121 Things You Can Throw Away or Donate This Week

I have too much stuff. There is said it.

I know I have too much stuff because I finally got around to organizing my office this week, and as I looked at the pile of things I hadn’t used in years, I tried to remember why I thought I ever needed them in the first place.

Some things were just old items that I didn’t need anymore, but a lot of it was excess. Like the 200 sheet protectors or the 6 packs of dinosaur themed thank you cards. I’m sure I had a project in mind for those sheet protectors at the time I bought them; it’s just eluding me at this moment.

That pile of junk has inspired me to take a deep hard look all around my house at the things I hold onto that have no use or hold no meaning to me.

You know what? I have A LOT of things like that. I bet you do, too.

121 Things You Can Throw Away or Donate This Week

Some items are tough to get rid of.

I don’t know why, but I still have a few of my old notebooks from college. Half of the pages are notes, but the other half are purely doodles. I don’t know which I’m more proud of, actually.

I’ll probably keep those forever.

My children also like to keep everything that comes home from school.

I’ve had to keep a box in the kitchen to catch all of those papers and at the end of the year we go through it and they choose which ones they want to keep. By looking at the pile of old tests and drawing we have kept, I think we may need to lower the number of papers they can keep from day one. 

Things to Just Throw Away

Here are some things you can find around your house to simply throw away. If you’re anything like me, you will be able to basically use this as a checklist! 😀 Of course, please recycle anything that you can! 

1. Old drawings
2. School papers
3. Old paint cans
4. Tiny pencils
5. Plastic containers missing lids
6. Lids missing containers
7. Really old financial files – the general rule is to keep them for 7 years
8. Excess rubber bands
9. Broken things
10. Ratty clothing – If your underwear has air conditioning, it can go.
11. Nearly empty glue sticks – They’ll probably dry up before you get to use that last little bit anyway.
12. Board games with missing pieces 
13. Old pet toys 
14. Broken shovels and rakes 
15. Nearly used up crayons
16. Dried up pens/markers – Do a full house sweep, there are more than you think.
17. Toys from kids meals
18. Cardboard boxes
19. Expired food from the fridge and pantry
20. Expired/unused medicine – You can take them to your local pharmacy to dispose of.
21. Hair brushes/combs that are missing bristles or teeth
22. Dead batteries 
23. Dried up or chunky nail polish 
24. Junk mail
25. Expired coupons
26. Clothes hangers from the store
27. Plastic to-go cups from restaurants
28. Old makeup
29. 3+ year old sunscreen – Typically the shelf life is 3 years after purchase.
30. Take out menus – If they post their menu online now, you don’t need the hard copy anymore
31. Non-stick cookware that has scratches on it 
32. Hose or tights with runs in them
33. That vacuum that doesn’t work anymore that you’ll never repair 
34. Old laptops/Computers 
35. Halloween candy you never ate
36. Super Glue that’s completely glued shut
37. Store loyalty cards – you can look these up with your phone number now
38. Promo stuff like mini calendars from local merchants
39. The phone book
40. Plastic bags
41. Electronics that are broken but you still have around anyway
42. Bottles of anything that has just a little left in it. 
43. DIY projects that were never finished
44. Paperwork saved on items you don’t own anymore 
45. Worn out luggage
46. Old spices
47. Clothes you keep “just in case” you can fit into them again
48. Anything too rusted to fix
49. Old cleaning supplies 
50. Dead plants – That herb garden was a great attempt. I wish I had a green thumb.
51. DVD cases- Get a CD/DVD binder to keep them all in one convenient spot and free up some shelf space.
52. Extra pieces from things you assembled yourself
53. Condiment packets 
54. Outdated electronics
55. Electrical cords with cuts on them – fire hazard!
56. Expired lotions 

Things You Can Donate (Tax Deductions!)

1. Toys the kids have aged out of
2. Excess pot and pans
3. Books no longer being read
4. Jewelry
5. Lesser used appliances- Do you really use that strawberry slicer often enough to keep it?
6. Picture frames
7. Excess plates
8. Number of toys to match the number of toys received for Christmas or Birthdays
9. Baby clothes
10. Anything baby related once the kids are grown
11. Mismatched/extra forks, spoons, knives
12. Collectible souvenir cups
13. Outdoor toys
14. Sports equipment
15. Shoes that don’t fit or you just don’t want anymore
16. Sheets
17. Coffee mugs you don’t use often
18. Seasonal decorations you haven’t used within the last two years
19. Glass jars
20. Any clothes you haven’t worn in over 2 years
21. Musical instruments
22. Unused pet equipment
23. Hotel toiletries 
24. Pokémon – If your kid is a pro, he doesn’t need or want those old low level cards anymore. At least that’s’ what I’ve been told.
25. Baseball cards
26. Magazines – Nursing homes/ schools and rehab centers use these for craft time or projects.
27. Purses
28. Planters
29. Coats
30. Hats
31. Half colored coloring books
32. Extra buttons that come on new clothing 
33. Towels
34. Gifts received but never used 
35. Old cell phones
36. Miscellaneous cords
37. VHS players
38. CD players
39. Samples – perfume, lotions, deodorant, etc
40. VHS tapes
41. Candy dishes
42. DVDs you don’t watch anymore
43. Cassettes
44. Scrap items from remodel projects – You may not want those cabinets, old fan or door knobs, but someone will.
45. Coupons that are still good but you’ll never use – Take them with you to the store, and leave them on the shelf next to the item. Like a couponing fairy 😀
46. Old postcards
47. Scarves
48. Fitness equipment you don’t use
49. Hair styling equipment – nursing homes always need this type of stuff for their residents.
50. Perfume – shelters and nursing homes will take these also.
51. Bathing suits
52. Hair accessories you rarely wear
53. Tools you have multiples of
54. Washcloths
55. Outdated gaming systems
56. Flower vases
57. Baseball caps
58. Gadget parts – Did you get rid of that beard trimmer or vacuum already, but still have the bags or extra trimmer heads in storage?
59. Seats – old stools, couches, chairs, benches
60. Educational materials – once the kids age out, pass these on to another family
61. Anything duplicate you don’t need, really
62. Blankets
63. Video games
64. Vacation trinkets – Like that mini surfer dude statue with “Myrtle Beach 2001” written on it. 😀
65. Anything left over after a breakup – Anything and everything. Just send it all to the local charity house.

Make it a Habit

It felt so good to get rid of all the extra stuff I didn’t actually need!! It needs to become a tradition. Hopefully one year I won’t need to do it. (That will be the fictional year that I don’t accumulate useless junk)

If you can make a regular purge like this into a habit, you will feel so much better. I found that with every item I got rid of, my true passions became clearer. I didn’t need all the things on this list. They were just keeping me from having a clean home and cluttering my line of sight at all times.

I’ve vowed as a mom to focus on gratefulness this year. And these items definitely didn’t contribute in any way to my gratefulness attitude. Only my family and friends and faith can do that. This has been such a refreshing exercise.

Do you want to throw away or donate 121 things with me? If so, comment below and let us know your commitment (or even better, that you actually did it already!)

Do You Prefer to Sell Things Instead of Tossing/Donating?

I didn’t technically donate every single thing on my donate list. I sold about five of the items. It was so stinkin’ easy! I barely had to do any work at all. I used the LetGo app and Facebook to advertise for free, and the items practically sold themselves! 

Having a hard time deciding how to start? Check out 15 Things to Sell for Quick Cash 

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Cecilia Williams

Is a hard working mother of 2 that enjoys taking naps, solving puzzles and helping make this world a better place, one article at a time.
Come check me out over at my blog www.lazygeniusmom.com

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