Clutter Busting: Tackle That Closet

It’s time to tackle your closet.The first week of March I asked you to empty out your coat closet. Last week we tackled your children’s closets. Now I am asking you to check out your own closet.

I would like to challenge you to empty out your closet entirely. Make four piles (or have bins) and as your emptying place each item in the following categories:

• Keep
• Sell
• Donate/Give Away
• Throw out

What to Keep?
I have heard all sorts of different strategies on how to decide what to keep. My system is quite simple. If I would not buy the item TODAY it gets tossed. Try to not think about how much (or how little) you paid for the item. It’s time to take the emotions out of the things around you! Also, do not keep items that no longer fit you. I clearly remember hanging onto a dream size wardrobe. What I discovered is when I hit my dream size, the clothes were not as spectacular as I had envisioned. If you are trying to fit into a certain dream size, tear out a picture of an outfit from a catalog. When you reach your goal, try the outfit on before you buy it. This is especially true if you are a woman holding onto clothes that fit you before children…5 + years ago!

What to Sell?
Prior to trying to sell your item(s), it is best to research what is the current market price. I sell all my items on ebay. According to “Hoovers”, a D&B Company, ebay now has more than 135 million registered users. I am an ebay consignor so I do this product market research service free for my clients. Once you have an amount of what similar items have sold for in the recent past, you need to decide if you want to sell it or donate it. One thing to keep in mind when selling your item(s) on ebay is that there are no guaranties your item will sell at the price you would like it to, or that it will sell at all.

What to Donate/Give Away?
If you plan on donating your items to a non-profit charity make sure you keep a good record of what was donated and have the charitable organization sign your receipt. (See the charitable donation spreadsheet.) When you donate to a non-profit organization that is accepted by the federal government as such, you can claim each item for its fair market value. A good rule of thumb to use when trying to come up with a fair market value would be 25% of the retail price.

What to Throw Away?
Throw away overly used and damaged shoes and clothing.

Now that your closet is completely empty it is time to give it a good cleaning top to bottom. Before you start loading the closet back with only the items you have in your “Keep” pile, its time to evaluate what areas of your closet were the most cluttered. If it was your shoes, place a shoe shelf to place in the bottom. Perhaps it was the shelf above the coats that was overwhelmed with stuff. Measure the area and place bins or baskets and designate each; purses, belts, etc. Before you run right out to your nearest “mart” store to get bins and baskets make sure that you don’t already have something in your home that would work just fine. Try to design a no-fail system for yourself and spouse.