Have you ever taken a quick look around your room and realized that you’ve got waaay more stuff than you need or intend to use?

There are a hundred reasons why we end up keeping more than we have room for. If you’re the sentimental type like me, you are very likely to hold on to things for the memories they carry. Or, if you’re a certified shopaholic and online sale abanger, you’ll probably end up with a lot more items than you can actually use. You may also be the practical type—one who keeps clothes and books and a lot of other thingamabobs thinking that you or someone you know may have use for them in the future. Which is nice, really, as long as they don’t end up untouched in boxes for years.

The thing is, the years will always bring with them new memories you’d want to hold on to, new stuff you’d want to have, or new things you’d find useful. So, your pile will just keep growing and growing—that is, unless you decide to do something. Not easy. Believe me. I know. But letting go of what you have gives you the chance to hold on to something better, right?

Don’t worry, though. You don’t need to feel bad because letting go doesn’t always mean throwing things out! (And no, seriously, if you love the planet, don’t go around throwing out things that are still in great condition.) There are ways to declutter while also giving chances for your pre-loved possessions to make someone else happy. Let go and let other people gain new memories and find better use of the things that once “sparked joy” in you. Here are some ways!

Garage Sales

One option is to turn your trash into treasure! I don’t mean to sell your literal trash. Nobody would buy those, friend. But if you have old stuff that looks good as new or is still in pretty good condition, you can earn a little bit of extra income out if it.

If you have the space and you don’t mind people stopping by your yard to look through your on-sale items, you can put up a good ol’ garage sale. If you’ve never tried selling things before, though, this could be a little daunting. But here are some points to consider to make sure that your garage sale takes off:

1. Advertise in advance. Use social media, print ads, post signs.

2. Choose items that sell. Include timeless treasures like classic books and video games. Some people also scout yard sales for unique finds, so selling pieces of artwork and antiques is also a good idea. Aside from these, cheap and useful items like exercise equipment and appliances will also surely bring in customers–this is your chance to get rid of that third blender you won via Christmas Party raffle!

3. Keep an inventory to make sure you track all items. Include the number of items, your pricing range, and a short description if necessary.

4. Price them right. If you price your items based on how much you love or hate them, chances are you’ll value them too high or too low. Some sources advice pricing pre-loved items at 30% the original price. It depends on what you’re selling, though. Rare items like antique toys or furniture would probably still sell high. You may want to compare prices online for these things. Some also advice pricing slightly higher than your intended minimum price in case some customers haggle.

5. Make your selling space attractive. Make sure your items are easy to see. Group similar items together. Use boxes or fishbowls for small items like jewelry. Hang clothes properly, and avoid lumping them all together in one box. Arrange your items to make them look like they’re being sold in a real store. If you want to be a little “extra”, go ahead and hang balloons and other colorful decors to attract people’s attention! To complete the effect, you can even play some background music over speakers–or, if you’re in for some good fun, you can play that almost hypnotic “Pasok mga suki” chant that will get customers browsing through your goods before they even realize what they’re doing.

Physical garage sales are not for everyone, though. If you don’t have the space or the “social energy” for one, you can still sell your  goods through these online platforms. Perhaps the most accessible is Facebook’s Marketplace, since it won’t require you to sign in to another platform if you have FB to begin with. But other popular options also include Carousell PH and eBay PH. If you want a website outside of FB with high traffic though, you may also try posting your items on Shopee.

Donate

Another classic way to declutter is by gathering your stuff for donation. There’s nothing better than knowing that the things that once served you well (or maybe just sat in your closet for months after being used once) can now be useful to someone who needs it more.

A popular organization for donations is Segunda Mana, which accepts clothes, shoes, and other accessories for reselling in Charity Outlets. But did you know that you can also bring your old clothes to Uniqlo?

As for old toys and children’s books, you may give them to orgs for children like the Philippine Toy Library and Kids for Kids Philippines.

But aside from the usual old clothes, books, and toys, you can also send in your slightly used cosmetics, old newspapers, rugs, and plastic bags, and even your furniture and unused building materials.

Give them away

Aside from donating your pre-loved goodies, you may also consider giving them directly to your friends or family. This applies especially to items that aren’t really fit for donation, such as school/office supplies and other tiny things that just clutter your desk.

You can simply ask around if anyone wants/needs your extra tumblers, mugs, or sticky notes (you know you can buy too many of these). You can also put these trinkets in a “free for all” box where anyone can just go take anything they want. ‘Cuz really, who doesn’t love freebies?

Get Crafty

If you’re the type who wants to save room space (and the environment!) the artsy way, you may want to try recycling your excess stuff. There’s nothing more fulfilling than taking your once-favorite things and breathing new life into them. Besides, who doesn’t enjoy a trip to the craft store?

Crafting is best for things that can no longer be sold or donated, like damaged clothes, piles of paper, plastic bottles, and other miscellaneous junk. You can even turn it into a fun activity day with your kids or pamangkins!

If you don’t often meddle with crafty things, you may be scared to try it, thinking you will need a lot of fancy tools. But even normal scissors and glue gun can already go a long way. Though, if you want to turn crafting into a hobby, or even a business, it would be best to invest in good quality tools. You can check this out for a list of good crafting tools to have in your arsenal.

There you go. Now, don’t wait another week or another month to start decluttering! What better time is there than the beginning of the new year—and the new decade? Go forth and clear out the rubble for a clearer and brighter future. Happy 2020! 😉