Take Stock of Your Home Early in the Season

Take stock of your home early in the #holiday season, the Seattle Times says. Start with holiday #decorations by weeding out anything you don’t use and #donating those things before you have the chance to store them for another season. “It’s also a good time to go through and #donate clothes, coats, toys and books,” the story says; services such as ClothingDonations.org make it easy to get those items to homes that want them while contributing to a good cause. Finally, guest-proof your house by making sure there’s adequate seating, that all surfaces are clear of clutter, and plenty of fresh towels and linens are available. #HolidayTips

Help Veterans on National POW/MIA Recognition Day

To observe National POW/MIA Recognition Day, attend a local memorial event, visit the grave of a veteran or spend some personal time with a former POW or veteran. Veterans appreciate the recognition; visit the local veterans home or hospital to spread good cheer or contribute to veterans. ClothingDonations.org makes it easy to #donate to #veterans causes — simply contact it to arrange a #free #donation #pickup of used #clothing and #household goods. We’ll resell that lightly used, unwanted stuff and give the money to a range of programs that help veterans of every U.S. conflict. #POW/MIA

Decluttering on Labor Day Weekend

If you have a lot of #stuff laying around that goes unused, Labor Day weekend is a great time to weed some of it out. Pick one of the three days and get to work: Go room to room with boxes, bins and a garbage can, selecting things to give away, sell and trash. You’ll likely be able to fill those bins with #junk you don’t want or need in just a few minutes or hours. Take that stuff and throw a #garage sale to make some extra cash, or simply contact ClothingDonations.org for a free #donation pickup to get it out of your sight quickly and help fund programs that help the nation’s many #veterans. #LaborDay

Donate the Stuff That Doesn’t Sell

Perhaps the most important secret to garage-sale success is to avoid reintegrating anything you marked for sale into your home after it ends. Think about it: You were ready to let those things go because they were no longer of any use to you; the fact that they didn’t sell at a low price doesn’t make them any more useful. Do yourself a favor: Before you make your first dollar, #schedule a #free #donation #pickup at ClothingDonations.org for the days after the #garage, #yard or #tag #sale. A truck will whisk that extra #stuff away, and the #clutter will be gone from your life for good. #GarageSaleSuccess

Pick the Best Day for Your Garage Sale

The day or days you choose to hold a #garage or #tag sale can impact its success. Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings are considered to be the best times to hold a sale, and the first weekend of the month is often when people have the most money to spend, according to personal finance specialists Ramsey Solutions. Get an early start if you expect hot weather, and try to avoid rainy days. Make sure you have plenty of small bills and coins to make change, or consider accepting digital payments via smartphone by downloading an app such as Venmo, Zelle or PayPal. Just be sure your Wi-Fi signal is strong! #GarageSaleSuccess