House sold quickly. We are here for a few more weeks and have been doing all of our own packing. Just threw out a large trashbag full of assorted junk. So far this week I have gotten rid of a duvet with cover as well as some small hand weights (not worth moving). A family in need might be interested in some of the furniture we are getting rid of and our buyers might want some other stuff.
10 Likes
You have gotten rid of so much! I picture you and your H moving with one suitcase each and thatâs it!!! 
Great news on the house.
2 Likes
Our younger friends reached out and asked if we had any useful items we wanted to get rid of. Their friends are getting divorced 
and will need duplicate of everything. I quickly collected a box of kitchen stuff.
5 Likes
Yesterdayâs victory was filling our largest suitcases with a smaller suitcase and other assorted collapsible luggage items. Lots more shelf space now in our hall closet.
We do have a needlessly big collection of suitcases, duffle bags, backpacks etc. Most we never use, but I keep them around in case we want to send extra stuff home on plane with son or sister (who will someday visit and go through more of momâs old stuff). Or church for use - a few years ago I sent a rolling duffle bag off with the mission group bringing deflated soccer balls etc to African sister church. However if our local Helping Hands facebook page ever made a luggage request, Iâd gladly share.
Note: If you are packing up a house, eye your old (and current) luggage as box alternatives. Last summer I was helping friends move to an interim place, and the weary husband was trying to decide how to handle their nice down sleeping bags y hung in basement. I looked over at their big empty non-nestable suitcases and said - âsolution!â. (I then added labels on the suitcases because it can be easy to forget decisions made during the stress of packing.).
1 Like
And suitcases are especially good for packing heavy items if they have wheels.
4 Likes
Good point. Same friends had photos stored in rolling suitcase in their storage unit.
2 Likes
I have a bunch of old suitcases I was going to get rid of. I had not thought of using them to pack in the event we move 
Well itâs certainly an option - but at the end of the move you still have to either get rid of them or store them! IMO, a box is easier to break down and dispose of! Now if youâre keeping the suitcases it makes more sense.
1 Like
We have 3-4 half broken suitcases. I wouldnât use them for traveling, but theyâve come in very handy moving kids to/from college and apartments. But once the last one is through, to the curb they go.
Foster children could use suitcases. When they have to move, they are given big trash bags.
2 Likes
I had a small suitcase (carry on size) I was no longer using and it was snapped up on Buy Nothing.
2 Likes
OK today we gave 2 end tables, a coffee table, 2 pieces of artwork, a dresser and a bedside table to a neighbor whose son is looking to move out soon (recent college grad). We sent her pictures and he chose what he wanted. We have another neighbor with a son who might want some other stuff for his place. Our buyers are doing a walk through on Thursday and we are hoping they are willing to but some of the nicer/larger items (i.e. a really nice sectional which is to big for the new place, dining room stuff). Smaller pieces not claimed will be put on Buy Nothing. Larger pieces to be donated (we hope).
Last ditch is 1-800-GotJunk. But we are hoping to avoid that.
6 Likes
Update: buyers are buying our outdoor furniture, heaters,fire pit, etc. H got a flyer from a man who will buy the rest of the furniture we are not taking. Got rid of a comforter, pillow sham and bedskirt set on BN. Charity pickup on Monday. Almost done.
9 Likes
Area Ukrainian churches are collecting items for refugees. I looked at the list of items they wanted and cleaned out a bag of medical supplies/splints/slings from various injuries, a big Ziploc bag of toiletry samples and all the free stuff you get at the dentist, and 2 sleeping bags with tons of life left in them. They were able to send a full shipping container last week and I burst into tears when I saw all of the stuff collected already this week.
I love cleaning out the stuff that is cluttering up my house but my heart is bursting at all of the good that is still in the world, even when it seems so dark. 
9 Likes
Down to the wire. The guys are picking up furniture from our house today - they paid us but will re sell. Thatâs fine with me- itâs easy this way.
I have a few more things going via Buy Nothing and we will drop off a load of stuff at a local thrift shop.
10 Likes
Thank you to everyone who touts the benefits of âBuy Nothingâ groups on Facebook!! Iâm not a big user of the site but I joined my local group. A lovely woman picked up 3 boxes of mason jars yesterday. Apparently, she keeps bees and needed them for her honey. She left me a jar on my porch 
13 Likes
Agree, I recently discovered Buy Nothing, too, many generous people.
3 Likes
Iâm so excited to start unloading stuff in earnest (now that have finished a gigantic, years-long project). First step is to return stuff Iâve purchased and not used, next is FB Market, then planning a yard sale in a few weeks - knowing I wonât get much for items, but if all my neighbors are involved we may get a lot of foot traffic and will ask local veteranâs group to pick up remainer.
Will also make a trip this weekend to animal shelter to drop off old sheets/towels.
Iâve been anticipating this âclean outâ stage for so long but didnât have the time. So fun to read othersâ progress!
5 Likes
Weâve actually never done a yard sale, though Iâve been to many. (When I was on leave after my kids, the neighbor and I used to have a Friday morning garage sale shopping hobby. Got lots of baby clothes etc that way.) It used to be that I figured tax write-off was worth more than weâd earn, though that excuse no longer valid with new tax laws.
@Jolynne_Smyth - Doing something with the neighbors sounds like a fun idea. And itâs great that when done, the unsold items are all gathered and ready to be picked up by charity.
1 Like
I am hoping to put my house on the market in 6 weeks or so. I have been getting rid of some things that I know are an absolute âyesâ in the category of get rid of in some way. Whatâs hard is the other things that I might hang on to depending on what my new housing situation will be. I donated 6 bags of clothing and 5 boxes of books this week. I have recycled lots of paper and continue to add to my shred pile for when I go back to the office next week (this week was spring break). Just threw 2 bags of fabric in the trash. Progress feels good, but I am also aware of how much still needs to leave my house. My mortgage lender that is helping me evaluate buy v. rent has given me the name of a friend of hers who does de-cluttering/organizing/garage sales. I need to reach out to her this week for an objective opinion on if I have enough stuff to make a garage sale worthwhile; i.e. enough to pay for what I would pay her to organize it. I just donât want to throw stuff in the trash knowing it will add to the landfill if it might be of some benefit to someone else.
5 Likes