ways of getting rid of clutter

[melissa197829]

i saw this on a yahoo site and thought i would share this...HOPEFULLY IT WILL WORK FOR ME...i still have not found a system that works yet...MAN I NEED AS MUCH HELP AS POSSIBLE....but these were some wretty good ideas 

If you want to get rid of clutter in your home, you don't have to just throw everything away. There are many creative ways you can de-clutter your home and still be green.

#1 - Make some money

The most satisfying, green way to get rid of stuff is to make some green.
High-end clothes can go to consignment.
Collectibles do well on e-bay.
Toys, children’s clothing, and knick knacks are yard sale best sellers.
For large numbers of antiques, china, silver, or porcelain, try an auction warehouse.

#2 - Have a place in your home

Designate the corner of a closet or your laundry room for housing discards to donate. Try to do this every other month. Keep a hamper or garbage can in your designated spot and whenever you see an item cluttering your home that you or your family members 1) don't use, 2) don't love, or 3) have outgrown, put it in the hamper. At the end of each month, bag the items and take them to a donation center, or call to have them picked up. The Veterans and Big Brother Big Sister will pick up clothing and small household items at your home.

#3 - Have a swap party

My friends and I have a seasonal purge party. We all bring items we no longer need or use: clothes, jewelry, purses, home décor, small furniture, magazines, etc. It goes into a pile in the middle of the room and we all dive in! It is a fun way of getting rid of things, getting a few new things, and catching up with friends. At the end of it, we bag all the items we don’t want and donate them to a women’s shelter. This also works well with a group of moms and the clothing and toys your children have outgrown.

#4 - Re-use your own stuff

Reusing common house hold items for new organizational ways can really save you money. Try thinking outside the box as to the way you use common items. For example, empty gift baskets make great mail bins, in-boxes, planters, magazine bins, small toy organizers and more. Walk around your house and really look at your stuff. Can any of it be used for a different purpose? A bookshelf hung on the wall instead of on the floor, a TV cabinet for a night-stand, a shoebox to divide different kinds of socks in a drawer? Try to think creatively and objectively.

[bonbonbabe]

I do 3 of the 4.  But it seems we still have clutter.

Another thing I do is enforce "something in, something out" rule.  It also helped with the kids asking for something EVERY time they were at a store with me.  Now if they ask for something I know they REALLY want it, because they are going to have to give up soemthing else when we get home.

I also asked my BIL to STOP bringing us stuff.  He loves a good bargain, and while he may have gotten soemthing for a good price, it doesn't mean the kids (or H or I) NEED it.

The adults on my side of the family have stopped exchanging gifts at Christmas.  None of us NEED anything.  So we pool our money and donate what we would have spent on gifts to a differant charity each year.  I have also started asking for gift certificiates from my MIL and SIL.  They won't stop exchanging gifts...so I've asked that they send me to the spa instead of giving me something to dust!  LOL

And...I keep telling myself that when I lose all the baby weight that I want...I'm going to start buying REALLY NICE clothes...but FEWER clothes.  No more $6 tees from Kohls. (I have one in every style and color)