We have all heard about Spring cleaning, but there is another time of year to focus on decluttering and clearing out your space – and it’s right now! The end of the year is the perfect time to do another declutter or downsize sweep of your home. It is also an opportunity to add some extra cash to your holiday savings fund.
Declutter And Clear Out Stress
The holidays are stressful enough. Having a cluttered house can significantly add to your stress of holiday preparation. Even if you are not entertaining this year, having room to breathe and enjoy the winter will only make you feel better. Plus, you can start making room for any new gifts or purchases that may come your way this season. As an added benefit, if you can turn your clutter into cash, you will be in a better place financially to tackle holiday expenses. While you may be reluctant to add another task to your list, we have a quick method for holiday decluttering to help.
Quick Holiday Declutter
Decluttering does not have to be an extensive process, especially if you recently did a broad sweep for spring cleaning.
Step One: Set Up An Organizing Station
As with most home tasks, any work you do to prepare for your project reduces the amount of time you spend on it. Pick a place to help you sort your items and assign a specific bin to each category. While you can customize your system for your own needs, one way of organizing would be to have individual containers for (1) donation, (2) storage, (3) recycling, (4) e-waste or hazardous waste, (5) repair, and (6) sale. With your sorting station set, you can move on to decluttering – fast!
Step Two: Rapid Sweep
Set a timer and tackle each room in your house. If you want to include your attic, garage, or other storage spaces, you can, but those areas are generally best left for downsizing when you have more dedicated time. Do what works for you. For each room, set a 10 or 15-minute timer. Then blitz through the room, including closets and drawers, grabbing anything you want to let go of—don’t worry about sorting just yet. Consider how long it has been since you used or worn an item, the likelihood you will use it within the next four weeks, and whether it needs replacing or repairing. Pile your items near your sorting station for sorting after you have swept each room.
Step Three: Sort
Once you have your pile(s), you can begin sorting them into the bins you set out. You may need several containers for one category!
Step Four: Take Out The Bins
Depending on the bin, you can now move on to disposing of your items based on their category. If you have containers for the dump, recycling center, e-waste, or donation spot, try to take everything in one trip to drop off your items where they need to go. Move anything for storage into your garage or other storage space (don’t forget to clearly label). Take any items for repair, or start on any DIY repairs yourself. Finally, decide how you plan on selling any items, whether online, through a consignment shop, or a garage sale.
Step Five: Organize
Since the rapid sweep focused only on gathering items to declutter, you may feel like going back into your decluttered spaces and reorganizing. Free up space for decorations, or make things more functional in your room. Remember that clutter is not only physical. Freeing up your mind and ditching worry and frustration is just as important.
With all the financial stress we’ve been through this year, take a load off your mind by streamlining your 2021 budgeting. Like getting your holiday and tax budget in order with Holiday Club a Tax Saver. Both accounts automatically deduct small amounts– you don’t even know you are saving—and build with healthy interest to cover ALL your holiday and tax-liability expenses.
Related: Budgeting For The Holidays
Making Money On Your Clutter
There are several ways to earn extra cash on stuff you don’t use anymore. A little research online for comparable items will help you set prices on items. Then you can decide where and how to sell those things. Using online listing sites can take a little time, but you can sell your items anytime, rather than setting up a single sale.
Consider whether or not you want to ship the item or want to do local pick up. Remember to charge for any shipping costs, so you don’t end up losing money on the sale. You can also consider consignment stores for selling your most valuable or larger items. You won’t get 100% of the sale price, but it will take away the hassle of selling. No matter what method you use, the extra cash will feel so much better than the clutter!
Now that you’ve made some cash—watch it grow. Rather than spend it (on more clutter!) store it tidily away in one of our high interest earning accounts, like Rainy Day Savings—or our high interest Checking Account where balances are richly rewarded. Top them up periodically, and you’ll have a handy nest-egg for that long-overdue summer vacation!
The Challenge
This month’s challenge is pretty straightforward: plan a day to do your declutter sweep and follow-through. Make sure to finish so that you aren’t left with more clutter of bins or piles. After everything has been disposed of or stored away, commit to selling the remaining items by a specific date before the holidays. It will give you a goal to strive for, resulting in less clutter and more money for the festivities.
Related: Paying Down Credit Cards
This article was developed in partnership with Balance Pro.
