Clearing with Care

Today's the end of my eighth week at my new job, and I gotta tell ya--I'm kind of sad it's Friday. I feel like I'm finally getting into my groove. Not that I don't appreciate weekends, of course. By the end of the day, I'll be okay with tomorrow being Saturday.

So, the weekend! The time reserved for taking on projects around your home, possibly running out of steam, time, or materials before the weekend is out, and then tripping over your partially-completed project on the way out the door Monday morning, yes? (Maybe that last bit is just people related to me.)

If your clear-out stack looks like this, you
might be spring cleaning on the prairie.
Source: Gary Romin on freeimages.com.

If your heart is yearning for a spring cleaning, and your mind is turning toward the parts of your house that have been untouched and harboring stuff all winter long, and you're ready for a bit clean out... yay! Great idea! But before you strike fear in the hearts of your trash collectors by piling your stuff high on the curb, consider your other options.

Giving: Yes, there are people on this planet who don't do secondhand stuff, and some of them may be offended at the suggestion. (If that's you, please lighten up. You can say "no, thank you" gracefully.) But plenty of folks will gladly take that old lamp off your hands. Consider who you know who can put your old things to a new good use, and offer it to them. Do them and your friendship a favor and clean it up a bit first, though.

Thrifting: So maybe you don't know anyone personally who needs what you don't. If it's still in good enough working order that you would be willing to give it to a friend, take it to a local thrift store. And think out side the Big Thrift Box--small local thrift stores, especially ones that are tied to small charities, can always use your support. Find them first!

Craigslisting: Good luck! Sending you positive vibes that no fights break out in your driveway. (Not that I have any experience with that. This is just what I've heard.)

Freecycling: If you aren't already a member of your local Freecycle group, the signup process may take longer than the weekend. (That depends entirely on your local group, its policy, how busy your mods are, etc.) This is a nice cross between giving and Craigslisting, because you can meet real needs but don't have to have a complete inventory of your acquaintances' current needs in your head. And you pick the person to give the stuff to, instead of random folks coming by.

Does this take a bit more time than just tossing? Yes, of course. But it's also more neighborly, and certainly greener, and helps build up your community (yes, I'm on a community kick lately. Bonus Friday tip: Tell at least one person today how much you appreciate them), all things that are worth an extra half hour or so of effort. Happy weekend!