Streamlining

[Magpie]

I need some advice on what to keep and what to toss. My parents were two opposite extremes - my dad has a hard time getting rid of ANYTHING, and my mom is of the opinion that oh well, if it turns out you did need it you can buy a new one. She's a little odd - she seems to think that money is the primary concern about whether or not to get something.

That being said, I don't want to end up like my dad just because I'm trying to avoid being my mom. What are some good guidelines for how long without use before I get rid of something? What about if it was a gift? How about when it's not in good enough shape to donate to the thrift store? (I'd assume at that point that I might as well keep it, but what ought I do with it to encourage myself to wear it?)

[ottid]

If it's clothing that you're talking about, I frequently hear the one year rule, if you haven't worn it for one year it should go. Unfortunately I sound a lot like your dad, so I don't follow this rule...

[nhollywood]

I've heard it said that "nature abhors a vacuum so if you want a new wardrobe (or whatever) then get rid of whatever you either don't use or feel uncertain about and you will always find things you want to fill in the void". I follow that advice and it has worked well for me. As for a time limit, I usually follow the one year time frame. Just my opinion.

[Green_Fairy]

if something doesn't fit, makes you look awful, you don't like it, you haven't worn it in at least one year, donate it. if it's stained, torn, stretched beyond reasoning, or in otherwise bad shape, turn it into a cleaning rag or throw it away.
lol i moved recently and to make it easier, i ended up getting rid of a lot. as soon as i can...i'm going shopping. the thrift store is mah friend!

[Seshat]

Keep things if you know them to be useful, believe them to be beautiful, or find them memorable.

That's the mnemonic.

Useful

For useful things, don't keep things because they might be useful in the future.

As an example: If you go camping every few years, it makes sense to keep camping equipment. If you haven't gone camping in a decade, save one camp lantern and one camp stove in case of severe power outages, and sell the rest of the stuff.

For clothing, I tend to keep enough winter and summer clothing to stay warm (or cool) for that year. Clothes I don't use, I donate to the thrift store if they're in useable condition.
I also keep a couple of 'good' outfits, for special occasions. Those are the only exception to 'if I haven't used it in a year'.

Kitchenware, I keep enough to get me through between dishwashings, and for the baking and other special cooking we do sometimes.

Beautiful

This is ornaments, decor and so forth, that don't have particular memories attached to them. If you don't find them beautiful, send them to a thrift store.
If you have more than you ever put out for display, send them to a thrift store.

Some people keep two or three sets, and switch them around. Others just have one set. But if you never use them, more thrift store material.

Memorable

I keep my wedding dress in a box in an upstairs cupboard. I keep our wedding gifts (which also come under 'useful' and 'beautiful' as special occasion crockery). Photographs fall under memorable. A little urn with the ashes of a pet.

Perhaps a folder of your kid's kindergarten paintings. Clay pots that leak (made by your kids). And so forth.

Even gifts you find ugly, but which you find memorable - that you want to keep.


What goes to charity, and what to rubbish?

If you can repair something to the point where you would use it yourself (if it was your size or style), do that repair and send it to the thrift store.

If not, but it's useful in some other way, use it in the other way. I cut an old shirt up for cleaning cloths today.

If it's not useable at all, send it to landfill.

[taxguykarl]

FWIW, here's the IRS's take on financial and tax-records. Always keep debt-settlement, court papers and immigration-related docs.

For other stuff, here's a value guide for donated items. Be sure to keep each donation under $5000 per organization per day. ALWAYS get a tax receipt. Drop boxes are evil. Rule-of-thumb: If you haven't used (or wore) it in more than a year, you probably don't need it.

Until I bought a house with my wife, I observed this rule: If you can't move it, don't buy or keep it!

[trailerparkmedic]

I move a lot, so my rule is a little funny: Is this worth moving to our next apartment? Sure, this bookcase is really nice looking, but is it worth disassembling, dragging down a flight of stairs and then up another before reassembling it? Do I want to keep my extra heavy textbooks because I spent so much money I'll feel silly throwing it in the dumpster? Is it worth keeping a shot glass collection when I will have to wrap up each one in bubblewrap when we move?

I get rid of most of my stuff through Freecycle, so the determination of whether or not it is worth it is made for me. If I post that something is free to anyone who wants to come get it, and no one responds, it's probably not worth even giving to the thrift store. I would not give away something that I would not use myself (no stained t shirts or broken beyond repair furniture).

[BookstoreEscapee]

I move a lot, so my rule is a little funny: Is this worth moving to our next apartment?

That's actually not a bad way to think about it, even if you're not moving. I've done that...if I were moving, would I want to pack this up and bring it with me? If I don't use it here, and I wouldn't want to bring it with me somewhere else, then why the hell am I keeping it?

[Rapscallion]

If it's not useable at all, send it to landfill.

Psst! Many areas have Freecycle communities to avoid landfill of potentially useful items.

Rapscallion

[Seshat]

That's what 'not useable at all' was for.

However, Raps does bring up a point. If something is broken, and you can't/won't repair it, you can still Freecycle it. Just announce that it's broken, and describe the fault/photograph the fault. Every community has its electricians, plumbers, carpenters, etc who can trivially repair something that is unfixable to a layperson.

But if none of them want it, go ahead and take it to your local landfill/recycling centre. (Ours is a combo - there's a staff member who inspects each load, and says which things should get put aside for their recyclers, and which you just toss into the growing landfill pile.)

[Rapscallion]

What's not useable for one person isn't always not useable for another. I've seen some incredible stuff on there - things I'd never be able to consider doing anything with snapped up.

Rapscallion

[Magpie]

Oh, I'd still take it to the thrift store if it was completely unusable. Just put a big label on the bag saying that it was rags. Although I'm not sure if the "export" clothing is worth anything to them if it's not still wearable at all.

An example: I have a very nice silk top that I've just stopped wearing. It has a little bit of deodorant staining in the arm pits. Still perfectly fine to wear for even a dressy occasion, just can't take it to the thrift store. So that would be a Freecycle thing.

I also have some dress clothes that I'm reluctant to get rid of for a couple of reasons - I may end up needing them, and if I get rid of them I'll probably just buy something new to replace them. I did wear my wedding dress at Easter (only long dress I had that is fit to wear to church, and I wanted to cover my cast), so it's saved from the consignment store for a while. However I have a bridesmaid dress where the bride wanted to be "fun", and got casual dresses. I only ever wear dresses for comfort or to dress up, so I have no use for a sleeveless, shiny, knee-length dress. However, if there was an occasion that I needed something like that, I would have to go buy something otherwise. That and the fact that it was a gift...

Maybe I'll make a "thrift store" pile and then reconsider it in a few months.

[AdminAssistant]

I've been doing swaps with groups of friends - lots of fun! We all trade clothes, books, and stuff, and whatever nobody wants goes to Goodwill.

[trailerparkmedic]

For bridesmaid dresses--there are nonprofits that accept dress donations and then let girls who can't afford a dress borrow it for prom/homecoming/etc.

http://www.donatemydress.org/ will help you find a local organization.

[Magpie]

I know we probably have groups like that in Toronto, if not here, but I have no way of finding out what they are. I donated several dresses from 3 stone ago, but that was via someone who's church was doing a drive. I think that the Canadian groups don't advertise as much because prom is just another dance here, so there's less interest.

Do they generally accept dresses which have already been altered? For some reason straps are always too long on me (and it's not just because I'm a prude ). These straps have been shortened by about 3 cm (yet another reason that I get nervous about donating them - no benefit to donating them if no one will ever wear them).