Here’s What You Should Donate to Charity
When the sun begins to shine on warm days, it’s a great inducer of spring fever in a lot of people, and it’s the ideal chance to clean your home and collect unused items to donate to charity. Spring’s the opportune time to clear out closets, dressers and garages, because it often seems that over the winter months, things have piled up until you’re swimming in belongings that you don’t really need.
One of the best ways to reduce the amount of clutter in your home through charity donations. Although we all probably think of this option and it may seem overwhelming at first, it isn’t. I have an easy-to-tackle list of items that you should donate to charity to start your spring cleaning and donations.
Sort your items
The first step in decluttering is to sort your items. I suggest having three categories for sorting that are both mental and physical piles. When you’re deciding what to do with an item, sort it into these categories: keep, donate and trash. As you sort and clean your home, you’ll want to keep this mental checklist in your mind as you decide what items to keep and what to donate. Remember, just because an item may have sentimental value, it may not always be the most donate-worthy item. Keep an objective mindset when deciding what items to donate and what items to toss.
Clothing and shoes
Perhaps it’s the best place to start, especially when it’s spring time. One good rule of thumb as to what clothing to clear from your closet is the six-month rule. If you haven’t worn it in six-months, or in this case the past season, then donate it.
Linens
Bedsheets and bath towels are perfect items to donate to charity when you’re ready to replace them. Take these to animal shelters, as they’re in constant need of linens.
Furniture
If you have furniture that’s ready to be replaced in your house, don’t trash it unless it’s unusable. So many furniture pieces can be enjoyed for years with a little TLC and updating.
Kids’ toys
Children have so many toys these days that they often need to be donated because the child outgrows them before they’re too worn. Toys make the perfect items to donate to charity for this very reason.
Books, movies and CDs
You may be surprised, but books and movies are some of the most popular products in charity resale stores. If there are books and movies taking up space that you don’t plan to watch or read regularly, put them in your donation pile.
Electronics
In this electronic age, we’re constantly upgrading cell phones. Rather than using an old drawer for storage, donate them. Old printers, computers, TVs and especially cell phones can be refurbished with a little work to benefit local charities and people in need.
Building supplies and tools
When you’re spring cleaning, don’t forget to go through the garage and outdoor buildings. You may find pieces of scrap wood that you don’t plan on using, various screws and building materials and even tools to donate to charities.
Personal care products
One area I like to clean out yearly is bathroom cabinets. If you’ve had personal care products in your bathroom that haven’t been used in the past year, donate them. Personal care products are usually at the top of donation lists for charities, so they’re a great addition to your box to donate.
Food
When gathering items to donate, don’t forget to clean out your pantry. Non-perishable items such as canned foods, dry pasta and non-refrigerated jars of peanut butter are always at the forefront of needs for food pantries.
Spring cleaning can be the perfect opportunity to take your old household items and donate to charity. You can do yourself a favor if you itemize deductions on your taxes. When donating your items, donate to a charity that’s tax-exempt and get receipts for all your donations throughout the year. When you do this, you’ll find that you’re not only helping to declutter your home during spring cleaning, but may just find yourself with a lower tax bill next year.
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Here’s What You Should Donate to Charity
When the sun begins to shine on warm days, it’s a great inducer of spring fever in a lot of people, and it’s the ideal chance to clean your home and ...