Usually Goodwill.

Items that I'm getting rid of will either be offered on our "Buy Nothing" FB group or taken to a local thrift store. At times, I will set things on the curb. Recently, someone organized a "Junk in the Trunk" event once a month in our town. We bring everything down to the pavilion, unload or not, and people get to "shop". for freebies. It's a great way to meet people, get rid of your stuff and possibly pick up something of interest from another person. If all of my stuff doesn't go, then I take the rest to the thrift store.

Yes, it depends on what it is. If it's a single item that I think is worth most than about $50, I'll try to sell it; If it's smaller things that are still useful (like old doorknobs, that I just replaced), or things that didn't sell, I'll take it to Goodwill - I have a constant pile of things that I take when the pile gets big enough. If it's any kind of textile, I take it to a nearby city that has a textile reuse and recycling program. If it's an unusual thing that I think could only be useful to someone in a unique circumstance (like the sewing machine that isn't working but a handy tinkerer could get it going again), I'll advertise it on a local free-exchange Facebook group.

Some things I make available for free on our local "Buy Nothing" page. Otherwise, anything in good condition and worth selling for a few bucks goes to a local thrift shop whose proceeds go to help kids aging out of foster care. This last weekened I downsized half my wardrobe and many household items. A pet sitter I interviewed last night complimented our lack of clutter. :)

Absolutely donate where you can. I give most clothing to my house cleaner, also any odds and ends I no longer use. She has a large family and someone will use it.

I also use the drop off donation bins that are scattered about. While in Florida, I donate to a church.

My DH needs to declutter if for nothing else but to him where that tool or gadget is.

The best thing is to deep clean. You will find all kinds of forgotten and sometimes useful things.

It's very rare if at all that I think back and regret purging something.

Definitely depends:

BuyNothing Group on Facebook (this is incredibly useful, at least where I live. It's a very active group)

Freecycle.org (this was more helpful a few years ago, but now , where I live, is not very active. Still worth posting). Also Nextdoor.com.

I do not sell anything.For the above, when someone shows interest, generally I leave on my porch, or driveway for them to pick up. They do not enter my house.

Truly, I don't think there has been anything that did not get taken. I have at times unlisted and then re-listed an item which then is taken.

Pre-covid, and in our last house when we were seriously downsizing, there were some furniture items that were too heavy to do that with, so yes, people did come in. ( I always had my husband deal with them ). We did that maybe 5 times and each time it was a really nice, "normal" person or family.

In the past, occasionally we'd list something if it was really easy to sell on ebay , but that seems to have changed so I basically will give away.

I do give to various groups that will pick up from the porch ( Lupus foundation, Vietvets) and I do like to support them, but I think a lot of it, even if it's good stuff, gets jumbled and ends up not being very worthy of selling.

I should think about bringing to Goodwill but it's less convenient for me location wise.

Also, if something is really worn or soiled, I will throw it away because I don't want the charity to have sort through and end up tossing it anyway. Like, who is in the market for worn out worn down slippers...

that's my take.

I donate to a thrift store which benefits a small non-profit that I believe in, our local food pantry. There is also a thrift that TNRs feral cat colonies that I donate too.

Goodwill, Clothes Bank (united council of churches and things are free - they are often short children's clothing and men's work clothes - they take bedding and kitchen ware too), Habitat for Humanity. If it's really junk, we burn at the family farm but there is a burn ban in place that will now last into Sept so that means boxes waiting in the basement at this point. DH's sister travels often and still pays for garbage pickup weekly - I will use her can that DH will put curbside and put back after pickup.

I donate to The ARC a LOT. It's mostly clothing we have too much of. I did donate an antique dinning room set to Goodwill...and a leather couch/looked brand new...wrong color for THIS house. I live in a gated community....so I will-not-ever do a curb alert.

So many options! I put some things on my local private FB markets, the rules are tight so you are seldom scammed, either as buyer or seller. We also have a Free group which is great and gets more stuff out, faster! We know there is less than ”six degrees of separation” between you and anyone in the groups, so we feel more confident leaving something on the front porch and expecting to find $20 or $50 under the doormat later. Zelle etc is becoming more popular.

A couple of church rummage sales are collecting over the summer (one also collects for a spring sale). Two local benefit thrift stores get a lot of my stuff, sometimes Goodwill, and my favorite for essentials is Midwest Veterans Closet which supports veterans including homeless vets, and active military, mainly from the nearby naval station. They give away everything, they do not sell.

And, some individuals I have met through our FB groups. I know that they or their family member teaches, or works with a service, and what they are looking for to help support classroom and clients.

There’s a very nice consignment shop, but it is almost imossible to get an appointment to bring things in. I got one appt by a fluke, and after a year have since given up.

It’s much more fun to give away.

My DH says it’s more fun to take things to the dump. It certainly is cathartic!

If the item is worthwhile it goes to the Junior League resale shop -- Everything else goes to the dump. I keep a bin the back of my car for the donations.

Thrift store, Facebook BuyNothing, textile recycling, township free dump day. I also try hard not to toss anything useful or recyclable.

clothing, i donate to goodwill. everything else goes out to one of 3 storage sheds. when i clean out the storage sheds every couple of years, i usually determine everything i moved out there is useless to me or anyone else so i call the junk man to haul it all away.

Goodwill or VVA (Vietnam Vets). Just took a bunch of stuff to Goodwill. There were a few things they wouldn’t take right now, such as books. VVA will come pick up stuff.

We have a number of local charity thrift stores, so people can donate to a good cause. I also take lots of stuff to work, to use in our rec programs, and share some things with family too. Our church is another place for unwanted stuff.

Some things won't be accepted by thrift stores tho - none of the major shops here takes TVs or large appliances, AFAIK

I'm another 'waste not want not' person - we were raised that way 🙂

Our small town's Council on Aging operates a thrift store - I have been taking housewares/dishes to them since late winter. Clothing is donated to a local outreach agency, as is food. We also have a "swap shop" at our transfer station for useful stuff that is too good to thow away. And we do put things at the end of our driveway with "Free" signs - that's always successful. DH has adverstised on a local "Buy Nothing" FB page some things he wants to get rid of, but hasn't had any takers yet.

What do you do with pillows? I have so many pillows! Down, feather, ”down alternative”, polyfill, foam. My current favorite is some kind of foam, I will probably have to replace it one day but what to do with the old one? My favorite thrift stores don’t take and no rummage sales will take them.

bpath - have you checked with animal shelters? I have no idea if they take pillows. Our vet was asking for donations of used towels and blankets recently.

Our local animal rescue, we have a local private one funded by the locals, they rescue dogs from Texas, most have heart worm & were dumped. THEY take old bath towels, blankets, sheets, pillows, harnesses, leashes, dog clothing.....

Clothing all goes to a Community store where the proceeds benefit local charities. When my two dogs died a few weeks apart recently, I packed up all their canned and dry dog food and their many coats and harnesses and took them to a local animal rescue group.

The animal shelters here will not take pillows or comforters. (Anything with stuffing). They are always happy to get towels and sheets.

Our shelter doesn't take pillows or comforters. They have a lot of my old towels, sheets, and blankets.

We donate to the Vietnam Vets of America (VVA), too (DH is one). They are not taking furniture these days and I may take some smallish pieces to one of the church or non-profit thrift stores. I also take sheets and towels to the animal shelter here.

" What do you do with pillows? "

Textile recycling! You have to see if you've got a real textile recycling facility near you though.....check to see if Goodwill in your region has a commercial shredding operation for end-of-use textiles (as they do in Canada).

Our textile bin doesn't take pillows.

Today husband took a large box of shorts and capris that I went thru and tried on a few weeks ago deciding which I wanted to keep. (Somehow a size two was in there and needless to say, didn't fit me anymore). Yesterday I added a comforter to the box and he said they rejected that but took the rest. It was clean and in good repair, so I guess there isn't a demand for them.

Large items, on the curb. Disappears in a few hours. Clothes and other things, Salvation Army. They take clothes and all bedding.

I would never donate to Goodwill which is 'for profit' organization.

Jane

Thanks for all the suggestions. :) I have got to do something. I just have so much that I haven't used in years and it's bugging me. I don't think this area has any good freecycle type organizations. We used to have freecycle but it just faded away to nothing. I think that for non-clothing items, I'll take them to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

What I used to do when I lived in Toronto was seek out smaller non-profit groups for particular themed items I was getting rid of......Things like used art supplies went to a non-profit local after school program, and extra pet supplies when to a local shelter. Whether you can do that or not kind of depends on where you live, and if you're willing to drive around and deliver them to the various places, but they were all thrilled to have them.

Goodwill if I'm too lazy to drive to Salvation Army in the next town. Goodwill is very close to me. Sometimes I give things away if someone I know wants it.

I just learned about creative reuse centers. This blog talks about them. It mentions a couple near me, and I found a smaller one that is just in the next town, part of our forest preserve district. Creative Reuse Centers take a lot of smallish things, things that really do accumulate and clutter up. This one has two sites in Chicago and Evanston ILThe Wasteshed Look at their list!

I do not really have clutter. I have stuff. I like my stuff. I use that stuff until it is unusable, then toss it. I just got new pans, the old ones were beginning to warp and chip. I would never donate something like that. Toss. Got new Greenlife pink ones. We both wear our clothes until they are no longer wearable, then they become rags for SOs shop. When I replace our pillows, the old ones go to the dogs and cat until they are gross, then I throw them away.

The only thing I consider clutter is SOs car collection. He just has so many. But he loves them so I endure their presence, even though they just sit there most of the time. If he decided to get rid of those, he will sell them, as they are race cars and are valuable to people who do that sort of thing apparently. He considers my holiday stuff clutter, but would not dare suggest getting rid of it.

I buy things that I want, but only things that I will use, so I do not have extra stuff around.

I have recently been the recipient of someone elses clutter. A work friend of mine offered her old keurig to me, as her husband bought a newer, fancier one. It is turquoise, not pink, but will look better in my kitchen than the black one SO has now. It is tucked away on a spare closet until the old one gives out, then I will use it.

bpath, unfortunatley, there is little reclaiming of a pillow. You are just going to have to trash it. Since I sew, I will usually take the old bed pillows and make sure that they are clean, maybe wash them. Then I will use them to make new ones for a somewhat outdoor area that i have and let the old ones go. They get demoted!

But there a not good alternatives . It looks like they would be good for use for the animals, but I dont think that they accept pillows, probably for good reasons.

In the hot summer time I will take our pillows out and give them a day out in the hot sun on the hot deck and just let them get sun cleaned and refreshed. I also have washed any number of pillows but they take some work to do that. They are very heavy when wet and can do a number on your washing machine if you are not attentive. I have also cut open the case and washed that and just sewn it back closed.

Donate or toss it, depending on the condition and if donation places will take it. They won't take lots of stuff. I had a desk I couldn't get rid of to save my life. If it's something I think family or friends might like, I'll sometimes offer it to them. But most of the time it's donate.

I am lucky to have many options here:

Goodwill (which will take things like unmatched socks or shoes, stained or torn clothing - to recycle Volunteers of America does also); the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store for things that can be used for home repair or remodeling, including some major appliances; the Volunteers of America, Furniture Bank, and Salvation Army for all sorts of household goods, working electronics, decor, and furniture (they each have their own lists of what they will or will not take). The one thing that no thrift store or charity will take is a crib, but those are easy to give away on Craigslist. We also have some smaller local groups that look for more specialized things.

We also have 2 community "Pre-cycle" days when people are encouraged to put stuff out at the curb for people to "shop". For example, I don't burn my candles, just use them on a warmer for the scent, and I always set out the ones I am done with - they are taken quickly. Things like half a roll of carpet padding, or insulation, used flowerpots, garden tools, old fencing - all get taken.

The city also has a free electronics recycling drop off - the only no-no are TVs and monitors. I am amazed at how many people are not aware of that (or won't bother - it is right in the middle of our small suburb!)

I belong to 2 local Facebook "free, borrow, trade" groups too. I tend to give away books and excess plants there.

Books can be taken to the used book store to sell or just give away; or donated to the library for their fundraiser sale.

When I have or have found a solid piece of furniture that just needs some rehab, maybe refinishing or a minor repair like a little wood glue or a screw, I post it on craigslist and/or FB - it is always taken. It gets picked up from the porch, no personal contact needed.

Lastly, we have scrap collectors that make the rounds the afternoon before trash pickup. That is the best way to get rid of broken metal items.