When you #donate a substantial amount of used goods such as clothing, housewares, furniture, books and other items to ClothingDonations.org, you can claim a charitable deduction on your federal 1040 form if you itemize. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows taxpayers to deduct the fair market value for such goods — an estimate of what a buyer might pay for the used goods based on condition. ClothingDonations.org will provide you with a receipt for your #donation upon pickup, but you must estimate the value of the goods donated according to IRS Form #8283 to take a deduction.
Author: Jordank
Editorial Coordinator
Organize Your Desk and Office
Many readers of the Organizing Blog are now gathering up all of their W-2s, receipts and bank statements in order to file their income taxes. And many are likely finding that their offices and desks leave a lot to be desired when it comes to #organization.
If you’re like most people (busy), chances are that you’ll have to shuffle multiple stacks of papers or go on a last-minute hunt for an essential document when any deadline approaches. And even if you’ve gone all-digital, those pesky stacks of papers somehow still form on top of your desk.
Simply being able to locate what you need when you need it can pay for itself quickly in terms of time and perhaps tax savings, too. That’s why it’s time you organized your desk and office or home office for maximum productivity.
The first step in any #organization push is a good #decluttering. Purge the office of any inactive items, Lifehack says: “Declutter, empty, shred, get rid of everything that you don’t need or want. Look around. What haven’t you used in a while?”
Once the clutter is gone or at least diminished, establish work zones and stock them with the appropriate equipment. Label drawers and file all inactive folders out of sight. Create a temporary folder for work(s) in progress.
In the digital era, good filing extends to devices, too. Is your desktop cluttered with files you didn’t put away? Do you have hundreds of old or unresolved emails? Use 15 minutes of downtime every day to sort those into their proper places on your hard drive.
Stuff keeps coming in, of course, and if you don’t address it immediately, you can easily lose track of whatever it is. To handle this, Inc. recommends the classic two-tray system — an “In” or “New” box for new tasks, and an “Out” or “Old” box for anything requiring further action.
Inc. also says to get a bigger trashcan. “Because a large trashcan is more visible, you tend to think of it more often. When unnecessary paper comes into your workspace, you’re more likely to place it in the [larger] trashcan than to stack it in a disheveled paper tower of “No clue what to do with it.”
At tax time or any time, you can benefit by streamlining your workspace. Get your office organized now, and you’ll be better prepared for every project, presentation or accountant — and life in general.
Spring-Clean During the Spring Rains
There’s no better time than a rainy spring day to “clean and organize something really well,” says Apartment Therapy. The site suggests scrubbing and #decluttering the kitchen cupboards, sorting through a linen closet and organizing the home library, but there are likely a number of areas in your home that could benefit from a carefully considered purge and wipedown. Take advantage of the weather and contact ClothingDonations.org for a donation pickup when you’re done sorting through that stuff; the proceeds from your donations will help fund veterans’ programs nationwide.
Make a Few Rainy-Day Goals
Rainy days are not only good for spring cleaning, says WiseBread, they’re good for pursuing larger goals, too. You might choose to start a savings fund, for example, or get to work on an all-encompassing five-year life plan. You might start a new hobby, or revisit an old one. A dreary day can lend itself to writing, so you might make a journal entry or catch up on correspondence. Hungry? Try a new recipe or better still, make a big batch of meals for the days and weeks ahead. Or just sleep, the story says: “If you’re the type of person who’s chronically under-rested, a rainy weekend day is the perfect time to sleep in.”
Rainy-Day Crafts for Kids
Inclement spring days can be torture for younger kids stuck inside, especially during spring break. Parents can keep kids entertained (and give them a chance exercise their creativity) by engaging in a few fun craft projects. Better Homes & Gardens suggests decorating a lunchbox and making braided or button bracelets. Bottle-cap magnets and decorated picture frames will be handy for posting other masterpieces and family photos to the fridge and walls, while handcrafted greeting cards will let family and friends know that the kids care. The options are limitless, even if other activities are rained out.