cleaning house

I have not really lived at home for four years now. I moved back in after graduating college a few weeks ago, to live for the next year until I'm done with graduate school. Currently, I'm in the process of finding a place for all of the stuff I've accumulated over the past four years, and so far it's proved quite a challenge. In order to accommodate my things, I've had to donate a lot of items that were residing in my space, left over from high school. I've always found it quite difficult to "get rid" of things. I (or my parents) paid hard earned money for the things, and some of the stuff didn't get full use. To make it easier for me to let go of things, I follow a couple rules:

1. Always remember that donated items can be written off on your taxes. Takes some of the bite out of feeling like you're throwing away money.

2. Get rid of anything that you have not used or worn in six months. If you haven't touched it in that long, I'm pretty sure you won't suddenly start. Don't fool yourself - that too big, ugly sweater that you haven't worn since you were in high school will NOT suddenly become appealing. If it's spring, anything you didn't wear this past winter gets the boot. Anything that you didn't wear last spring as well. If you've gained or lost weight, don't save things because you want to fit in them again.

3. If you feel like you have to keep something because "I forgot I had this. I will wear this now, promise!", give yourself a cut off point after which you will REALLY donate it if you haven't worn it yet. Usually a month is my final cut off.

4. Try taking your stuff somewhere where you can sell it for credit and buy something you need in exchange. Who knows, those 5 pairs of tapered jeans might wind up buying you a nice, lightly used jacket for spring.

5. Clean when you're really mad. I find that cleaning out my closet is good therapy. When I'm angry I seem to be more inclined to get rid of things. (If anger isn't the feeling that makes you most willing to part with stuff, clean when your happy/sad/whatever.) Avoid cleaning when you feel nostalgic. You won't want to part with anything for fear of losing memories.

6. Once you're all done, don't feel compelled to fill up the space again with junk you really don't need. That's kind of like weeding your garden and then planting a bunch of dandelions when you're done.

7. Give yourself a time goal. Get everything out and organized in two weeks. Do a little bit each day. This makes the task more manageable, but gives you a point to look to end on so your space isn't in a constant state of upheaval and you never quite finish.