Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Reclaiming Your Garage

Garage Shelving

You may not realize that Goodwill experiences a dip in donations around this time of year, but it does! When summer winds down people often do not donate as much and this creates a shortage of product for Goodwill. That is why I think it is the perfect time of year to discuss cleaning out your garage and making room for your cars before the winter season approaches, while creating donations that will help Goodwill thrive during this time of year.

Pull Everything Out- The first step towards getting that garage truly cleared of clutter is to pull everything out and assess what you have. You may find that you have multiples of items like yard tools, mechanical tools, or parts and equipment for household projects. Remove any multiples you have and add them to your donation bin to help reduce that extra clutter.

While you have everything out, I like
to assess the items that get stored higher up in the garage or rafters. Are these item really something we need to be storing and just how often do we get these items down to be used? If they haven't been used in years, you likely don't need to store them!


Charlotte Clean & Green

Clear Out That Electronic Clutter- I talk a lot about getting rid of the electronic clutter on here, but electronic clutter seems to gather in every corner of our home, including our garage. You may not be aware of what electronics Goodwill accepts, but you can learn more about their program with Goodwill by reading this post on the Dell Reconnect program that Goodwill offers.

For example, Goodwill will happily process those cords and cables (power cord & USB cables) that no longer have a use in your garage. They also accept your ink & toner cartridges (either full or empty), computer speakers, telev
isions and software. They even take your old cell phones! If your garage has become a warehouse for your old televisions, cords, and outdated computer equipment, load them up in your car and take them on over to Goodwill.

Items where the glass could be broken, like computer monitors and scanners, just need to be placed into a trash bag or box and clearly labeled that they are broken and the date of your donation. Isn’t it nice to know that even those broken items in our home can be processed for donation?


Organized Garage Oct-2010 03


Sort Like Items Into Clear Bins- Once you have gotten rid of all the clutter and duplicate items, you can begin sorting the items that you want to keep into clear bins. I try to keep in mind that if I can reduce the amount of items that we need to keep, we can reduce the amount of bins we will need to buy! Label the items clearly and then place them back into your garage.

Try to be strategic about where you place the items when you put them back in. For example, seasonal items can be stored higher up, and then keep items that you need more often lower and into easier reach.

Use the vertical space and wall space for mounting shelving and sorting items upward and along garage walls to get items cleared from your garage floor.


old car


Get Rid of that Clunker- Now that all of your like items are sorted into bins, why not assess the bigger items that might be gathering dust in your garage. Is there a car in your garage that you were hoping to repair one day, but know that you never will? Why not free up the space in your garage for the car you really do love to drive!

You may have a car of humble means that you could offer as a donation to Goodwill that could give a new lease on life to someone e
lse. Even if your car is not drivable, it could make economic sense for Goodwill to take the donation to their auction site . There is no need to detail your car before donating it, just clear it of the clutter and contact Goodwill to let them know that you have a car that you would like to donate.

The vast majority of these vehicles are sold at dealer auctions and those donations help Goodwill’s mission to provide jobs, training and placement services for people with barriers to employment.









Clean Out the Garage & Join a Movement- You may see cleaning out your garage as just cleaning out your garage, but you are actually joining a very important movement of people! Goodwill has started a movement called The Donate Movement and they are encouraging everyone to participate in it. By visiting the page, you can use their calculator to discover what your impact will have on your community and the amount of hours your simple donation will provide to educate and train employees at Goodwill.




Photo credits- Please click on the photos to access the photographer's Flickr pages.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Best day to head to Goodwill

 There are optimal days to head to your local Goodwill stores to get great deals.

Many times, 50% sales are announced on the NEWS AND EVENT page of the Goodwill website. Another great place to check, is the Goodwill Facebook page.

Here are some other thoughts on WHEN to head to a Thrift Shop

  • Sale days - ask for their regular sale schedule. A $4 pair of shoes is cheap, but when they’re $2 – even better!
  • Stocking days – ask if they exist
  • Late spring – after college gets out
  • After garage sales - if there is a big neighborhood garage sale that ends on Saturday at 4, head over to the Goodwill in that neighborhood the next morning! 
  • During the week – Monday – lots of donations from weekend cleaning and sales
  • Often! If you don’t find anything one week, try again in a few weeks. A stores’ inventory changes constantly, so you might strike gold one week, and come up with nothing the next. Make thrift store shopping part of your regular home management routine.


PHOTO CREDITS
http://kwtv.images.worldnow.com

    Monday, September 5, 2011

    More Thrift Shop Shopping tips

    I seem to have a lot of tips to share with you on Thrift Shop Shopping.  Since this is the topic that is on my mind, every time I head into my favorite Goodwill stores I think of something I want to share with you.
    On today's shopping adventure - here are the notes I collected for you:

    NUTS and BOLTS
    1. Look for clothes new with tags.
    2. If you won’t wear it, don’t buy it.
    3. Wash clothes when you get them home.
    4. Take your time.
    5. Look for signs of wear and/or alterations
    6. What TO Buy is as important as what NOT to buy!

    PHOTO CREDITS
    http://sewfrugalandfashionable.files.wordpress.com

    Thursday, September 1, 2011

    How to Shop at a Thrift Store

    One question I get asked quite a bit is "how do your shop at a Thrift Store"?

    Well - I'll tell you - it is a mix of science, research, art and...GOOD LUCK!

    Here are some basic tips that will help you as you head out to fill your closets with fab finds for Fall!

    1. Be patient The biggest tip I can offer is to be patient!  I can't tell you how many times I've frequented stores searching for an authentic vintage Louis Vuitton (anyone out there have one?  message me!).  But many times on those "scouting trips" I find something else amazing...like Gucci sandals, 7 (seven)-jeans, Anthropologie skirt.  All things I would not have in my closet (all for under $20, by the way!) if I hadn't stopped in searching for that vintage LV.

    2. Be ready to dig Think of this kind of shopping like an archeological dig, or treasure hunt.  You really don't know what you will find until you dig through a lot of other stuff.  This means your Thrift Shop shopping trips may take some time. Be prepared to invest that time. What you invest in time you will save 10-fold in your wallet!

    3. Be friendly Everyone who’s worked in a customer service position knows what a big difference one nice person can make in your day. Besides, being nice pays off; in return for your smile the person checking you out might tell you about a 50% off day or suggest a "preferred customer" shopping program!

    4. Avoid binging, shop with cash It can be tempting to stock up when you go to a thrift store - I've done it, and end up with all kinds of things that end up getting donated back to Goodwill.  If you are on a tight budget, it is wise to seek out sale days, and implement a 'cash only' policy.

    5. Go in With a Plan Know ahead of time what you need. The organization of each store can be a bit different, and might be overwhelming. So if you go knowing you’re looking for 12-24 month-old boy’s khakis, and size 8 black dress shoes, it can be a lot less stressful.

    6. Be Open-Minded That said, keep your eyes open for any surprising deals. It’s hit-or-miss with thrift stores, so sometimes you really hit the jackpot (remember my note above about the Gucci sandals, Anthropologie skirt and 7 (Seven) jeans?). You need to make sure what you find is actually something you need – otherwise, you’re just over buying. Think about unexpected gift ideas. You could find birthday gifts for all your nieces and nephews, or you might find throw pillows in just the right shade your friend is looking for.

    7. To Brands or not to brand It is true that there is a coorelation between quality and price - which means know your brands.

    8. Try Things On Always try things on. Just because it’s a beautiful silk Ann Taylor skirt doesn’t mean you should buy it. If it doesn’t fit well, then it’s a needless purchase and will only clutter your closet. And different brands size things differently, so you can’t assume anything by the number on the tag.  One last comment on this - many people alter clothes.  Just because the tag says it is a size 10 doesn't necessarily mean it is a 10.

    9. Don’t Go With Kids Sure, you may have to bring them sometimes. But if you’re armed with a detailed list, it can be hard to get much accomplished at a thrift store when you have little ones to watch. Shopping at thrift stores means having to sift through lots of aisles of crammed-full racks. If you have to bring your kids, plan on just shopping one of the store’s sections, and then come back another day to shop the rest.

    10. Find Ways To Repurpose Think creatively when you head out to your local Goodwill store. I read about a woman who was looking for a Christmas tree skirt, but she happened upon a perfect vintage tablecloth with red and green flowers. It was thick, durable canvas with a beautiful red fringed border – and it will work better as a tree skirt than she had originally planned.









    PHOTO CREDITS:
    http://blog.oregonlive.com
    http://media.goodwillindy.org
    http://goodwillsp.files.wordpress.com