Provident Mom

The weather is warming up and for some reason this makes people want to clean. You want to open the windows and aerate the house. The dust becomes unsettled, so you start cleaning, which makes you realize how much junk has accumulated in your house over the winter. And before you know it you have a garbage bag or two of stuff that you don’t want but is still useful (to someone). You could cart it off to Goodwill or some other thrift store. As a thrift store shopper, I recommend this. But a possibly even more provident thing to do is to give it to a neighbor or friend who could use it.
Why is this more provident? It saves time and money, for one thing. A few years ago we lived next door to a great family who had kids older than ours. When they went through their closets, they sent all the discards to our house. We took what we wanted and then passed on the rest. They could have sent their stuff to the thrift store, but then I would have had to go to the thrift store and sort through heaps of clothing and then actually use money to purchase it.

Now we’ve outgrown a lot of things and I recently had several bags full of clothes we didn’t need any more. It gave me great satisfaction to give them to a friend with a baby who could use it all. This kind of sharing builds a sense of community and saves a lot of people a lot of money.

If you belong to an organization such as a church or school group or neighborhood HOA, consider having a “free” garage sale. Everyone brings their unwanted items and then takes what they want or need. I’ve participated in a couple of these trades, and they’ve always turned out well. Whatever is left when it’s all over can be donated to Goodwill.

Getting rid of the clutter in your house will make you feel lighter on your feet. Your house will be easier to clean and organize, and you might just have a little more square footage when you’re done.