Too...much....STUFF!!!!

[KSUViolet06]

My church put me in contact with a local homeless shelter for women and kids. There are tons of women and kids of all ages staying there who don't have anything.

So any clothing that I cannot fit, haven't worn in a year (not counting stuff that's out of season), or just dont want anymore goes there. They also run a program that helps women to prepare for job interviews and get jobs. They provide the women with interview clothes. So I donate all of my old suits that I cannot fit anymore.

The shelter also helps the women find housing arrangements if they have nowhere to live. So they take household items as well, to give to the women who end up getting apartments but do not have furniture or other housewares. I've given away towels, old sheets, books, useless funiture, etc to the shelter to be used in some woman's new apt.

[ZTABullwinkle]

Thanks RaggedyAnn and KSUViolet. I will keep both of those things in mind when it comes time to get rid of the excess.

[LucyKKG]

See, it's threads like this that reinforce my belief that GC has the answer to EVERYTHING! I just started thinking about packing because I have to move out really soon (after finals! ugh!) and it's going to be quite a challenge. Maybe I should work on that today...

[ree-Xi]

I have to say that we have sold a lot of things on eBay that we didn't think would. Books and DVDs are hot items online, especially if they are in great condition. We have been able to sell a lot of our (HIS) tv series DVD collections, computer books, and CDs.

He also sells older computers and peripheries, mp3 players, cell phones, etc., when he wants to upgrade. We have a deal that if he can make half the amount of money that a new product would cost, it's a deal. Lately, we have been coming out ahead by getting rid of things we don't use anymore.

Ebay does, in fact, rock when you want to get rid of stuff. The alternate is to give stuff to charity, libraries, etc.

[AGDee]

About those space bags...

If you're traveling and you use them, how do you compact them again while you're on the road? Don't you need access to a vacuum?

[Fleur de Lis]

Be sure to check out IKEA as well. They have some really out "of the box" ideas for space saving. We have a pot-lid organizer that hangs on the wall. People go crazy over it, and it saves trying to stuff it in our already too-full kitchen.

[DaemonSeid]

Ebay and craigslist

[gpb1874]

i love the space bags for off season clothes and extra bedding, but they never stay completely vacuumed/small. They always start to get air in them after a couple weeks. anyone else have the same problem or am i just stupid and don't use them right (i'm not sure how that could happen since they are so simple....but i am blonde!)?

[APhi Sailorgirl]

Originally Posted by AGDee

About those space bags...

If you're traveling and you use them, how do you compact them again while you're on the road? Don't you need access to a vacuum?

They have travel space bags that work by rolling the air out. So you fill them about 2/3 full (there's a fill line), then seal like a ziploc bag, then you roll from the top and the air goes out the bottom.

The work pretty decently for a couple trips, especially long trips. I have had the problem of them only lasting a trip or two though. The coleman ones my mom gave me have lasted a lot longer.

[Army Wife'79]

Moving every 2 years can be dicey. Our Army quarters have been from 1,000 sq ft all the way up to over 4,000 sq ft so we have to be able to fit all our "junk" in either size. One trick I love (and is dirt cheap) is to buy a cheapo outdoor trash can (no wheels) and buy a 3 legged "designer" table with round circle top (about $7). Now, throw the 3 legs away and put the round wood circle top on top of the trash can. Cover with a pretty 70" round tablecloth and you have a big trash can (clean) for your out of season clothes, down parkas, bedding, etc.
In your dining room make a "buffet" out of plywood and use 2 file cabinets or whatever to hold the plywood. Put a pretty tablecloth on top (floor length). Store Rubbermaid huge bins underneath. It gives you a great place to serve from at a buffet dinner and when you need stuff, just lift up the cloth. I've done this for "low priority items" that I didn't want taking up valuable storage space.

[Senusret I]

^^^ I like those ideas!

[EE-BO]

[QUOTE=DaemonSeid]Ebay[QUOTE]

Oh yeah! EBay is great. That is the first place I go to sell surplus stuff that is worth some money.

As for new storage-I got a new bed in November and this time made sure the frame was a few inches taller than my last one. It is amazing how many boxes fit under a bed if you have enough clearance. Huge difference.

Also, when I got some new living room furniture at that time, I made sure all coffee tables had a shelf underneat or a good sized drawer drawer. Even the dining room table I bought has a big shallow drawer which can hold lots of stuff. That also can make a big difference.

I have thought about temperature controlled storage in the past- but a small unit around here runs $80 or so. Does not seem bad until you realize that is almost $1,000 a year to store stuff you are seldom going to look at.