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Part 3 : Take It Back, Use It Up, or Pass It On

Money in handHome cluttered with items that are never used? (Clutter can cost you.) Why not become empowered and take back your space, all while earning a little bit of money or bringing some joy to the world. Who knew that excess stuff could make such a difference?

With the rare exception of a practicing minimalist, we all have things in our homes that are not being used. We probably also have some brand new things still in the original packaging or with the original tags attached.

In the previous two articles in this series, I talked about how we can earn money and credit by returning new items, and how we can use items up to save money. Now, this is the final article, and I want to talk about ways to pass things on.

This is probably the most fun part of the program for me. We can approach it by attacking one specific area (a child’s closet, for example) or by gathering things up randomly. Set a timer for 15 minutes at a time and find items that are usable but not being used.

Then, work toward passing them on. Selling items on eBay, Craiglist or through Facebook yard sale groups is a good way to earn a bit of money. Take some good photos, write a description and sell away. Keep your prices reasonable, and you will sell practically everything you list. I once sold an old wheelbarrow with a hole in it!

To stay encouraged, keep track of the money you earn in a separate envelope or account and watch it grow.

Another way to pass items on is to donate them to a charity. You can get a tax write off for charitable donations, saving you money on your taxes, but even if you decide to pass the items on to a friend in needs, you’ll gain. The joy that you bring is so much better than having unused things in your home.

I hope you enjoyed this series! Thanks for reading.

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About Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, online content manager, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania in the middle of the woods but close enough to Target and Home Depot. The author of many magazine, newspaper and online articles, Mary Ann enjoys writing about almost any subject. "Writing gives me the opportunity to both learn interesting information, and to interact with wonderful people." Mary Ann has written more than 5,000 blogs for Families.com since she started back in December 2006. Contact her at maromans AT verizon.net or visit her personal blog http://homeinawoods.wordpress.com