michelyn8
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Post by michelyn8 on Apr 21, 2014 15:56:41 GMT -5
If you have to much stuff then why buy a shedto store eveven more stuff? She has no shed or garage at all and is now storing the items most would keep in one inside her home contributing to the clutter. She doesn't need the shed to store the "excess" she wants to dispose of, she needs it for tools and such required for maintaining her yard and home. Being able to store some of the excess she wants to keep in the new shed would just be a "bonus". That is one thing that has perplexed me in looking at rental houses. The landlords expect the tenant to do the upkeep on the yard but there is no place to store basic lawn tools or a mower of any kind. Or in some cases, they have a shed/outbuilding they store things in but it can't be used by the tenant
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Rocky Mtn Saver
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Post by Rocky Mtn Saver on Apr 21, 2014 16:05:00 GMT -5
I've heard suggestions to do a written assessment that compares what's important to you vs what you really spend your time doing. First you write down in order of importance and/or enjoyment, the things that you value. Then you track how you spend your hours over the next week or month. Finally you compare the two. If you're not really spending your time on things that you value, you now know where you can begin cutting out to realign your priorities. That's sounds like too much work! Just do what you value. LOL, so is tracking one's spending, but we all around here advise people to suck it up and do it. There's perspective to be found in really tracking what we're using our resources for vs what we think we're using our resources for. Plus, when we get into a rut, we often don't see the big picture and we need some objective help. If it were as easy as 'just do what you value', no one would be in this problem.
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ilovedolphins
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Post by ilovedolphins on Apr 21, 2014 17:21:51 GMT -5
If you have to much stuff then why buy a shedto store eveven more stuff? She has no shed or garage at all and is now storing the items most would keep in one inside her home contributing to the clutter. She doesn't need the shed to store the "excess" she wants to dispose of, she needs it for tools and such required for maintaining her yard and home. Being able to store some of the excess she wants to keep in the new shed would just be a "bonus". That is one thing that has perplexed me in looking at rental houses. The landlords expect the tenant to do the upkeep on the yard but there is no place to store basic lawn tools or a mower of any kind. Or in some cases, they have a shed/outbuilding they store things in but it can't be used by the tenant Thank you. That is exactly my problem. I would like the outside stuff outside and less of the inside stuff.
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Rocky Mtn Saver
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Post by Rocky Mtn Saver on Apr 21, 2014 17:37:02 GMT -5
Then I agree with those who said to just donate and be rid of the extra stuff you want rid of. Don't make your life more complicated than necessary just to avoid losing a few bucks' of value.
I remember you recently getting involved in peer-to-peer lending (which requires regularly monitoring and reinvesting) and also that you make stuff to sell on ebay. Are those necessary things for you to spend time/energy on right now, or could you put things like that on hold for a while? These are the kinds of things you might be able to assess if you seriously consider "Why am I doing this thing?" for everything you spend time/energy doing.
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Iggy aka IG
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Post by Iggy aka IG on Apr 21, 2014 17:37:50 GMT -5
She has no shed or garage at all and is now storing the items most would keep in one inside her home contributing to the clutter. She doesn't need the shed to store the "excess" she wants to dispose of, she needs it for tools and such required for maintaining her yard and home. Being able to store some of the excess she wants to keep in the new shed would just be a "bonus". That is one thing that has perplexed me in looking at rental houses. The landlords expect the tenant to do the upkeep on the yard but there is no place to store basic lawn tools or a mower of any kind. Or in some cases, they have a shed/outbuilding they store things in but it can't be used by the tenant Thank you. That is exactly my problem. I would like the outside stuff outside and less of the inside stuff. dolphins, maybe a smaller, storage type outdoor "closet" with locking capabilities would better suit your needs? DH has been researching sheds for quite some time. To buy an already made shed and have it delivered is expensive. He then looked into building one himself, which is not only also expensive, over a certain size is subject to a building permit.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Apr 21, 2014 17:39:06 GMT -5
Well, my advice is to declutter BEFORE buying new storage.
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cronewitch
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Post by cronewitch on Apr 21, 2014 19:47:32 GMT -5
Try to spend a little money to buy a little time. Stuff has a value at a yard sale but you get a deduction if you donate. Empty space in the home has a value. So I have been trying to be ruthless in disposing of things, I failed but I really tried. So I pick up an item and decide keep/not keep. If not keep give to family/garbage/donate or if of greater value keep for yard sale. When I have a yard sale I don't want to mess with little stuff for a nickel so only keeping stuff worth more than about $100, shoes, clothing, vases, books all that sort of thing into the charity boxes. Charity comes to my porch so I schedule when I have a porch full then try to stack a few more things on top. I really didn't want to deal with a bread maker in a yard sale so all little stuff is going sooner than summer. My living and dining rooms are zero clutter now, not even pictures on walls only about 6 pieces of furniture total. I really like the look of empty.
You can save time on a yard sale by skipping it, get rid of stuff now, less stress, worth a few bucks. Hire some help, send a window washer to your parents or hire them a housekeeper, you can't afford to be a housekeeper in your spare time.
Hire yard help at home and a weekly housekeeper, get family to make dinner, do dishes and other chores. Skip holidays, just say no. We skipped Easter this year, nobody wanted one youngest kid in family turning 15 so no baskets or eggs so no ham and asparagus or strawberry shortcake, maybe we shouldn't have skipped Easter.
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moneyminded
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Life is good and the best is yet to come...
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Post by moneyminded on Apr 21, 2014 20:47:54 GMT -5
Dolphins - Every night before you go home from work, stop by one of your local markets (they discard their cardboard boxes) and pick up all the boxes you can stuff in your car. Go room by room, closet by closet and sort out what you want to keep, want to sell, want to give away. While you are watching television, one night, place all your books on the floor and sort, then box up. The next night go through all your greeting cards, keep the most important ones, then toss the rest. You get the picture. You will have to make a mess to get rid of a mess. Put on some nice music, pour yourself some tea, wine or whatever is your pleasure, and go room by room. Give yourself a couple of months to get this done. Yard sales are easy. Go to the dollar store, get a couple of bright green neon signs and a permanent marker and put up your sale signs. The night before, post on Craigslist. Have a friend go in with you on the sale, it's more fun that way. Like Looney said, get some cold beer. I say, grab a couple of lawn chairs and pick up a sub sandwich on your way home from work the night before for lunch during your sale. Throw your change in a jar as you are decluttering and you'll have plenty for your sale. Once your sale has started, you can chill. I just had one 2 Saturdays ago and had so much left over that I had another one this past Saturday. It was a win-win for me. I got to relax once I started, my house is simpler now, I earned a few bucks and I got to hang out with my friend and laugh all day. For me, the yard sale thing worked. I mean really? Do I need 3 vegetable peelers? 2 sets of dishes? 4 sets of sheets for each bed? Um...no.
After the sale: Books donated to the library. Clothes to the consignment store. Rest of the items went to the local preschool for their annual rummage sale. Easy peasy. If you lived close to me, I would help you. Added note, hopefully you can find some way to get a shed for your outside goods. That alone will make you feel better.
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Ombud
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Post by Ombud on Apr 21, 2014 21:47:41 GMT -5
Why don't you call an auctioneer for good items and goodwill for the tax deduction on the rest? Still takes an afternoon but only an afternoon
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msventoux
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Post by msventoux on Apr 21, 2014 21:52:25 GMT -5
Or take the easy, wasteful way out like I did. Have a dumpster delivered right outside the door and just start tossing crap in it. Be ruthless about what really matters and what you're holding onto out of obligation or that you might need someday (never). Once all the extraneous stuff is gone you can assess what you have and will actually use and come up with the most effective way to manage it. I felt much calmer and in control when I got rid of all of the detritus that had mindlessly collected over the years. Once my environment was under control the other areas of my life started being easier to control.
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Ombud
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Post by Ombud on Apr 21, 2014 22:21:37 GMT -5
Not sure where you are, but if I'm close I'd help
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ilovedolphins
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Post by ilovedolphins on Apr 21, 2014 23:05:44 GMT -5
I am in Colorado.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2014 5:52:21 GMT -5
Or take the easy, wasteful way out like I did. Have a dumpster delivered right outside the door and just start tossing crap in it. Be ruthless about what really matters and what you're holding onto out of obligation or that you might need someday (never). Once all the extraneous stuff is gone you can assess what you have and will actually use and come up with the most effective way to manage it. I felt much calmer and in control when I got rid of all of the detritus that had mindlessly collected over the years. Once my environment was under control the other areas of my life started being easier to control. so you tossed out items that could have been donated and used by someone else? I wouldn't have been able to sleep at night if I did that. I just fill up donation bags and keep them in a closet until I have a good amount and then I call a charity for a pickup (or I've given stuff away if I've found someone in the meantime who can use it).
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Apr 22, 2014 5:57:36 GMT -5
You don't think Goodwill tosses items? They get tons and tons and tons of junk every year. They toss a lot of stuff.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2014 6:15:56 GMT -5
You don't think Goodwill tosses items? They get tons and tons and tons of junk every year. They toss a lot of stuff. did you miss the part where I said usable? I didn't suggest giving junk to charity....but the poster clearly stated she felt wasteful which to me, usually means the items would have had value to someone else.
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NoNamePerson
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Post by NoNamePerson on Apr 22, 2014 7:19:49 GMT -5
Or take the easy, wasteful way out like I did. Have a dumpster delivered right outside the door and just start tossing crap in it. Be ruthless about what really matters and what you're holding onto out of obligation or that you might need someday (never). Once all the extraneous stuff is gone you can assess what you have and will actually use and come up with the most effective way to manage it. I felt much calmer and in control when I got rid of all of the detritus that had mindlessly collected over the years. Once my environment was under control the other areas of my life started being easier to control. so you tossed out items that could have been donated and used by someone else? I wouldn't have been able to sleep at night if I did that. I just fill up donation bags and keep them in a closet until I have a good amount and then I call a charity for a pickup (or I've given stuff away if I've found someone in the meantime who can use it). Keeping stuff in closet would cause me stress. Are you close enough that when you have bagged up stuff to just take it to charity drop box or to the charity itself? There are so many charities here that I can just put in trunk and take to their drop off center and they unload it and give me a receipt. To me hanging on to bagged stuff is sorta defeating the purpose of clearing/cleaning out. JMO I just take baby steps when decluttering. Take a really deep breath and just do what you can at the moment and then dispose/call charity/deliver stuff yourself immediately. Keeping it around would make me think I hadn't made any progress. Again I will ask can your son help? Don't know his age but if he drives can he take stuff to charity centers for you? ETA: stuff isn't useful to anyone bagged up and stored in your closet.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Apr 22, 2014 7:33:11 GMT -5
Why keep it for a big haul? How far away is Goodwill? If it isn't that far, it is much easier to make regular smaller donations.
As for yard sales, selling stuff, etc. I never had any luck with that. I have tried to sell my son's drumset for years with no takers. Heck, I have even tried giving things away. People don't seem to want things that are free even. Last time I tried to give something away, the person wanted me to box it up, transport it and hand deliver to their house. Um, no. If you want it, then YOU can take the time to come and get it. And, if you don't, then fine. I am not playing that game anymore. So stuff goes to Goodwill or gets trashed. I did have basement full of stuff and one of my contractors asked about the pile of stuff in the basement. I told him that he can have the stuff for free but he must come and take ALL of and pick it up himself. He gladly did and his wife has lots of yard sales so that worked out great for both of us.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2014 8:01:33 GMT -5
I went through phases when I got serious about decluttering. The first phase, I got rid of things that I could make instant decisions on. The next phase, I made decisions on things I'd waffled about the first time. Then I got ruthless and let go of things I'd been holding onto for "someday" or that were given to me and I didn't really like. During the last phase, I even let go of books. In the past, I kept all my books, whether I really liked them or not. I had books from when I was a child. Needless to say, my bookcase was overflowing and I had books all over my house and in storage bins. It was a huge deal to get rid of a lot of my books. I didn't sell anything. I either gave it away or threw it away. I made numerous trips to Goodwill with the trunk of my car full of stuff. One time I forgot to stop at Goodwill before I went to the grocery store and didn't have room in my trunk for my groceries. Sometimes there would be several weeks in a row where I had so much stuff on the curb for trash pickup, I wondered what my neighbors thought was going on at my house lol. There was a LOT of stuff packed into my little house and I'm glad it's gone. In the couple of years that have passed since I got serious about decluttering, I haven't missed one thing that I regretted getting rid of. It's nice being surrounded only by things I need and/or really like. It's also easier to keep things neat and clean because everything has a place to go now. I do have some empty spaces at the moment, but I'd rather have the empty spaces until I find the right thing than have a bunch of stuff that gets on my nerves again. I also have learned to say no. I don't want to fill my life with things I'd rather not do. Work just about takes up all the time I'm willing to give to things I don't wanna do. I still do things with and for other people, but unless it's an emergency or it's what I want to do, I don't necessarily jump whenever someone wants me to. At the beginning of each work week, I pretty much have an idea of what I need and want to do that week and when. I look forward to my "me" time and I guard it like it's something precious. Actually, it is precious.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2014 8:09:24 GMT -5
Why keep it for a big haul? How far away is Goodwill? If it isn't that far, it is much easier to make regular smaller donations. As for yard sales, selling stuff, etc. I never had any luck with that. I have tried to sell my son's drumset for years with no takers. Heck, I have even tried giving things away. People don't seem to want things that are free even. Last time I tried to give something away, the person wanted me to box it up, transport it and hand deliver to their house. Um, no. If you want it, then YOU can take the time to come and get it. And, if you don't, then fine. I am not playing that game anymore. So stuff goes to Goodwill or gets trashed. I did have basement full of stuff and one of my contractors asked about the pile of stuff in the basement. I told him that he can have the stuff for free but he must come and take ALL of and pick it up himself. He gladly did and his wife has lots of yard sales so that worked out great for both of us. If I do multiple small donations, then come tax time I have a whole lot of receipts that I need to enter separately. Much easier to only have to enter in a few receipts and value the items in 'It's Deductible'.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Apr 22, 2014 8:17:15 GMT -5
I have this thing called an "envelope" where I keep the receipts. It isn't all that hard.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2014 8:21:31 GMT -5
I have this thing called an "envelope" where I keep the receipts. It isn't all that hard. I prefer to only enter donations a few times for my taxes rather than entering 3 items 50 different times and dates. do you intemize?
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Apr 22, 2014 8:28:44 GMT -5
Unless your charitable deductions exceed $11,400 as a married couple, then you aren't going to take Goodwill deductions anyway. So, yeah, you can take deductions if you aren't taking the standard deduction but if isn't more than that, then there is no point getting a receipt from Goodwill so you don't have to bother with that unless you are going to do that.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Apr 22, 2014 8:33:57 GMT -5
And, the standard deduction for singles is $5700. If you choose to take that, then you can't deduct Goodwill.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2014 8:47:34 GMT -5
Head of Household is something like 9K standard deduction. I think this was the last year I'll be able to itemize. I guess that's a good thing.
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bookkeeper
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Post by bookkeeper on Apr 22, 2014 8:50:26 GMT -5
You don't think Goodwill tosses items? They get tons and tons and tons of junk every year. They toss a lot of stuff. did you miss the part where I said usable? I didn't suggest giving junk to charity....but the poster clearly stated she felt wasteful which to me, usually means the items would have had value to someone else. Usable doesn't always = saleable. Goodwill has to be able to sell the item, if they can't, it gets trashed.
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NoNamePerson
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Post by NoNamePerson on Apr 22, 2014 9:12:26 GMT -5
I know this is going to sound harsh but I see more excuses for NOT getting the stuff out of your house. Multiple receipts vs bags stored in closets, etc. ?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2014 9:20:05 GMT -5
Unless your charitable deductions exceed $11,400 as a married couple, then you aren't going to take Goodwill deductions anyway. So, yeah, you can take deductions if you aren't taking the standard deduction but if isn't more than that, then there is no point getting a receipt from Goodwill so you don't have to bother with that unless you are going to do that. which I do.
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Rocky Mtn Saver
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Post by Rocky Mtn Saver on Apr 22, 2014 9:20:24 GMT -5
Unless your charitable deductions exceed $11,400 as a married couple, then you aren't going to take Goodwill deductions anyway. So, yeah, you can take deductions if you aren't taking the standard deduction but if isn't more than that, then there is no point getting a receipt from Goodwill so you don't have to bother with that unless you are going to do that. For most people, itemizing your deductions encompasses a lot more than just charitable donations. And that's not the right standard deduction amount, for the record. For 2013 it was: www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/Itemizing-vs-Standard-Deduction-Six-Tips-to-Help-You-ChooseSingle $6,100 Married Filing Jointly $12,200 Head of Household $8,950 Married Filing Separately $6,100 Qualifying Widow(er) $12,200
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2014 9:22:05 GMT -5
I know this is going to sound harsh but I see more excuses for NOT getting the stuff out of your house. Multiple receipts vs bags stored in closets, etc. ? seriously? I have no clutter in my house.....my current donations consist of some clothes my kids have outgrown. I've had friends over and they ask me where my 'stuff' is.... I don't need an excuse for not getting stuff out of my house, as there isn't any stuff I NEED to get out.
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Sam_2.0
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Post by Sam_2.0 on Apr 22, 2014 9:22:56 GMT -5
Often just getting started is the hardest part. Take two trash bags and stand in front of your closet. One for trash, one for donate. Close your eyes and reach for something in the closet. Immediately take action on that item - trash, donate, or keep. Then move to the right and keep going until you finish that side. For everything you touch you have to make a decision. If you find yourself just looking and not wanting to touch, close your eyes and grab for something again. Once you get the first few items down it gets easier. Set a timer for 10 minutes and when it is up then you can be done. You will be amazed at what you can get done in 10 minutes!
Once the trash bag of clothes is full, put it in the front seat of your car (so you see it & don't forget about it). The next time you see one of the donation bins in a parking lot stick it in. I see these everywhere around town. Quick, no appointments needed, and it gets the junk out of your house.
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