Photo credit: ladyheart from morguefile.com
Once again motherhood dragged me away from the computer and I was unable to post my Greening Me Wednesday post, but such is being a parent. This week I wanted to touch on passing on your used items. I found out something horrible. Some people don’t donate their used items, they just throw them away! The excuses range from “if I don’t want it who would?” to “there is no place to donate close to me.” My answer is simple: the standard, “one persons garbage is another persons treasure” is so very true. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve done the happy dance after a yard sale or after visiting a thrift shop. My recent finds: a juicer for $4.00 ( I gave it to my mom and she lost 6 pounds!) and a Scooby Doo Mystery Machine for $1.00 ( my son is thrilled) I would have missed out if these items went to the dump. As far as having to travel to donate, I doubt it, you might just need to ask around or look harder. Most churches have thrift stores and many places have drive up bins for clothes and shoes. I even saw one that took toys!
Donating or having a yard sale is an easy way to help save the Earth and make someone happy at the same time. The Salvation Army by my house is always filled with college students looking for a bargain. In this economy, these types of stores offer people a way to save some cash. Passing items on to other people instead of throwing them away saves our precious resources. Used books are often collected by libraries to sell for fundraisers. I myself enjoy these sales! You can also check at your child’s preschool about donating toys or books. I’ve given lots to mine over the years my boys have been there. You can also check hospitals and local community centers to see what their needs might be now and in the future.
What Can You Do:
- Take some time this upcoming season to clean out your home. The closets, attic, basement, anywhere and find things you no longer need, but someone else would love.
- Locate places in your community that could use them Take out a phone book call your local libraries, hospitals, churches, and I’m sure you’ll be surprised at what you can find. Think of friends or family that could benefit from these items. I know I have several friends that I swap clothes, books and toys with on a regular basis.
- Have a garage sale. Okay, so my last one was a bit of a bust, but I did clean out my house, make a couple bucks, spent some quality time with a friend and donated when I done. In the end it was a total score! Make money, make people happy and recycle!
Pass It On!
YUMMommy says
I am a huge fan of donating. I hate it when I pass by and ppl have good stuff like coffee tables and usable chairs beside the road for the trash. Why not help somebody in need by donating or at the very least make a few $$ off it?
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