tossing

We have about 2 weeks to finish working on this and since I like to wait until the last minute to do everything, I am now really busy. So of course this is also the time my husband ordered a big garbage bin be delivered to our house for the remains of a fence and whatever else I want to toss in there. Oh how tempting! I don't even have a lot of stuff I need to toss but the fact that I CAN toss it makes me want to just run through my house grabbing stuff to dump in the bin.
I know all the shows tell you to make piles to separate the donations from what you are really tossing but have you tried to donate anything lately? Pretty much the only thing donation centers will take are Lucky Jeans NEW WITH TAG,  dishes still in the box, and unopened video games. You also won't get a tax deductible receipt for these items anymore. Nobody wants anything they can't resell on ebay. Donating stuff is just too damn much work. Unless a friend wants it, it's easier to toss all your stuff in the bin you are paying for and hope the Recycle Fairy at the other end sorts through your stuff and sends your old stretched out clothes to Mexico. Who really has time to drive around with 6 bags of crap in their trunk trying to find a place that will take it? That can't be good for the environment and it ends up costing money in gas and multiple trips to Starbucks. So yeah, I am tossing it all, without guilt.
All this purging feels good.

Comments

[CarrieJ]

I found a friend to take twobags of Katie's old clothes! Now to see how much storage room she really has :)
Have fun purging ... although people in Cali usually purge in a different way ... blech

[V-Grrrl at Compost Studios]

On the East Coast, there's a veteran's organization that does pickups, and Goodwill and the Salvation Army take anything.

I've worked as a volunteer in thrift stores so I know that many people donate crap that belongs in the trash but that they can't bear to throw away. Things that are broken, stained, or just too far past their prime to be of value to someone or to justify the overhead it takes to store or sell them or even give them away.

However, many thrift stores give the worn out, stretched out, far out, wigged out clothes to companies that recycle the fibers or make rags out of them or otherwise repurpose them. If I remember correctly, that only works for natural fibers.

Good luck.

[BellaKarma]

Yep, Southern Californian Salvation Army and Goodwill are extremely picky about what they will pick up (or accept at donation centers) these days! I stopped taking donations to the local assistance league because the volunteers were so ungrateful. I'm back in a working-class 'hood now, so hopefully I will get to know the thrift stores/organizations out here again and find out who will truly appreciate my gently-worn GLO/L.E.I. brand jeans.

Yet, there are times in our lives when we just have to toss our crap in a dumpster, guilt-free! You NEED that feeling of letting it go and getting it outtah sight! TOSS, TOSS, TOSS! =)

[Kathleen]

TOSS away baby....without guilt, just TOSS!!

[Diane]

Goodwill and Salvation Army here in WA State are also very, very picky. We tried to donate a dining room table that was in good condition, but disassembled (so we could move it). They wouldn't take it because it was disassembled - even when we offered to put it together for them. So...landfill.

Clothes are the same way - unless they are absolutely perfect condition and freshly laundered they won't take them.

[Stephanie Wright]

OH MY GOSH! Good luck with the tossing, it is addictive. I am so excited to see more of your project! can't wait, can't wait!

[Ann K.]

Have you heard of Freecycle? It's a national non-profit organization that facilitates giving away your "junk" to other people who might not view it as junk. The philosophy behind the organization is keeping stuff out of landfills. I've had great success and no hassles giving stuff away through Freecycle. www.freecycle.org

[Debbie]

I agree with Ann K. I'm loving Freecycle here in OH. In fact, a woman is coming this evening to pick up some things for her sister who just left an abusive husband & is starting over with her kids & looking forward to a better life. Some stuff just needs to be tossed, I agree...but Freecycle helps people & you know the stuff is going directly to people who need it. Our local group has a Yahoo group for posting needs & what you have available.

[TandJ]

I just jam trash bags filled with clothes and stuff and my local Salvation Army has always taken my donations and given me a receipt.
Am surprised to hear about people having clothes and stuff rejected.

[Karen]

The Out of the Closet thrift store in Long Beach takes anything. There's probably one near you, too. It gives some $$ to AIDs - not sure how and someone said they don't give enough. At least they take the old stuff.