- Image by Pro-Zak via Flickr
After cleaning out your house, you may notice that you’ve got a lot of stuff in a pile that you no longer need. A decision has to be reached about how to handle the unwanted items. The typical choices are as follows.
1. Throw it all away. The basic thinking here is that since you no longer need the items you’ve managed to aggregate, they should be disposed of in the classic out-of-sight, out-of-mind philosophy. However, in an age of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, outright disposal of items into a trash bin borders on heresy. Unless everything that you’ve accumulated during the emptying of your home is utterly broken beyond repair, it makes much more sense to pass the items along to others. Two ways to do this are encapsulated in numbers 2 and 3.
2. Get some money for your stuff by selling it on consignment. By taking your stuff to a consignment shop, you’ll agree to a percentage commission that will be taken by the actual seller of your stuff. The consignee displays your merchandise in a shop which handles the sales transaction for you when a person interested in your stuff shows up and wants to buy it. By paying a fee, you get whatever you want to sell to be displayed for an agreed upon timeframe.
3. Charity giving. Donating your stuff to those in need has never been easier. Churches collect items for the needy during the holidays. Permanently established, charity based thrift shops supply the needy year round, and require donations to keep their operations going. Often operating as non-profits, they keep prices on the items that they offer for sale lower than can be found most anywhere. This is obviously a great service to the financially strapped.
After considering the options, charity giving looks like the one that could provide the largest benefit to your mind. It’s a pleasing feeling, knowing that you’ve done something to help others out.
