You walk into your closet for an outfit...it takes way too long to decide so you wear the same clothes as the day before. You're overwhelmed by the amount of clothes you own. Items on hangers you don't recognize. Clothing distressed in dresser drawers that are buried at the bottom. Shirts and jeans thrown on the floor in piles. You can't take it anymore.
It's time to donate.
For some, this can be a daunting task. For others, this can be deceivingly hard to let-go of personal belongings. Either way, it's a task that you will want to consider every 3-6 months. Why that length of time? Because it ensures whether you wore certain clothing items in the prior season.
Let's say the summer months just passed (May-August). You wore almost all of your bathing suits, cover ups, few tank tops, only a couple shorts, and the list goes on...well let's dissect what should be up for donation.
1. How to Purge?
Take out all the items of clothing you did not wear for the prior season. Lay them out in your bedroom. And let's take a look at what should go and what must stay.
2. Donation Pile vs. Keep Pile
Separate these items into 2 categories: Donate and Keep. Now here's where it gets interesting. Sometimes it's very easy to look at an item and know instantly whether you want to get rid of it. Maybe it's too big, or too small. Maybe there's a tear on the sleeve, or a big discolored spot. So it's an easy call to land in the Donation pile.
But what about those other items that you just don't know if they should be donated or kept? You hardly wear it, but you obviously bought it because you liked it at the time. You think you might wear it but you aren't sure. It's gone through yet another season without any wear. What do you do?
This is my rule of thumb: If it's gone through 2 of the same seasons unworn then it's time to go. If it's a sentimental piece that has value, then it's worth keeping. If you think "maybe I'll wear it next year"...that's a no and it's time for it to go.
3. Sending it Off to The Donation Center
You've gone through all your clothes for that prior season...categorized into a Donate and Keep pile...so now it's time to take it to the donation center! There's many places that take donations. Goodwill, Salvation Army, Village Hope Int, Thrift Shops, etc. Search "donation centers near me" and I'm sure you will have several to choose from relatively close by.
What's great about the donations centers are several reasons: they will do all the heavy lifting of bags out of your car, they have great customer service, and they give you a Tax Return!
I've always found that any donation center has super friendly employees working there. They are so appreciative of you giving away your items, they are efficient, and they also say "Thank you".
Don't forget about grabbing your Tax Return slip after you empty your car! This is great for tax season. When you file your taxes you can write off an amount for that year as a donation contribution. Score!
4. It's Not a Loss, It's a Gain
Sometimes we think of "purging" as a loss. Technically yes, you are losing items in your closet. But in hindsight, you are providing these items to someone else in need. Someone who may not be able to afford their own clothes or someone who has nothing to provide their family for the season.
It's a great feeling knowing that you are giving those items of clothing a second home. It's going to be someone else's favorite shirt. And it was only sitting in your closet collecting dust.
Rather than thinking of it as a loss...it's a gain. You get a tax write off. You are providing someone else clothing. You are decluttering your closet. And you're revamping a fresh and functional space in your home.
Comments