Make an Impact on National Give Something Away Day

National Give Something Away Day — celebrated each year on July 15 — was created as a reminder for people to give back. How you choose to give can take multiple forms, but selfless acts are their own reward.

Many people have much more than what’s necessary to survive, but know that there are people in need nearby. National Give Something Away Day encourages us to take stock of the #things and comforts around us and share them with others.

What you give and to whom is entirely up to you. You might give a friend an old #tchotchke they’ve long admired or a bouquet of flowers. You might buy the person behind you in line a coffee or a sandwich. No gift is too small.

You can also choose #donate the gift of time to a local charity or organization by #volunteering. Perhaps there’s a food pantry or outreach organization that could use your help and specialized knowledge.

One fantastic way to celebrate National Give Something Away Day is to #clean out your #closets and other #storage areas to weed out the #stuff you no longer need. If whatever you find is in wearable or working condition, chances are that somebody else can use it.

Start with a single #closet or room. Sort through all of the #clothing, #books, #decorations and other #household items to see what has a place, setting aside anything that doesn’t fit or only creates #clutter. You’ll probably see the piles build up fast!

Put that #junk into #bags and #boxes and contact ClothingDonations.org to schedule a #free #donation #pickup. Not only will you be giving something away and reclaiming #space, you’ll be #helping to fund programs that benefit the nation’s #veterans.

You can observe National Give Something Away Day on any day of the year, of course. But its reminder to give is one that yields benefits for everyone involved. #NationalGiveSomethingAwayDay

Congrats to the Dads & Grads

June is the month of #dads and #grads. Different accomplishments, yes — but the two events can get you #celebrating all month long.

Father’s Day is straightforward enough: You #thank dear old dad for helping raise the family. That may involve cooking a favorite meal, taking him to a game or concert, or any number of other gestures to show how much you appreciate him.

Grads are a little more complicated. You want to mark the milestone and give them a good sendoff if they’re heading to college. This often involves the ceremony, a big potluck, friends and family from various eras of their young lives, and more.

Good #gifts include anything they will need as they move toward independence with nominal life skills: air fryers, a decent set of sheets, maybe a new laptop. And just as practical, Oprah Daily says, are gift cards and cash they can spend on meals and other supplies.

If you really want to go overboard for a college-bound teen, the latest celebration idea is a college reveal party, TLC says. While are a bit controversial, the new trend often includes parties decorated in college colors, “reveal” photoshoots and mailed announcements.

New graduates should take a few days during the summer to #declutter the #stuff that has amassed over the first 18 years of their lives, Making My Way says: “You obviously can’t bring everything to college, and storing everything is just too much of a hassle.”

Want to cut the #clutter and pad your teen’s pockets before sending them off to an expensive trade school, college or university? Ask them to #organize, #declutter, and sell their excess #junk at a #garage or #yard #sale. They can keep the cash to fund the first year.

Dads can benefit from a good #decluttering, too. They usually have even more years’ worth of accumulated #stuff they can afford to part with, and some of them may be getting older and need to #downsize.

You can always #donate that extra #stuff to ClothingDonations.org — and that donation will help fund valuable #veterans programs. Best wishes to the dads and grads this month!

More Stuff Equals More Garage Sale Shoppers

A #garage sale is kind of a needle-in-a-haystack proposition for shoppers, so more #stuff tends to draw more people. If you have a ton of #merchandise to #declutter, you can go it alone with a sale, but if you don’t, “collaborate with friends and family,” says My Blessed Life. Create a bookkeeping system to divvy up the money, or piggyback onto a neighborhoodwide sale. You can also attract the interest of more and different customers by having the kids set up a lemonade stand or sell baked goods. And before you even open for business, schedule a #free #donation #pickup with ClohtingDonations.org to get rid of the excess junk after the fact. #GarageSaleHacks

Goods That Will Make or Break Your Garage Sale

There are 12 categories of #garage-sale goods that “sell like hotcakes,” WiseBread says. Good quality, gently used #clothing; tools; furniture (especially bookcases or shelves); vintage dishes, glassware, and casseroles; garden tools; handbags; costume jewelry; games, toys, and bicycles; books; appliances; camping gear and other sporting goods; and exercise equipment. “Put pictures in your ad. Basic exercise equipment like weights will usually go quickly, but older treadmills or exercise bikes may linger, depending on how you price them and how quickly you want to get rid of them.” #GarageSaleHacks

Price Garage Sale Goods to Move

Even if you’re looking to make #money on your old #stuff at a #garage sale, don’t get so caught up in the profit motive that forget why you’re selling that #junk — sorry, those treasures — in the first place. Everything must go if you want to clear the #clutter! “Focus on pricing to sell,” says Love to Know. “Your front #yard isn’t an #antiques store, and you shouldn’t set your prices like it is one.” You can, however, price certain items to allow room for haggling. If you’d like to make about $10 in profit on a quality collectible, for example, tag it a bit higher to make room for people who will inevitably ask for a break on the price. #GarageSaleHacks