With the pandemic’s arrival earlier this year and the following quarantine, it’s safe to say that a lot of us missed our yearly spring clean. With the idea of a fresh slate just weeks away, take advantage of the following tips for purging your home and save money in the process.
1. KEEP, GIVE, TOSS | Clear a space along the wall and using post-its, appropriate an area along the wall for KEEP, GIVE and TOSS. Then sort accordingly in this order. Your KEEP pile will contain your must-haves, your most used and beloved. Your GIVE pile can go out to a local shelter or consider bringing them to a consignment shop, where you can earn a part of each sale and even use those earnings as a credit for new items. The TOSS pile will include junk you’ve accumulated, as well as any broken items that aren’t worth keeping or giving away.
- CLOTHES | Unless you are ultra on-top of your clothing situation, you likely have some items that are no longer the right size, damaged and not worth fixing, or that you just don’t like, and so you never wear.
- Keep | Your keep pile should start with the clothes you wear all the time. The ones you opt for even when you have fresh items in the drawer. These are your no brainer KEEPERS.
- Give | Look at the items you no longer wear, have no plans to wear but are in decent condition. These will be an encouraging and helpful new addition to the wardrobe of those in need.
- Toss | Take a real hard look at the clothes you’ve had the longest, worn the most and have a hard time tossing.
- BOOKS/TOYS | We grow out of interests, kids grow out of toys, and sad but true, lean more and more towards electronics over the printed page or physical toys. Online-shopping makes consuming an extremely easy thing to do, especially when we are trapped inside during quarantine.
- Keep | Keep the books you want to reread or reference. Keep the books and toys your children use on a weekly basis.
- Give | Give away all the toys and books you don’t use, plan to use or reference in the near future. Items that you can’t just seem to give away can be stored for a single year in a box in your garage. If you don’t miss it or can’t remember what’s in it, the following year, drop it off at a shelter or consignment shop.
- Toss | It’s absurd how many dollar stores and McDonald’s toys we accumulate that no longer bring our kids pleasure. Books that are ripped or no longer accurate, broken toys that can no longer be rescued; they belong in the recycling or garbage bin.
- THE REST | What about furniture, small appliances, dishware, bedding and so on? The same system applies.
- Keep | Keep the things you use on a weekly basis. You may love all your coffee cups, but which ones do you actually use? Same with shelving and appliances. Keep the things that serve an actual purpose.
- Give | Homewares and furniture are desperately needed by the unfortunate. Give to a shelter, bring the items to a consignment shop or give it a second life via an online community sale.
- Toss | If it can’t be fixed, isn’t worth fixing or will never be given the time needed to fix it, toss it. Any items that are not recyclable or appropriate for the garbage can usually be brought to the eco-centre.
2. KITCHEN REWORK | A surprising amount of clutter can quickly take over our kitchens. Included in that clutter is food that goes unused and spoils. Here’s how you can purge, organize and plan ahead to clean up the kitchen for good – and save money.
- DISHWARE | Love mugs, multiple sets of dishes, wine glasses, etc.? Ask yourself which items you use daily – not the things you reluctantly choose when the sink is full. If you have a fancy set of dishes for entertaining, that’s ok too. Set it aside in a high up, rarely used cupboard. What about summer patio dishes? Pack them away with the garden/pool items and store them in the garage or shed.
- APPLIANCES | We all get slightly attached to expensive items. We also all tend to dislike cleaning and maintaining our rarely-used appliances. Make a final waffle morning, panini lunch or griddle grilled supper and then regift those items to a shelter or sell them on an online community sale.
- FOOD | Our pantries are chock full of foods we never eat. Our fridges see way too much-spoiled produce and dairy. Clean out your pantry, fridge and freezer; ditching anything you haven’t used in 6 months. Donate what’s still good, but just not something your family consumes. Try and stick to meal plans leaving minimal waste, making healthy but affordable meals that are sure to be eaten.
3. FENG SHUI | Feng Shui is a way of life that relies on the rooms’ layout in your home. Regardless of its origin, its main principles are solid and, when applied, will leave you with a comfortable, healthy and positive home. Start small; for example, try one of the following.
- VERTICAL | A vertical layout will bring about a balanced feel to the room. Tall bookshelves or built-ins, given some serious thought, can eliminate a lot of clutter and provide useful storage. Place your must-have items on display or in drawers and shelves. Then take your unnecessary furniture and give it away or sell it.
- ENTRYWAY | Your entryway sets the stage for your home. Organize cold-weather accessories in baskets, use boot racks to store the footwear you use daily, and add some discreet hooks for easy hanging of coats, leashes, umbrellas, etc. Repurpose your old furniture for added entry way storage.
- PLANTS | Plants embody life and freshness, bringing those elements to our rooms. Choose plants or flowers that replicate, staggering them through the home as they grow as a cheap method of decoration, as well as gifting them to others.
We can’t go on, as usual, this holiday season, but we can take advantage of the extra indoor time. Purge to improve your home life, donate your items to a shelter or sell your stuff on an online community sale. If you find yourself needing a few extra storage items, or your kids have outgrown their clothes, visit 24Cash for a quick, online loan. It’s simple and efficient! 24Cash has hardworking Canadians on their minds. You deserve a good life.