HERE.

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Isabella Guajardo, a.k.a. Girl With A Truck™, is a professional home organizer and a member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Profressionals (NAPO). She travels in her truck to work with clients throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area while sharing simple and creative ways to stay organized while reducing, recycling and re-purposing. 

Call (510) 229-7321 to schedule a complimentary telephone assessment.

Categories
Professional-Organizer

My Resale Therapy

I cannot deny I like to shop for clothes. I want to look stylish and feel good, not raggedy and unpleasant. But instead of retail therapy, I prefer resale therapy. Rarely do I buy something new when there are so many hidden treasures out there to be discovered. Like animal instinct, for me it’s not the kill, but the thrill of the chase.

There are plenty of good deals to be found at thrift stores and consignment shops, yard and estate sales. It makes for fun and guilt-less shopping. No remorse here when I only paid a few bucks for my latest find. I am being green and doing something that feels good when giving my money to a non-profit with a cause, family, or small business owner.

I also get a brand-new-to-me wardrobe selection of unique contemporary and vintage treasures. The scary part is I have to let go of clothing in my closet to make room for my finds. Eek! How do I decide what to let go of?

I let go of a piece of clothing when:

  1. I have worn it to the point that it is fading, pilling, stained, stretching, or tearing
  2. I have not worn it for an entire year
  3. It is no longer my color, size, or style

Having just done a quarterly purge that I dropped off at Goodwill, I have empty hangers that I am allowing myself to refill with some new-to-me clothing. I want YOU to decide what works on me, and what does not.

Is it a FIT, or is it For Someone Else?

Bella_thrift_store_finds_01
Green plaid zip vest by Cabi                  Dreamy blue sweater by Hillard & Hanson         Sassy grey tank blouse by Talbots

Please leave your feedback in the comments section below. Thanks for participating!

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READ MORE BELLA ORGANIZING TIPS, IDEAS & TRAVELS HERE.

Isabella Guajardo, also known as Girl With A Truck™, is a professional home organizer and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). Living in Oakland and Monterey, she travels in her truck to work with clients throughout the SF Bay Area, East Bay, South Bay, Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz and Monterey Peninsula. She shares simple and creative ways to stay organized and stylish while reducing, recycling and re-purposing. Join Bella Organizing on Facebook. Gift certificates are available.

Call (510) 229-7321 to schedule a complimentary telephone consultation.