Help Others — and Your Bottom Line — by Decluttering Your Life

It’s the ultimate win-win: You get a to have tidier home while helping out those in need! Combining decluttering with charitable giving is a great way to stay motivated and make what might otherwise feel like drudgery a more rewarding experience. It could even help you lose weight and score a few tax deductions when you give to a qualified charity. Here are some common household items and the types of charities that might be able to give your castoffs a second life in the service of others.

Old towels and bedding: Worn, but unsoiled towels and blankets might be a real help to animal shelters providing as cozy cushions for furry friends waiting to find forever homes. Just check with your local animal welfare group to see if they’re in need and be sure to give all items a thorough wash first.

Gently used work attire: Offer suits, ties, dresses, handbags shoes and other professional wardrobe items suitable for a job interview to homeless shelters or local employment programs to help applicants land that job to get back on their feet.

Sports equipment: Donate to an after school program in your community. Anything from balls, bats, gloves, tennis racquets, shoes and hockey sticks could help less fortunate kids in your town. That’s a home run for everyone!

Holiday decorations: Why not give Christmas, Chanukah, Halloween, and Thanksgiving items that are still in good shape to a hospital so they can provide a little seasonal cheer to those who really need it?

Old furniture and decor: Check with your local community theater group to see if they could use your castaways as props in their next production. Then take your bow!

Books, magazines, CDs and DVDs: contact your local library or senior center and decluttering your unwanted media could have a new life entertaining our greatest generation. 

The catchall approach: If you don’t want to make separate trips for different items, just have a big yard sale with your friends and neighbors, and write a check with the proceeds to the charity of your choice.

Oh, and that losing weight part? One study found that showed that compared to subjects in a disorderly environment, those in a more orderly space selected healthier snacks — boom.

Source

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23907542