Tag: clothing donation pickup

Building Upon the Benefits of Decluttering

Posted on by Jordank

The Organizing Blog has often extolled the many virtues of decluttering in streamlining your space and building your overall well-being — and offered plenty of targeted advice on many aspects of the topic.

We have also made it easy to get rid of the extra junk that we’ve helped you clear out of your closets, basements and garages by contacting ClothingDonations.org for convenient, tax-deductible pickups throughout the year.

But you may not yet be aware of what happens to your donations and the ways in which they help the nation’s veterans. Reducing clutter is reward enough, but your donations are crucial to programs that help veterans throughout the country.

When you donate to ClothingDonations.org, the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) coordinates pickup. VVA is a national veterans service organization that’s funded mostly though fundraising activities and membership fees.

The association’s primary source of funding is the resale of items donated to ClothingDonations.org. VVA picks up your generous donations and resells them in bulk to qualified, privately owned thrift-store operators, who in turn sell the used goods to bargain-shoppers.

Money from resale goes directly to local, state and national programs designed to help VVA’s more than 75,000 members, other veterans in need and their families. They help throw chapter get-togethers, build memorials to those who gave their lives in service, send veterans’ grandchildren to college and more.

Proceeds from your donations assist veterans nationwide in accessing guaranteed government benefits, affordable housing and health care. They help veterans cope with problems such as Agent Orange exposure, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse.

On a national level, VVA uses the funds to advocate for legislation supporting veterans such as the Blue Water Navy Act. In short, all funds garnered from donation pickups help veterans continue to be active and vital members of the communities in which they live.

So, the next time you schedule a pickup with ClothingDonations.org, you can feel doubly good. Your simple act — decluttering — will not only improve your situation, but will also improve the lives of thousands of veterans in your community and others throughout the country.

We make it easy to #ThankAVeteran and give something back!

Thrift to Save on Back-to-School Costs

Posted on by Jordank

Most schools across the country will be starting the school year in just a few weeks — and you can tell, since the back-to-school promotions have begun in earnest at the chain stores. But if you really want to save money, you don’t have to buy everything brand-new at a Target, Walmart or Gap. Back-to-school time is one time of year when it pays to shop at the local thrift store.

If you have young children headed back to school, chances are good that they have grown out of the clothes they were wearing last fall. Good news! Thrift stores are full of lightly used clothing and school uniforms that either fit someone’s kid until recently or didn’t get worn much at all. A lot of it is desirable, big-label stuff, points out The Well-Kept Wallet, that’s getting sold at a fraction of its original price.

If you live in a northern climate, you can get the jump on winter shopping, too. When people donate used or disused clothing to charities such as ClothingDonations.org, they often eliminate items such as sweaters and winter coats from their closets in the season they need them least — and that means you can score great deals well ahead of the onset of winter weather — and long before the selection gets picked-over.

One parent writing in The Penny Hoarder reports that she was able to outfit her two daughters, both in elementary school, for less than $40 by visiting thrift stores and rummage sales strategically. The children helped her shop on most trips, she says, and likely learned to appreciate a great value at the same time.

If the kids are headed off to college, a thrift store can be an even greater resource. There, you can find items such as desks, bookshelves, coffee tables, lamps and small appliances at bargain prices, as well as the bed linens, dishes and other household goods every college student will need for the first time when moving into a dorm or residence. The thrift can also be a great source for office supplies and backpacks.

Buying at a thrift store supplied by donations to ClothingDonations.org has the added benefit of saving you money while helping fund programs for veterans. And remember, you can contact ClothingDonations.org at any time to schedule a pickup of the clothing and other items your own kids have grown out of or just don’t use anymore. Somebody will be able to use that stuff, but to you, it’s just clutter.

Including clothing, electronics, shoes and school supplies, families will spend an average of $688 on each child during the back-to-school season, according to an annual survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF), and $970 on every college student. But you can keep those costs down — way down — with a trip to the thrift store!

Get Your Garage or Yard Sale Ready Now

Posted on by Jordank

The “official” start of summer — Memorial Day — is now less than two weeks away! Longtime bargain-shoppers and declutters alike, however, know summer by its other name: garage-sale season.

We at the Organizing Blog aren’t going to tell you not to spend a sunny summer day perusing other people’s castoffs. There are tons of deals to be had! Our favorite finds include vintage bicycles, quality furniture and outdoor equipment — all scored at a fraction of their retail or auction prices.

But you likely have a lot of items like this (not to mention plenty of garage-sale staples such as CDs, small appliances, games, tools, clothing and glassware) that you just don’t use anymore — or never did. Now’s the time to start setting those things aside for your own sale.

You should allow yourself triple the time you think it might take to get your garage, yard or tag sale ready, according to The Spruce’s Do’s and Don’ts or Planning a Yard Sale. And if you start now, you can kick off summer with a few extra bucks in your pocket, and still host a holiday cookout, too.

Start with a good decluttering. Go room by room and closet to closet, and pick out the things that you haven’t used lately or just never found a place in your space and routine. Chances are good that there are quite a few of them, and they could all use new homes.

Sort those extra goods into bags and boxes; you can price and tag most items as you box them to save time later. Bulk items such as records, CDs, DVDs and magazines can go into boxes marked with a per-piece price.

Expect garage-sale shoppers to haggle, but price your merchandise to move; as much as you loved whatever it was when you bought it, you want to get rid of it now. If there is a particular item you want to mark with a non-negotiable price, put the price and “Firm” on the tag.

“Don’t price your goods based on sentiment,” The Spruce says. “The customers don’t care about your memories, and they’re certainly not willing to pay more to purchase them. If something is that valuable to you, maybe you should keep it.”

Move those boxes to the garage (or other staging area) as you fill them. Pick a day or two (and a firm time) to stage a sale, and start promoting it with advertising and signage. When the sale day arrives, you’ll be ready to put everything on display.

Contact ClothingDonations.org to pick up the leftovers and anything else you might wish to donate after the sale ends. Most areas have pickups throughout the week, meaning that you can put the extras back into boxes and place the boxes on the porch.

Start now, and you’ll have extra money in your pockets and less clutter in your home!

Time and Effort Make the Best Gifts

Posted on by Jordank

Sometimes the best gifts don’t have to cost a thing. On Mother’s Day, dedicate your time and energy instead, Money Crashers says. Mow the lawn and do the yardwork; vacuum and wash her car; make her breakfast in bed or let her sleep in for once, the site says; Mom will appreciate the effort, and these gifts will only cost a little bit of time to show you care. Another suggestion? Clean that old junk out of the garage, hall closet or basement, and contact ClothingDonations.org for a pickup. If your Mom is anything like ours, she will appreciate the newly decluttered and organized space.

Shop the Thrift for Mother’s Day

Posted on by Jordank

Sunday, May 13 is Mother’s Day, and if you’re on a budget, you’re probably looking for a good way give Mom a nice gift without looking cheap. Start at the thrift store; there are often plenty of lightly used treasures there that are ready to wrap and give. The thrift can also offer items that form the foundation of a craft project that repurposes used goods in a glamorous new way. Better still, many of the items sold at your local thrift store come from donations to ClothingDonations.org, so that DIY project will not only provide Mom with a heartfelt appreciation, it will also help fund crucial veterans’ programs throughout the country.