Why is it Cool to Be a Minimalist
- Decluttering your life is making room for newer and better things and vibes
- Minimalism encourages simplicity in all aspects of life
- Minimalism is not just a lifestyle choice but also a philosophy and spiritual practice that brings peace
- By consuming less and making more mindful purchasing decisions, minimalists reduce the environmental footprint on our globe
- By simplifying your life and eliminating unnecessary possessions, you will free up time for activities and items that bring you joy and fulfillment
- Minimalism encourages mindfulness and intentionality in all aspects of life
- With fewer distractions and possessions, minimalists can focus more
- Minimalism promotes intentional spending and living within one’s means
- Decluttering encourages gratitude for what you have
If all these reasons above haven’t convinced you, then you should check in with yourself to understand why you are hoarding possessions. Check it before you wreck it!
Out with the Old, in with the New!
Whether it is a garage sale, online sale, recycling, or donations, no matter how you want to do it, the more clutter you remove now the better off you will be!
Pro tip: Have 3 boxes on hand at all times: “Keep, Sell, and Give Away”. After filling up the “keep” box try to give it a second glance to see if you really do need everything inside.
Facebook / Online Sales of Items
Listing your bulky and electrical items as well as excess clothing or shoes can bring in an additional stream of income as well as contribute to your minimalism efforts. The Facebook marketplace tool works surprisingly well for sales of items in your area as does a classic garage sale.
Second Hand Clothing Donations
There are many organizations such as Goodwill that would love your clothes. As well, there are many second hand stores popping up across the country where you can get cash or store credit for your pre-loved items.
Not only does contributing to secondhand clothing stores help lessen pollution and our overfilled landfills, it also saves valuable resources from going to producing more clothing.
There are many wonderful reasons to donate or sell off your old items. The closet is usually one of the spaces we clutter the most but use the least. As a general rule if you haven’t worn an item in over a year, you won’t miss it if you toss it!
Garage Sale Top Tips
- Plan to do a neighborhood garage sale if your neighbors are keen for the idea to bring in more potential buyers. Sometimes the neighborhood association puts on these events. Try and talk to the local leaders to see if you can get a date on the calendar. They tend to advertise the sale, saving you time and effort.
- Set a date and time that makes sense and will bring in the most amount of passersby. Double check your event time doesn’t collide with any other big events in the area such as sports events or parades.
- Take a tally of the inventory of your whole home and understand what won’t make sense to bring to the new place before planning out your sale. Inventory is a key step that can be done by going room to room and tallying the number of items you own.
- Advertise the hell out of your garage sale to get as many people in the door as possible to get rid of as much as you can while making a profit. Some people like to put ads in the local paper or in the school email alerts, but whatever you do, don’t just rely on signage or you will likely be wasting your day.
- Plan what you want to do with the items left over. A free box could help keep buyers happy they came. Not everything is bound to be sold, so plan your donation ideas ahead of time. It could be a short drive and drop off to Goodwill or maybe a connection with a local church that is planning a big sale.
Digitize to Prioritize!
There’s nothing better than getting rid of a clump of old yet important documents. Instead of being terrified that that license from 5 years ago will one day be needed, scan it at high quality and know you are good to go! Make sure any deeds or original documents like passports are still kept on hand.
This tip works as well with old photos laying around. You are not likely to open up a huge plastic tub to look through your photos, but are likely to look through them digitally. This keeps them safer as well knowing they are on the cloud and no liquids or lights can damage those precious memories.
Wrapping things up and throwing them away
To summarize, the more of a minimalist you can become prior to your move will have you thanking yourself later. Moving isa great time to sort through old items and make way for new things to come.
You can reduce your clutter by planning a garage sale, Facebook Marketplace sales, selling clothes at local second hand stores, or just give things away at GoodWill. No matter what avenue you choose, the point is to declutter.
FAQs
Should I sell my personal clothes at my garage sale?
Yes of course! Bring out those old pieces and put them on an organized rack! Hopefully someone your size will wander in! You can always drop them off afterwards at a second hand store, or give them away, but at your sale you have the right to ask whatever price you feel.
How can I know if a mover I chose is a scammer or cheater?
If any company you are considering asked you to pay the entire amount up front or pay a huge down payment, this is a really bad sign of a scammer. You shouldn’t pay more than 10% to a mover that has yet to do the job.
While down payments are common, a huge amount of funds should not be spent on this. As well you should check your mover has a DOT registration number and no recent bad accident records or claims. MovingAPT helps you avoid this mess.
If I invite my neighbors to also have a garage sale isn’t that just competition for my sale?
Not at all! The more the merrier! You are all bound to have different items at home and therefore the more sellers you have in one area, the more people are likely to come by.
It’s enough that every home in the cul-de-sac advertises to their personal friends and family, and that might already bring through more traffic than you had planned. The more sales, the more chances you have of making a profit.
How many hours should a garage sale last?
Usually around 8 hours, but it’s up to you, but usual hours on a Saturday are around 9am to 7pm. You don’t have to sit there the whole time of course, but ensure you have your kids or friends ready to step in when you need food and bathroom breaks throughout the day. Make it a fun day!
