Donating broken or overly worn items simply adds to the cost of running charity stores. It actually costs them money to throw things out. If it's not good enough for you to use then don't donate it to a charity store. BUT! there are some crafting groups who could use the fabric from old clothes and you could donate old electronics to highschools or other groups that teach electronics.
Goodwill recycles unsalable clothing. I read somewhere that they make a significant amount of money doing this and that they were one of the largest recyclers in the US.
Regarding the fridge/freezer purge: While it is a great idea to make sure that your fridge is clean and rotated out, please please remember that dates on products are "best by" dates and rarely mean that food is expired. Companies use dates for "quality" and "freshness", but food is a fickle thing and rarely can expire at a set date. People throw out and waste soooo much food, especially here in the US.
The same goes for medicines. A medicine might say it goes bad by a particular date, but that might be because its only 99% effective after that time. On the other hand a very few drugs become toxic over time. Read up on the specific drug in question to see if it really goes bad or not.
If and when you do decide to get rid of expired/old medications, please bring them back to your pharmacy!! I'm not sure if it's universal, but in my province all pharmacies take in old/expired meds free of charge to dispose of properly so they do not end up in the environment and it helps prevent drug diversion/abuse.
Remember that the fewer items you have in your fridge and freezer, the more energy it uses to stay cool. A good tip would be to keep some bottles of tap water in it to keep it cool.
I firmly disagree with books you've read a million times. If you've read it that many times, chances are you'll pick it up again and browse through it.
Constantly re-visiting the same material can disincline one from exploring new material. I struggle with a similar thing when picking what to watch on Netflix. I've had to train myself to all but ignore the "Watch Again" category. Also if one is an avid reader, these can add up quickly. I know these aren't issues for everyone, but hopefully this gives you a little more perspective. My favorite thing to do with books I've read multiple times is give them as gifts to people who I think would appreciate them as much as I do. Bottom line: There's too much good art out there, and that's a pretty good problem to have. DFTBA
I have several books that I reread probably every month. I do make plenty of time to read other literature and watch new movies and such but reabsorbing the ideas is important for me. I even picked up a couple copies of those several books to lend to my friends. Keeping a couple books that you love isn't a problem at all.
Oh of course I'm all for that. I have a few that serve as either reference or motivational material. Sort of a lame example, but as a writer, they'll probably bury me with my copy of Elements of Style.
I agree! Yes, I've read The Silmarillion 50 or so times, but I'm probably going to read it again, and it's become partly a sentimental item at this point as well. It's the books I don't plan on ever getting around to that have to go, imo!
This jumped out at me too! Excuse me? If I have a book I've read a million times, it means I really love the book and use that object often. Why would I get rid of something like that? I feel like that line was written by someone who doesn't read for pleasure.
Please don't donate broken items, just dispose of them. The poor need good/fair quality items, just because they're poor doesn't mean they deserve broken items.
ObsidianMoonChild agree if donated they have to throw it out anyway my son once worked for goodwill people just left broken stuff they would just have to throw out and would even drop off bug infested stuff they would just have to throw out
@ObsidianMoonChild My mother loves to shop but also keeps her possessions "cycling" as she donates so very much to great thrift shops that benefit Hospice, our local Hospital, nursing homes, etc. She always tells me, "Never donate something you wouldn't use yourself; throw that item away."
Donate doesn't always mean just take it the way it is. Some places I take broken jewelry to takes the stones out or the pendants and makes things with them. Free geek takes apart laptops and sells the pieces that do work to people who can't afford full price. If you can upcycle an item you should. That's a part of donating too.
When purging your fridge, remember to use logic. The expiry date does not mean that it automatically goes bad at 12:01 on that date. Condiments such as mustard can last way beyond their expiry date. Even milk can still be good after the expiry date. If it smells bad, tastes off, or has things growing in it then get rid of it. Otherwise, save yourself some money and keep consuming it!
As a kid, my mom (Single mom) would buy expiry yogurts only by a few days so if it was 0.99 cents be for expiry after it was 0.59. We never got sick, 3 kids lots of mouths to feed.
Jessica McNeal Your mom was very smart. I didn't learn until about five years ago that yogurt is good around ten days after the "expiration date". Imagine my surprise since I enjoy more costly Greek yogurt.
girl interrupted Dear Girl, I once opened a quart of organic yogurt that accidentally got stashed in a tool box for several months. It looked, smelled, and tasted great. I ate it all with no worries.
I can't say I agree with the recommendation on towels with rips or stains. Some people, like myself, don't mind the bad esthetics as long as the towel is still functional and doesn't smell bad. Of course, I would never offer that ugly towel to a guest but otherwise, I don't see why I should throw it out. Different people will have different prefences on what items needs to be pleasant to look at versus simply functional. From a sustainablility point of view, it is better to only get rid of an item only when it is no longer functional. Further, for people who really are bothered by ugly towels and sheets, Lauren could have recommended they be be cut up to be used as rags.
I have to say that these are all good ideas. I'd also recommend knocking out unnecessary dishes. If you have ten plates but live alone, you could, at the very least, sell three of them to open some space in your cabinets and sink/dishwasher.
Strongly disagree about getting rid of books you have read and enjoyed. I don't collect very much, but books are the one thing I do collect. I love having a curated library of books that I either enjoyed and/or found had some impact on me. There were a lot of great tips in this video, and although I do purge occasionally, I could stand to do it more and to be vigilant in general. It's fine if you don't care about holding onto books, Lauren, but I think many people do, and don't consider them wastes of space at all.
I absolutely agree, books are not a waste of space. I actually have a room dedicated (mostly) solely to book storage. and I keep unreads because I might/probably will pick them up and read them someday. I've recently picked up a book off my shelf (The House of the Scorpion) that I hadn't read yet and I'm glad I did and disappointed I didn't read it sooner.
SamuraiMatt Ooh, House of the Scorpion was great! Very interesting read. I should check out more of Nancy Farmer's work, that's the second book of hers I really enjoyed (the other being The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm). Here's how I approach books I haven't read. Like many readers, I have a long "to-read" list, and lots of unread books around at any time. I will freely collect these, especially if I get them cheap at a garage or library sale or something. Then, when the 'pile' gets too big, I'll sit down and read the first chapter or so of each one--just enough to tell if I'm actually interested or if my first impression was wrong. I keep the ones that intrigued me, and get rid of the ones that didn't.
+DanThePropMan I have read her books The Sea of Trolls series, really enjoyed that! (My UA-cam channel name actually used to be named after the sage/magician in the series) I'll definitely check out that other one! that's a solid tip for what to do with a to-read pile. I'll have to try that when I can make more time to just sit down with a pile. has any book ever taken more than one chapter to judge in this way? I know sometimes the first chapter is a slower start
SamuraiMatt Occasionally, but not often. I might skim a little bit to get to the inciting incident or get a feel for the author's style of prose. More important at this point to determine whether the book has some quality I like (plot, writing style, sense of humor, characters, etc.) than to follow the sequence of events closely. Only once has this method failed me. I started reading a fantasy book called Tinker earlier this year. Really interesting world, conceit, and mechanics, but halfway through the writing took a nosedive in quality and the character relationships just got stupid and one-dimensional. I felt so betrayed.
If you've frozen things, they're /definitely/ not gonna be bad after the arbitrary dates on the product. It doesn't save money to throw away perfectly good food, and freezing is a great way to stock up on deals and pace yourself to avoid expiration issues. I'm also not sure why things like declaring that one needs unstained linens saves anyone money. Honestly, it feels a bit judgmental. We're not all trying to impress anyone, and perfectly useable but not totally attractive items aren't going to sell for as much as it would cost to replace them. So one way I save money is by being happy with the things I have that work fine.
I totally agree with you on both subjects. I think the food wastage is appalling. People don't seem to use common sense, or even bother to think for themselves.
I agree. I don't feel the need to replace perfectly serviceable linen etc just because it's a bit old. I also freeze and pace it out as you said you do. I do, however, agree with her regarding using energy saving light bulbs. I used the energy saving flourescent bulbs when they first came out and have recently switched to LED bulbs that are even more efficient and give a much better quality of light. I bought a few at a time as I couldn't afford to do them all at once, but I'm very happy with them. I was surprised by how good the quality of light is with them as I've had a few LED torches and I found them to be rather useless but the light bulbs are really good.
+kez kezooie How nice for you. I can't use LEDs because the light hurts my eyes. As always, the solution suggested by the techies shuts out a portion of the population. It's like they're the only people who count, and if you can't use their shit, well fuck you.
How nice for me? Why the attitude? I wasn't judging anyone else if they couldn't use LED lightbulbs. If you can't, you can't. Personally, I couldn't use the old flourescent light bars but I could handle the smaller coil ones. Perhaps you could tolerate the new LED lighbulbs, especially the warm ones. All the best.
Use a Sharpie to date each of your condiments so you know when you open them because a lot of times they expire within a few months of opening. Things like salsa and taco sauce you can't just keep until the expiration date, so it's really important to use a site like Still Tasty to figure out how long something can last.
Kaisa Kyläkoski it's actually a great idea, at least in my area broken electronics and even Christmas lights are either repaired or recycled. Same for clothes and shoes, which can be put to industrial use if donated properly. :)
You would be surprised how many repair shop people go to the thrift stores/good will/etc to find broken things for parts. They get a good deal on what they need and it helps to keep their prices down for the customers. What I don't like are the pawn shops that sell the broken items as though they aren't broken at all. That's what needs to be corrected...or watched out for...
Kaisa Kyläkoski Here in the UK, thrift shops are known as charity shops and for nmbr sensible and legal reasons won't accept really worn, incomplete nor damaged goods. Electrical good must be safety tested by qualified spark n all Furniture must have fire safety tags. Ofcourse there are still other alternative outlets like recycling centres, boot sales or online sites
"dedicate a week to eating home cooked meals" - wait, how often do you (or an average person) eat out? I only eat out for special occasions like date night or birthdays. Maybe once a fortnight if I'm being generous. That seems like the perfect place to cut down on unnecessary spending.
Apparently "most" people buy morning coffee or lunch out every work day and eat take out or dine out 3-4 times per week. www.zagat.com/b/the-state-of-american-dining-in-2016 And now Americans spend more in restaurants than at the grocery store: qz.com/706550/no-one-cooks-anymore/? That's insane!
People please, THINK. The advises she gives are just advises, you can do whatever you want, if your books are important to you (like they are to me because I'm a literature student) then don't give them away. If you want to keep some old clothes just because you like them then keep them. You can still use the other advises. She's not telling us to throw things that are important to us but the stuff we really know we won't use again.
I have all my university notes and papers stored up and I intend to keep them stored up as I do want to check things time to time or reread them or teach myself things I have forgot... Books; I sold all my old school books from junior high. I sell books I don't read twice (which are usually gifts). I have 5 bookcases filled with books and have 4 boxes in storage. I love reading, can't help it! But throw out sheets?! I make all my clothes from sheets and curtains! I take all the old sheets and curtains from my friends too! It's free fabric! And what doesn't go on is thrown to be an oil rag. After that it's burned. We all have our own ways. :) You are absolutely right we all have things we can get rid of but it's personal what those things are. (Or then I'm just odd.)
Related to #6: I'm a student and I like to reference my old notes from time to time but those notebooks take up a ton a space! A few semesters ago I started scanning all of my old notes and storing the files on a cloud service (like box or dropbox so I could reference them from just about anywhere), and then recycling the notebooks.
my mom had two cabinet shelves full of spices, 90% of them were expired, I threw them out and now she has a third of what she had and it freed up a lot of cabinet space that she desperately needed.
I keep my clothes for years, some of them 'just in case'. I have recently lost some weight and can fit into some of the things I've kept. I'm not into fashion so as long as it fits and isn't too old fashioned I'll wear it. It's saved me loads of money, not having to buy all new.
Here's what I do with sponges: I sanitize my sponges at least weekly using white vinegar. Wring out the sponge as much as possible (make sure there is at least a little bit of dishsoap still in the sponge to act as a surfactant). Place on a small plate (scrubbie side down, if it has one), and slowly pour the vinegar over it, allowing it to absorb as much vinegar as possible and until it pools about an 1/8 of an inch up the side (or just above the level of the scrubbie). Microwave for 3 minutes on high. By this time the majority of the vinegar is steamed off. Let cool for a few minutes. (As a bonus, the steamed vinegar helps clean the microwave. Wipe it out with the newly sanitized sponge.) Rinse and use again. When the sponge has been used on dishes for a couple of weeks, I clip one corner diagonally to mark it so that it won't be used for dishes again, and then I demote it to counter cleaning. Clip a second corner when demoting it to bathroom cleaning. You can continue to demote it by clipping corners for outdoor use, car cleaning, what have you until it's thoroughly used up.
If you're having trouble getting rid of your stuff, that's okay. Chelsea has a few rules for items in your closet you shouldn't discard: ua-cam.com/video/u47uDLuVJIU/v-deo.html.
I have homemade crocheted dish clothes that can be put through the washing machine. Not only does this save money because we're not rebuying sponges all the time, but it saves on resources and they get cleaned more frequently compared to how long we'd use a sponge for.
I tend to keep loads of books but every now and again I go through them and always feel as though there are a couple more I can donate to charity each time :) so they do go down over time. I also think its lovely to pass on a book that you have enjoyed or gained knowledge from. . . Some books of course do have extra special meaning which I keep :)
The rest of the tips are great, but the book purging one is a gigantic fail. If I've read a book a million times, why wouldn't I want to read it one more time? Always keep old favorite books--you'll be sorry you got rid of them! Books you'll never read are a different story, though.
Some of the things I reread multiple times aren't safely enjoyable, they are challenging and pushed me out of my comfort zone. They worked as catalysts to make me do new things.
when you donate stuff that's broken, does the charitable foundation fix it? Maybe donating in the US means something different than where I'm from, but back here those items go to people that can't afford to buy new clothes, and I don't think they'd like to walk on shoes with broken soles any more than you do... Can anyone explain this to me? Great video otherwise (except for the book purge)
One big way this applies is any electronics that require special disposal. Most big cities have charities that will take this stuff and either refurbish, strip for materials, or safely dispose of whatever you need to get rid of (including batteries).
I'm from the UK and my mum works in a charity shop. They do make use of clothes and shoes that are not wearable as they sell them as "rags" for the material, I think most charity shops do this you can just ask. It's nice for them though if you can pre sort the wearable from the unwearable and let them know when you donate.
Many people just dump everything in Goodwill and get tax exemption paper ,so they usually sort out ,but you are absolutely right about donations - I only donate what can be wear in good and working conditions,its it garbage to me -it is also garbage to others -for the most,unless some people make some craft and repurpose things.
Emma Alsayedahmad No, not here in U.S. The garbage goes out the back door. Wha t's even worse is the fact that a lot of the "workers" at charities have an attitude & are careless & break things. I've worked in vintage, & volunteered myself. It's horrible what is wasted.
Stinky sponges can be cleaned by placing them in the dishwasher with your dirty dishes or placing them in hot water. They don't necessarily need to be thrown out. I cycle through my sponges. When the one I'm using starts to get stinky, it goes in the dishwasher. I pull a dried out sponge from under the sink and use that. Then when the dishwasher load is completed, I let that sponge dry out and put it under the sink.
Just did this, the pantry was a mess, I am extremely OCD, but my wife put things where ever she could find room. I could not believe the room I had left over and things were organized in a manner that made sense. Then it was to my refrigerator turn, WOW! I found stuff that was 14 to 16 months out of date. After purging the bad stuff I had plenty of room. I am not saying my wife is messy, but she put stuff away and I can never find it. Now everything is put together. Pasta's with kinds of pasta, canned good by category, tomatoes, paste, sauces etc. I knew we had a package of mushrooms, but I could not find them, After the purge, I found them down in other packaged goods. Now if I can get my shop back in order, I'll be happy.
Amen! Unless you're selling them, you certainly don't gain any money back on books you're giving away. It makes sense to get rid of them if you don't think you're ever going to read them, but one of the great thing about books is that they can easily last for a lifetime, if not more. The one time it might make sense to get rid of some is if you're moving, especially if that might help you avoid getting a larger moving van.
For me, finally moving out into a tiny room helped a lot. I had to focus on what I really need, because I just don't have enough space to keep annoying stuff.
Totally agree with getting rid of books. If you've read it many times, you may want to keep it, or it could be time for that book to move along and bring someone else the joy you got from reading it. I'm moving out of state by the end of the year and I finally had to admit to myself it was time to let go of most of my collection. I've been curating it for over fifteen years, but I'll keep what I love most and sell the rest. Eg I'm keeping my great grandmother's copy of The Little Princess, but I don't need two other versions. I'm more of a book rescuer (collecting mostly ones that would be thrown away), so I know I'll always be able to rebuild. Books can also be donated to the library or public schools for a tax deduction!
really felt that when she said to get rid of toiletries. My mom has a really hard time getting rid of stuff and under the sink in the guest bathroom there were literally bottles of shampoo, shaving creams, body washes, aspirins, etc that have been sitting there for no joke about six years. I went and i did a deep clean and put everything in a garbage bag and put them by the trash for them to be thrown away and she literally took the garbage bag bak inside opened it and put everything back under the sink. My mom grew up very poor so I think maybe that could be a reason why she feels like she can't let stuff go but... everything is so expired and hasn't been touched in years and won't be touched ever again i wish she would throw them out!!!
ducksandansibles At 1st, I said she right about getting rid of books that you haven't read. It makes a lot of sense. But, now I understand why someone wouldn't want to give them up, when I thought about my own albums & 45's collection. Even though I don't play them much, it's hard for me to throw them away. Songs that were once dear to my heart💛(& still is), I guess it's like books to those who enjoy reading them.😃💽...
Something I've found useful is if there are things you really want to repair (clothes, for example), find someone who needs to do the same thing and do it together. Make an event out of it - you're way more likely to actually do it that way.
A good question to ask yourself if you're struggling to get rid of books is "would I buy this again today if I saw it in a shop?" I've got a lot of books that pass that test and I'll keep ahold of them and some that I just know I'll never get around to reading. I'll challenge myself to read more of my books by the end of the year, otherwise it's going to a charity shop.
If you haven't worn something in two seasons, it's time to let it go? Once I put my Winter clothes away, I won't wear them again until the next Winter. Why would I get rid of it in two seasons?
Consignment shops will usually let you know right away, on their websites, over the phone, or by other means what they'll accept or not and when. Just do a little research.
Love books. Donated some to kids school. Kept reference books. Then bought 0 more (library FREE). Now I have 2 shelves of controlled amt of books. My home is less work, and looks great, more space. This includes magazines, library FREE, read dont KEEP.
Serious question- does no one else wash their sponges? We've got sponges that are over 5 years old, they get washed, dried and put away for another time. When I worked in hospitality I'd take home the dirty 'disposable' cloths too. 3 years on I've not had to buy any new ones yet. I wash them when they're dirty, the same way I wash tea towels.
I think we're operating under a different set of values when you're talking about clothing and "seasons" and then throwing out BOOKS. Just make sure you don't own more than seven shirts and seven pairs of pants and do a wash every week. Presto! You'd be amazed how much room this frees up for books!
Seriously. If I followed her rule about pitching clothes I haven't worn for "two seasons", I'd have to go buy shorts again in a month, because no one (except the crazy teen girls) wears shorts past September in Chicagoland. So, that's fall, winter, and I won't put them on until next month at the end of spring...
FWIW; most medications don't 'go bad'. they gradually lose potency. However, the biggest reason that your medicine has an early expiration date, is legal: the INSERT, or instructions on how to use it, change, so the manufacturer just puts an annual expiration date on it so you'll throw it away and buy new ones every year, even though there's nothing wrong with the medicine you already own. Very, very few medications become toxic as they age. VERY FEW. So check it out before you throw them away, since medicines are so very expensive.
This is like the home economics course that we all should have had but didn't. You guys should work with governmental instances to inform the curriculum. These are life essentials.
if you can't be bothered fixing something then you can't donate it otherwise you're passing on the burden of disposing it onto someone else who has to pay for it either the shop or the poor sap who buys it from them
Because of your frankness, "old cruddy sheets" & "time to throw the shit out"🤣😂 I had to subscribe. I have to park my car outside because of all the stuff in garage for my yard sale I was gonna have 6 months ago. Can't wait to see more from you.
if we have old clothing, bedding,towels, that kind of thing,it goes in four piles.mine,my man's, rag/patch, donate,if need be,we make a fifth pile,toss.like,if something is still in good shape,but we don't use,donate.if it's ragged,cut for rags/patches.if it's past being salvaged, toss.if we intend to keep,his pile,my pile.cutting up old fabric can save money.cleaning clothes are somewhat expensive, so are patches.just make your own.we keep some emergency food,in case our benefits don't come one Month,or some emergency happens.I freeze food we aren't using right away, if perishable. I make big batches of stew/soup, we eat some,freeze the rest.
Rochelle Thundercloud H&M takes in old fabrics for recycling, regardless of their state and give you a 10% discount voucher (products average sized grocery bag)
Rochelle Thundercloud I also rag my old clothing, stained or otherwise messed up stuff and use in our home or shop to clean etc.. Saves money by cutting down on the paper towls.
actually the newer light bulbs are not any better, if not worse. They take way longer to actually get bright, the light is very nasty too, first too dark then way too bright, they usually don't last as long so you have to buy more faster, and most importantly: they're more expensive, of course.
Um, are you sure you are using the newest bulbs? I have two year old LEDs from Ikea and they are INSTANT on. I also have three to six year old CFLs from Target that are on with a couple of flickers in my dining room light fixture.
Switch to E books. You can get older favorites for FREE, access them anywhere at anytime, and you don't have to store them. Did I mention that they're also usually cheaper??!
Do people not wash their kitchen sponges? we put them in the dishwasher to clean them until theyre falling apart. Also I often rewear clothes that I havent worn in a long time when I rearrange my wardrobe it feels like Ive gone shopping
I want to sell my college textbooks for the degree I didn't even get a career in, but my dad won't let me. I could get like $20 bucks for the $1000 I definitely spent on them. Okay, but I am definitely thinking of donating some of the required reading books from middle and high school English.
The one problem with selling things you don't want is you have to hang on to those items until they're sold. I feel we should swallow the loss and see as lesson learned and donate or toss (garbage, recycling or your city's Community Environment Days).
Well spoken, concise and succinct! I really appreciate these tips. So common sensed I've been missing them for years. The only down side to your video is I can't show it to my youth-group classes because of the s*** word you say twice. Please consider that these videos are extremely useful to many genre groups and would be more beneficial if the entire video was cuss-zone free. Thanks again for the tips
Discard clothes if not used in 2 seasons? I won't need my winter clothes until next winter Isn't it shortsighted to purge sweaters, coats, jackets, gloves, long underwear, wool socks every summer?
This might be my favourite video of yours! I totally agree with the school/work supplies tip. I've just had all my grades confirmed from university so I threw away 99.9% of my notes from the past three years. I mean when am I going to need my rough notes on Human Resource Management theory anyway?
I sold all my books that I read already except my 1st edition Harry potter books. I also made a lot of money selling off my college textbooks to other students after I graduated
Great video! Many information in short time! :-) Letting go of books that seem to make sense but we really won't read them... yeah, I needed to hear that again ;-)
I don't mean to be unnecessarily critical but it seems like you must have a lot of money just trash expired toiletries and medications. I have used so many expired medications and typically the only issue is that they sometimes lose a touch of their potency. Read up on prescription medication expiration dates and you will find that they simply don't have the money to test how long things really last. NPR recently did a story on this. Also, I agree with throwing out expired lotions and anything that will go on your face, but I've used expired sunscreen that is as much as two years expired and since I burn extremely easy, I know that they are still functional because I simply don't get the burns. It's the same with expired foods. Most of what I will eat this week is expired dried beans that I plan to make into delicious soups. The shelf life of dried beans is actually indefinite. Use Still Tasty to see how long things REALLY last.
Yes, but I hear this ridiculous statement about incandescent bulbs being "illegal" in the US and it's not true. Incandescent bulbs are still manufactured for US distribution and sale.
If you add some cheap, white vinegar to your dish water when you wash the dishes, then there is no reason you would ever have a smelly sponge. just fyi.
A good (and essential) topic. But I start to wonder how you manage your houshold. Besides looking explicitly over power consuming things for energie efficent variants there was nothing new for me.
Good advice but it seems like a watered down version of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. 🤔 I'd recommend that book to anyone who found this video helpful; the book (being a book with more information) was very informational and helpful.
Dude, I lost some of my books while moving out of an apartment and I cried for days. There's no way I'm getting rid of them, unless they're awful books people give me.
Purging books you've read or used a million times is ridiculous. It makes zero sense to throw away something you obviously find value in. And for what? To reclaim a few books worth of extra space? Not worth it. If it's a book you've read a few times, or once and you know you won't read it or (like those old clothes) you haven't touched it in a few years, then fair enough, toss it out. But if it's a well loved piece that you re-read over and over while you expand your library? No. Some older (and maybe obscure) books are very hard to find these days and even if you do find them and want to purchase them again down the line, they can be very expensive. I made the mistake of purging a lot of books in the past and regretted many of them as they're impossible to find now. Obscure as they are, nowhere stocks them, I can't find them in a library and one of the ones I did manage to find, would have cost me several times the price to get another copy. $5 for the one I originally bought versus $90 to find a copy now. It would be nice if Kindle had every book out there but it really doesn't. Sometimes when you toss something out that you value, there's really no getting it back in any way, shape or form.
Or just don't use a sponge. Use a dish cloth! I use multiple fresh (hand knitted) dish cloths every day and toss it in with the daily load of laundry. It takes up basically no space in the load at all, and I don't have to worry about bacteria growing and leaving waste on my dishes and kitchen surfaces.
TheNecrohazard Don't microwave. unless you know the kind of plastic it's made of, you run the risk of it breaking down. It's why only some plastic dishes are "microwave safe."
EW! Sponges? Switch to microfiber clothes. Can buy in packs of 10-12, use them like paper towels and the best part is you can through them in the wash and reuse (just don't use fabric softener on microfiber). Each towel gets about 500 (no exaggeration!!) uses before they become rags for hubbies garage. Economical and Eco friendly and they do a great job cleaning and dusting everything around the house, including mirrors (spritz some water, wipe - poof! spit shine and no streeks).
Another good video. Really dislike the cuts between the two levels of zoom however. The jump are really jarring and make the video really hard to watch, even though the content is good.
Please please everyone, always donate your unwanted bedding and towels, maybe stuffed-animal toys to your closest animal shelter. Better if you ask if they will take it, but usualy they always in the need.
Re: #7
Animal shelters are almost always in need of old linens, blankets, towels etc. please donate these items.
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Orphanages too, don't forget about human beings!
Donating broken or overly worn items simply adds to the cost of running charity stores. It actually costs them money to throw things out. If it's not good enough for you to use then don't donate it to a charity store.
BUT! there are some crafting groups who could use the fabric from old clothes and you could donate old electronics to highschools or other groups that teach electronics.
Sarah Grosser, such a good idea to donate to schools.
Not in the UK; charity shops sell warn out garments to people who come and collect rags by the bag load.
Goodwill recycles unsalable clothing. I read somewhere that they make a significant amount of money doing this and that they were one of the largest recyclers in the US.
I had that same thought with the comment about the shoes that needed to be re-soled.
Regarding the fridge/freezer purge: While it is a great idea to make sure that your fridge is clean and rotated out, please please remember that dates on products are "best by" dates and rarely mean that food is expired. Companies use dates for "quality" and "freshness", but food is a fickle thing and rarely can expire at a set date. People throw out and waste soooo much food, especially here in the US.
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The same goes for medicines. A medicine might say it goes bad by a particular date, but that might be because its only 99% effective after that time. On the other hand a very few drugs become toxic over time. Read up on the specific drug in question to see if it really goes bad or not.
If and when you do decide to get rid of expired/old medications, please bring them back to your pharmacy!! I'm not sure if it's universal, but in my province all pharmacies take in old/expired meds free of charge to dispose of properly so they do not end up in the environment and it helps prevent drug diversion/abuse.
Remember that the fewer items you have in your fridge and freezer, the more energy it uses to stay cool. A good tip would be to keep some bottles of tap water in it to keep it cool.
If you are getting rid of old sheets, towels, or blankets, try donating them to your local animal shelter.
I firmly disagree with books you've read a million times. If you've read it that many times, chances are you'll pick it up again and browse through it.
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Constantly re-visiting the same material can disincline one from exploring new material. I struggle with a similar thing when picking what to watch on Netflix. I've had to train myself to all but ignore the "Watch Again" category.
Also if one is an avid reader, these can add up quickly. I know these aren't issues for everyone, but hopefully this gives you a little more perspective.
My favorite thing to do with books I've read multiple times is give them as gifts to people who I think would appreciate them as much as I do.
Bottom line: There's too much good art out there, and that's a pretty good problem to have.
DFTBA
I have several books that I reread probably every month. I do make plenty of time to read other literature and watch new movies and such but reabsorbing the ideas is important for me. I even picked up a couple copies of those several books to lend to my friends. Keeping a couple books that you love isn't a problem at all.
Oh of course I'm all for that. I have a few that serve as either reference or motivational material. Sort of a lame example, but as a writer, they'll probably bury me with my copy of Elements of Style.
I agree! Yes, I've read The Silmarillion 50 or so times, but I'm probably going to read it again, and it's become partly a sentimental item at this point as well. It's the books I don't plan on ever getting around to that have to go, imo!
I would NEVER get rid of a book that I read a million times; that's just crazy.
But where do you put them all?
This jumped out at me too! Excuse me? If I have a book I've read a million times, it means I really love the book and use that object often. Why would I get rid of something like that? I feel like that line was written by someone who doesn't read for pleasure.
Please don't donate broken items, just dispose of them. The poor need good/fair quality items, just because they're poor doesn't mean they deserve broken items.
ObsidianMoonChild she probably donates to a place where they make repairs/repurpose broken items, not all places do it, you'd have to ask
ObsidianMoonChild agree if donated they have to throw it out anyway my son once worked for goodwill people just left broken stuff they would just have to throw out and would even drop off bug infested stuff they would just have to throw out
@ObsidianMoonChild My mother loves to shop but also keeps her possessions "cycling" as she donates so very much to great thrift shops that benefit Hospice, our local Hospital, nursing homes, etc. She always tells me, "Never donate something you wouldn't use yourself; throw that item away."
I like that logic SonshineLady.
Donate doesn't always mean just take it the way it is. Some places I take broken jewelry to takes the stones out or the pendants and makes things with them. Free geek takes apart laptops and sells the pieces that do work to people who can't afford full price. If you can upcycle an item you should. That's a part of donating too.
When purging your fridge, remember to use logic. The expiry date does not mean that it automatically goes bad at 12:01 on that date. Condiments such as mustard can last way beyond their expiry date. Even milk can still be good after the expiry date. If it smells bad, tastes off, or has things growing in it then get rid of it. Otherwise, save yourself some money and keep consuming it!
It is true. Sometimes you have to be little bit practical here. I have tried this for multiple products
As a kid, my mom (Single mom) would buy expiry yogurts only by a few days so if it was 0.99 cents be for expiry after it was 0.59. We never got sick, 3 kids lots of mouths to feed.
Jessica McNeal Your mom was very smart. I didn't learn until about five years ago that yogurt is good around ten days after the "expiration date". Imagine my surprise since I enjoy more costly Greek yogurt.
Last year my mother still used condiments that expired at 1997. Fortunately we ran out of them and now we have new condiments with new expiry dates.
girl interrupted Dear Girl,
I once opened a quart of organic yogurt that accidentally got stashed in a tool box for several months. It looked, smelled, and tasted great. I ate it all with no worries.
I can't say I agree with the recommendation on towels with rips or stains. Some people, like myself, don't mind the bad esthetics as long as the towel is still functional and doesn't smell bad. Of course, I would never offer that ugly towel to a guest but otherwise, I don't see why I should throw it out. Different people will have different prefences on what items needs to be pleasant to look at versus simply functional. From a sustainablility point of view, it is better to only get rid of an item only when it is no longer functional. Further, for people who really are bothered by ugly towels and sheets, Lauren could have recommended they be be cut up to be used as rags.
I have to say that these are all good ideas. I'd also recommend knocking out unnecessary dishes. If you have ten plates but live alone, you could, at the very least, sell three of them to open some space in your cabinets and sink/dishwasher.
Strongly disagree about getting rid of books you have read and enjoyed. I don't collect very much, but books are the one thing I do collect. I love having a curated library of books that I either enjoyed and/or found had some impact on me.
There were a lot of great tips in this video, and although I do purge occasionally, I could stand to do it more and to be vigilant in general. It's fine if you don't care about holding onto books, Lauren, but I think many people do, and don't consider them wastes of space at all.
I absolutely agree, books are not a waste of space. I actually have a room dedicated (mostly) solely to book storage. and I keep unreads because I might/probably will pick them up and read them someday. I've recently picked up a book off my shelf (The House of the Scorpion) that I hadn't read yet and I'm glad I did and disappointed I didn't read it sooner.
SamuraiMatt Ooh, House of the Scorpion was great! Very interesting read. I should check out more of Nancy Farmer's work, that's the second book of hers I really enjoyed (the other being The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm).
Here's how I approach books I haven't read. Like many readers, I have a long "to-read" list, and lots of unread books around at any time. I will freely collect these, especially if I get them cheap at a garage or library sale or something. Then, when the 'pile' gets too big, I'll sit down and read the first chapter or so of each one--just enough to tell if I'm actually interested or if my first impression was wrong. I keep the ones that intrigued me, and get rid of the ones that didn't.
+DanThePropMan I have read her books The Sea of Trolls series, really enjoyed that! (My UA-cam channel name actually used to be named after the sage/magician in the series) I'll definitely check out that other one!
that's a solid tip for what to do with a to-read pile. I'll have to try that when I can make more time to just sit down with a pile. has any book ever taken more than one chapter to judge in this way? I know sometimes the first chapter is a slower start
SamuraiMatt
Occasionally, but not often. I might skim a little bit to get to the inciting incident or get a feel for the author's style of prose. More important at this point to determine whether the book has some quality I like (plot, writing style, sense of humor, characters, etc.) than to follow the sequence of events closely.
Only once has this method failed me. I started reading a fantasy book called Tinker earlier this year. Really interesting world, conceit, and mechanics, but halfway through the writing took a nosedive in quality and the character relationships just got stupid and one-dimensional. I felt so betrayed.
That can apply to anything. The rule is "Don't get rid of things that bring you joy.".
If you've frozen things, they're /definitely/ not gonna be bad after the arbitrary dates on the product. It doesn't save money to throw away perfectly good food, and freezing is a great way to stock up on deals and pace yourself to avoid expiration issues.
I'm also not sure why things like declaring that one needs unstained linens saves anyone money. Honestly, it feels a bit judgmental. We're not all trying to impress anyone, and perfectly useable but not totally attractive items aren't going to sell for as much as it would cost to replace them. So one way I save money is by being happy with the things I have that work fine.
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I totally agree with you on both subjects. I think the food wastage is appalling. People don't seem to use common sense, or even bother to think for themselves.
I agree. I don't feel the need to replace perfectly serviceable linen etc just because it's a bit old. I also freeze and pace it out as you said you do.
I do, however, agree with her regarding using energy saving light bulbs. I used the energy saving flourescent bulbs when they first came out and have recently switched to LED bulbs that are even more efficient and give a much better quality of light. I bought a few at a time as I couldn't afford to do them all at once, but I'm very happy with them. I was surprised by how good the quality of light is with them as I've had a few LED torches and I found them to be rather useless but the light bulbs are really good.
+kez kezooie How nice for you. I can't use LEDs because the light hurts my eyes. As always, the solution suggested by the techies shuts out a portion of the population. It's like they're the only people who count, and if you can't use their shit, well fuck you.
How nice for me? Why the attitude? I wasn't judging anyone else if they couldn't use LED lightbulbs. If you can't, you can't. Personally, I couldn't use the old flourescent light bars but I could handle the smaller coil ones. Perhaps you could tolerate the new LED lighbulbs, especially the warm ones. All the best.
Use a Sharpie to date each of your condiments so you know when you open them because a lot of times they expire within a few months of opening. Things like salsa and taco sauce you can't just keep until the expiration date, so it's really important to use a site like Still Tasty to figure out how long something can last.
Donating things that require repair doesn't sound like a good idea.
Kaisa Kyläkoski it's actually a great idea, at least in my area broken electronics and even Christmas lights are either repaired or recycled. Same for clothes and shoes, which can be put to industrial use if donated properly. :)
New York can have a weird economy. It can be astounding when/why money changes hands and witch direction.
You would be surprised how many repair shop people go to the thrift stores/good will/etc to find broken things for parts. They get a good deal on what they need and it helps to keep their prices down for the customers. What I don't like are the pawn shops that sell the broken items as though they aren't broken at all. That's what needs to be corrected...or watched out for...
Kaisa Kyläkoski
Here in the UK, thrift shops are known as charity shops and for nmbr sensible and legal reasons won't accept really worn, incomplete nor damaged goods. Electrical good must be safety tested by qualified spark n all Furniture must have fire safety tags. Ofcourse there are still other alternative outlets like recycling centres, boot sales or online sites
"dedicate a week to eating home cooked meals" - wait, how often do you (or an average person) eat out? I only eat out for special occasions like date night or birthdays. Maybe once a fortnight if I'm being generous. That seems like the perfect place to cut down on unnecessary spending.
Apparently "most" people buy morning coffee or lunch out every work day and eat take out or dine out 3-4 times per week. www.zagat.com/b/the-state-of-american-dining-in-2016 And now Americans spend more in restaurants than at the grocery store: qz.com/706550/no-one-cooks-anymore/? That's insane!
Kristy Moore, wow! I had no idea. Thanks for the links. Cooking is so much cheaper!
Kristy Moore Wow! That's insane. Just cooking at home would save more than any ten "how to save money" tips.
I usually try to limit take out and fast food purchases to once a week personally for me
People please, THINK. The advises she gives are just advises, you can do whatever you want, if your books are important to you (like they are to me because I'm a literature student) then don't give them away. If you want to keep some old clothes just because you like them then keep them. You can still use the other advises. She's not telling us to throw things that are important to us but the stuff we really know we won't use again.
La vida es bella I
I have all my university notes and papers stored up and I intend to keep them stored up as I do want to check things time to time or reread them or teach myself things I have forgot... Books; I sold all my old school books from junior high. I sell books I don't read twice (which are usually gifts). I have 5 bookcases filled with books and have 4 boxes in storage. I love reading, can't help it!
But throw out sheets?! I make all my clothes from sheets and curtains! I take all the old sheets and curtains from my friends too! It's free fabric! And what doesn't go on is thrown to be an oil rag. After that it's burned.
We all have our own ways. :) You are absolutely right we all have things we can get rid of but it's personal what those things are. (Or then I'm just odd.)
Not odd, just very poor! Using other peoples sheets which have their body fluids to make clothes that go on your skin makes me wanna puke!
Related to #6: I'm a student and I like to reference my old notes from time to time but those notebooks take up a ton a space! A few semesters ago I started scanning all of my old notes and storing the files on a cloud service (like box or dropbox so I could reference them from just about anywhere), and then recycling the notebooks.
my mom had two cabinet shelves full of spices, 90% of them were expired, I threw them out and now she has a third of what she had and it freed up a lot of cabinet space that she desperately needed.
I keep my clothes for years, some of them 'just in case'. I have recently lost some weight and can fit into some of the things I've kept. I'm not into fashion so as long as it fits and isn't too old fashioned I'll wear it. It's saved me loads of money, not having to buy all new.
Here's what I do with sponges: I sanitize my sponges at least weekly using white vinegar. Wring out the sponge as much as possible (make sure there is at least a little bit of dishsoap still in the sponge to act as a surfactant). Place on a small plate (scrubbie side down, if it has one), and slowly pour the vinegar over it, allowing it to absorb as much vinegar as possible and until it pools about an 1/8 of an inch up the side (or just above the level of the scrubbie). Microwave for 3 minutes on high. By this time the majority of the vinegar is steamed off. Let cool for a few minutes. (As a bonus, the steamed vinegar helps clean the microwave. Wipe it out with the newly sanitized sponge.) Rinse and use again. When the sponge has been used on dishes for a couple of weeks, I clip one corner diagonally to mark it so that it won't be used for dishes again, and then I demote it to counter cleaning. Clip a second corner when demoting it to bathroom cleaning. You can continue to demote it by clipping corners for outdoor use, car cleaning, what have you until it's thoroughly used up.
If you're having trouble getting rid of your stuff, that's okay. Chelsea has a few rules for items in your closet you shouldn't discard: ua-cam.com/video/u47uDLuVJIU/v-deo.html.
I have watched a million of these videos and honestly this is probably the best list I've ever seen. Now if only I could actually follow it!
I have homemade crocheted dish clothes that can be put through the washing machine.
Not only does this save money because we're not rebuying sponges all the time, but it saves on resources and they get cleaned more frequently compared to how long we'd use a sponge for.
I tend to keep loads of books but every now and again I go through them and always feel as though there are a couple more I can donate to charity each time :) so they do go down over time. I also think its lovely to pass on a book that you have enjoyed or gained knowledge from. . . Some books of course do have extra special meaning which I keep :)
I can toss everything: my clothes, (some of) my shoes, my husband, my mum but I will never throw away my books! ;)
The rest of the tips are great, but the book purging one is a gigantic fail. If I've read a book a million times, why wouldn't I want to read it one more time? Always keep old favorite books--you'll be sorry you got rid of them! Books you'll never read are a different story, though.
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Because retreading safely enjoyable material can hold people back from exploring new stuff. Not a problem for everyone, but not nothing either.
Some of the things I reread multiple times aren't safely enjoyable, they are challenging and pushed me out of my comfort zone. They worked as catalysts to make me do new things.
So you don't own any dictionaries or other reliable reference material for your work or hobbies?
You can always borrow it from the library.
when you donate stuff that's broken, does the charitable foundation fix it? Maybe donating in the US means something different than where I'm from, but back here those items go to people that can't afford to buy new clothes, and I don't think they'd like to walk on shoes with broken soles any more than you do... Can anyone explain this to me? Great video otherwise (except for the book purge)
One big way this applies is any electronics that require special disposal. Most big cities have charities that will take this stuff and either refurbish, strip for materials, or safely dispose of whatever you need to get rid of (including batteries).
I'm from the UK and my mum works in a charity shop. They do make use of clothes and shoes that are not wearable as they sell them as "rags" for the material, I think most charity shops do this you can just ask. It's nice for them though if you can pre sort the wearable from the unwearable and let them know when you donate.
Emma Alsayedahmad qq
Many people just dump everything in Goodwill and get tax exemption paper ,so they usually sort out ,but you are absolutely right about donations - I only donate what can be wear in good and working conditions,its it garbage to me -it is also garbage to others -for the most,unless some people make some craft and repurpose things.
Emma Alsayedahmad No, not here in U.S. The garbage goes out the back door. Wha t's even worse is the fact that a lot of the "workers" at charities have an attitude & are careless & break things. I've worked in vintage, & volunteered myself. It's horrible what is wasted.
Yes! almost everything you said that's me! I'm in the process of downsizing and it sure feels good! Thanks!
I went thru my books kept about 8 i love donated rest now use kindle save 100s of dollars and no storage needed.
Stinky sponges can be cleaned by placing them in the dishwasher with your dirty dishes or placing them in hot water. They don't necessarily need to be thrown out. I cycle through my sponges. When the one I'm using starts to get stinky, it goes in the dishwasher. I pull a dried out sponge from under the sink and use that. Then when the dishwasher load is completed, I let that sponge dry out and put it under the sink.
Just did this, the pantry was a mess, I am extremely OCD, but my wife put things where ever she could find room. I could not believe the room I had left over and things were organized in a manner that made sense. Then it was to my refrigerator turn, WOW! I found stuff that was 14 to 16 months out of date. After purging the bad stuff I had plenty of room.
I am not saying my wife is messy, but she put stuff away and I can never find it. Now everything is put together. Pasta's with kinds of pasta, canned good by category, tomatoes, paste, sauces etc. I knew we had a package of mushrooms, but I could not find them, After the purge, I found them down in other packaged goods.
Now if I can get my shop back in order, I'll be happy.
I will never get rid of my books... and I'm not sorry about it! The other things make sense, though.
Amen! Unless you're selling them, you certainly don't gain any money back on books you're giving away. It makes sense to get rid of them if you don't think you're ever going to read them, but one of the great thing about books is that they can easily last for a lifetime, if not more. The one time it might make sense to get rid of some is if you're moving, especially if that might help you avoid getting a larger moving van.
For me, finally moving out into a tiny room helped a lot. I had to focus on what I really need, because I just don't have enough space to keep annoying stuff.
Donate the sheets and towels to an animal shelter!
Should I get rid of books I've owned for years and never thought about reading rather than the book that I love so much I'm always reading it?
Totally agree with getting rid of books. If you've read it many times, you may want to keep it, or it could be time for that book to move along and bring someone else the joy you got from reading it.
I'm moving out of state by the end of the year and I finally had to admit to myself it was time to let go of most of my collection. I've been curating it for over fifteen years, but I'll keep what I love most and sell the rest. Eg I'm keeping my great grandmother's copy of The Little Princess, but I don't need two other versions. I'm more of a book rescuer (collecting mostly ones that would be thrown away), so I know I'll always be able to rebuild.
Books can also be donated to the library or public schools for a tax deduction!
really felt that when she said to get rid of toiletries. My mom has a really hard time getting rid of stuff and under the sink in the guest bathroom there were literally bottles of shampoo, shaving creams, body washes, aspirins, etc that have been sitting there for no joke about six years. I went and i did a deep clean and put everything in a garbage bag and put them by the trash for them to be thrown away and she literally took the garbage bag bak inside opened it and put everything back under the sink. My mom grew up very poor so I think maybe that could be a reason why she feels like she can't let stuff go but... everything is so expired and hasn't been touched in years and won't be touched ever again i wish she would throw them out!!!
FYI: The link to "Dos and Don'ts of Kitchen Sponge Safety" is actually to the "10 Ways to Trade Your Old Electronics for Cash" article
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Purge my books?! Hell no! Great video though :)
That's like saying "decide which kids you want to kick out ".
who reads a book more than once unless it's a reference book? people be like look at all my BOOKS :-)
Jackie S some people (e.g: me) like to read books over and over again...they're not there just for show...
ducksandansibles At 1st, I said she right about getting rid of books that you haven't read. It makes a lot of sense. But, now I understand why someone wouldn't want to give them up, when I thought about my own albums & 45's collection. Even though I don't play them much, it's hard for me to throw them away. Songs that were once dear to my heart💛(& still is), I guess it's like books to those who enjoy reading them.😃💽...
ducksandansibles My husband and I share in your sentiment!
Something I've found useful is if there are things you really want to repair (clothes, for example), find someone who needs to do the same thing and do it together. Make an event out of it - you're way more likely to actually do it that way.
A good question to ask yourself if you're struggling to get rid of books is "would I buy this again today if I saw it in a shop?" I've got a lot of books that pass that test and I'll keep ahold of them and some that I just know I'll never get around to reading. I'll challenge myself to read more of my books by the end of the year, otherwise it's going to a charity shop.
If you haven't worn something in two seasons, it's time to let it go? Once I put my Winter clothes away, I won't wear them again until the next Winter. Why would I get rid of it in two seasons?
Consignment shops will usually let you know right away, on their websites, over the phone, or by other means what they'll accept or not and when. Just do a little research.
Love books. Donated some to kids school. Kept reference books. Then bought 0 more (library FREE). Now I have 2 shelves of controlled amt of books. My home is less work, and looks great, more space. This includes magazines, library FREE, read dont KEEP.
I've never seen so many people get upset over the word "sh!t" in my life....
Cruddy sheets, linens and towels can be cut into rags and kept in a rag bag. I always use rags for dirty jobs
Serious question- does no one else wash their sponges? We've got sponges that are over 5 years old, they get washed, dried and put away for another time. When I worked in hospitality I'd take home the dirty 'disposable' cloths too. 3 years on I've not had to buy any new ones yet. I wash them when they're dirty, the same way I wash tea towels.
Your channel is so on point. Fresh, qualitative, quick and appealing.
I think we're operating under a different set of values when you're talking about clothing and "seasons" and then throwing out BOOKS.
Just make sure you don't own more than seven shirts and seven pairs of pants and do a wash every week. Presto! You'd be amazed how much room this frees up for books!
Seriously. If I followed her rule about pitching clothes I haven't worn for "two seasons", I'd have to go buy shorts again in a month, because no one (except the crazy teen girls) wears shorts past September in Chicagoland. So, that's fall, winter, and I won't put them on until next month at the end of spring...
FWIW; most medications don't 'go bad'. they gradually lose potency. However, the biggest reason that your medicine has an early expiration date, is legal: the INSERT, or instructions on how to use it, change, so the manufacturer just puts an annual expiration date on it so you'll throw it away and buy new ones every year, even though there's nothing wrong with the medicine you already own. Very, very few medications become toxic as they age. VERY FEW. So check it out before you throw them away, since medicines are so very expensive.
This is like the home economics course that we all should have had but didn't. You guys should work with governmental instances to inform the curriculum. These are life essentials.
if you can't be bothered fixing something then you can't donate it otherwise you're passing on the burden of disposing it onto someone else who has to pay for it either the shop or the poor sap who buys it from them
Because of your frankness, "old cruddy sheets" & "time to throw the shit out"🤣😂 I had to subscribe. I have to park my car outside because of all the stuff in garage for my yard sale I was gonna have 6 months ago. Can't wait to see more from you.
if we have old clothing, bedding,towels, that kind of thing,it goes in four piles.mine,my man's, rag/patch, donate,if need be,we make a fifth pile,toss.like,if something is still in good shape,but we don't use,donate.if it's ragged,cut for rags/patches.if it's past being salvaged, toss.if we intend to keep,his pile,my pile.cutting up old fabric can save money.cleaning clothes are somewhat expensive, so are patches.just make your own.we keep some emergency food,in case our benefits don't come one Month,or some emergency happens.I freeze food we aren't using right away, if perishable. I make big batches of stew/soup, we eat some,freeze the rest.
Rochelle Thundercloud H&M takes in old fabrics for recycling, regardless of their state and give you a 10% discount voucher (products average sized grocery bag)
Rochelle Thundercloud
I also rag my old clothing, stained or otherwise messed up stuff and use in our home or shop to clean etc.. Saves money by cutting down on the paper towls.
actually the newer light bulbs are not any better, if not worse. They take way longer to actually get bright, the light is very nasty too, first too dark then way too bright, they usually don't last as long so you have to buy more faster, and most importantly: they're more expensive, of course.
Um, are you sure you are using the newest bulbs? I have two year old LEDs from Ikea and they are INSTANT on. I also have three to six year old CFLs from Target that are on with a couple of flickers in my dining room light fixture.
Switch to E books. You can get older favorites for FREE, access them anywhere at anytime, and you don't have to store them. Did I mention that they're also usually cheaper??!
Old towels & sheets can be used as rags. Just cup them up, use & throw them away. Make use of what you already have.😃👍
Smelly sponge? Straight into the dishwasher with it. Or wait -- how about before they smell? Like every laundry day?
I love getting rid of stuff!!! It feels great
But books are holy to me!!! And they give the apartment a very homely feeling!!!
Excellent video. Thanks for the wonderful tips
Doubt she's a reader. I could never get rid of my favorite books!
Yeah she's definitely NOT a reader
Gonna miss Lauren. She may not have been the most charismatic on-camera person but that made it all the more genuine what she was saying
Do people not wash their kitchen sponges? we put them in the dishwasher to clean them until theyre falling apart. Also I often rewear clothes that I havent worn in a long time when I rearrange my wardrobe it feels like Ive gone shopping
I want to sell my college textbooks for the degree I didn't even get a career in, but my dad won't let me. I could get like $20 bucks for the $1000 I definitely spent on them. Okay, but I am definitely thinking of donating some of the required reading books from middle and high school English.
There are some good tips here. I do however collect dolls and have books that I am going to keep no matter what. LOL.
The one problem with selling things you don't want is you have to hang on to those items until they're sold. I feel we should swallow the loss and see as lesson learned and donate or toss (garbage, recycling or your city's Community Environment Days).
Well spoken, concise and succinct! I really appreciate these tips. So common sensed I've been missing them for years. The only down side to your video is I can't show it to my youth-group classes because of the s*** word you say twice. Please consider that these videos are extremely useful to many genre groups and would be more beneficial if the entire video was cuss-zone free. Thanks again for the tips
Discard clothes if not used in 2 seasons? I won't need my winter clothes until next winter Isn't it shortsighted to purge sweaters, coats, jackets, gloves, long underwear, wool socks every summer?
I get rid of old books all the time!! I have no problem getting rid of anything. Can’t stand clutter
This might be my favourite video of yours! I totally agree with the school/work supplies tip. I've just had all my grades confirmed from university so I threw away 99.9% of my notes from the past three years. I mean when am I going to need my rough notes on Human Resource Management theory anyway?
I sold all my books that I read already except my 1st edition Harry potter books. I also made a lot of money selling off my college textbooks to other students after I graduated
I have too many papers and chargers! Great tips ladies!
Came across this vid at a good time. Thanks for the tips.
Great video! Many information in short time! :-) Letting go of books that seem to make sense but we really won't read them... yeah, I needed to hear that again ;-)
These comments are everything!!!!
I can't find the link you mentioned about saving money on energyefficient appliances, can you link it again in my reply or point it out to me please?
I don't mean to be unnecessarily critical but it seems like you must have a lot of money just trash expired toiletries and medications. I have used so many expired medications and typically the only issue is that they sometimes lose a touch of their potency. Read up on prescription medication expiration dates and you will find that they simply don't have the money to test how long things really last. NPR recently did a story on this. Also, I agree with throwing out expired lotions and anything that will go on your face, but I've used expired sunscreen that is as much as two years expired and since I burn extremely easy, I know that they are still functional because I simply don't get the burns. It's the same with expired foods. Most of what I will eat this week is expired dried beans that I plan to make into delicious soups. The shelf life of dried beans is actually indefinite. Use Still Tasty to see how long things REALLY last.
No. I am keeping my real lightbulbs. I bought them on eBay because they don't sell them at the store any more.
Petra44YT use them first...
Whut? They still sell incandescent bulbs at stores. I see them in Target, Menards, and Jewel-Osco.
Kristy Moore In Canada, regular incandescent bulbs can't be sold. Irregular sizes and other "specialty" bulbs are still available, though.
Yes, but I hear this ridiculous statement about incandescent bulbs being "illegal" in the US and it's not true. Incandescent bulbs are still manufactured for US distribution and sale.
Sponges can be machine washed. Use it once, then put it in the laundry.
"Let that shit go!" Excellent advice.
If you add some cheap, white vinegar to your dish water when you wash the dishes, then there is no reason you would ever have a smelly sponge. just fyi.
I'm purging now!!! Interested in Kon Mari but not sure I can commit 🤗
A good (and essential) topic. But I start to wonder how you manage your houshold. Besides looking explicitly over power consuming things for energie efficent variants there was nothing new for me.
This is inspiring and eye opening
Good advice but it seems like a watered down version of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. 🤔 I'd recommend that book to anyone who found this video helpful; the book (being a book with more information) was very informational and helpful.
Dude, I lost some of my books while moving out of an apartment and I cried for days. There's no way I'm getting rid of them, unless they're awful books people give me.
Purging books you've read or used a million times is ridiculous. It makes zero sense to throw away something you obviously find value in. And for what? To reclaim a few books worth of extra space? Not worth it. If it's a book you've read a few times, or once and you know you won't read it or (like those old clothes) you haven't touched it in a few years, then fair enough, toss it out. But if it's a well loved piece that you re-read over and over while you expand your library? No.
Some older (and maybe obscure) books are very hard to find these days and even if you do find them and want to purchase them again down the line, they can be very expensive. I made the mistake of purging a lot of books in the past and regretted many of them as they're impossible to find now. Obscure as they are, nowhere stocks them, I can't find them in a library and one of the ones I did manage to find, would have cost me several times the price to get another copy. $5 for the one I originally bought versus $90 to find a copy now.
It would be nice if Kindle had every book out there but it really doesn't. Sometimes when you toss something out that you value, there's really no getting it back in any way, shape or form.
I have a lot of paper and notebooks which I am writing all the information into the rocketbook wave to go to the cloud
toss the sponges in the wash... tada, money saved
Or just don't use a sponge. Use a dish cloth! I use multiple fresh (hand knitted) dish cloths every day and toss it in with the daily load of laundry. It takes up basically no space in the load at all, and I don't have to worry about bacteria growing and leaving waste on my dishes and kitchen surfaces.
TheNecrohazard Don't microwave. unless you know the kind of plastic it's made of, you run the risk of it breaking down. It's why only some plastic dishes are "microwave safe."
It is hard to throw out because you feel like you are throwing away money. Just my opinion. Great video.
You can wash cloths and sponges you know.
Old towels and old blankets? Your local aspca could really put them to good use!
EW! Sponges? Switch to microfiber clothes. Can buy in packs of 10-12, use them like paper towels and the best part is you can through them in the wash and reuse (just don't use fabric softener on microfiber). Each towel gets about 500 (no exaggeration!!) uses before they become rags for hubbies garage. Economical and Eco friendly and they do a great job cleaning and dusting everything around the house, including mirrors (spritz some water, wipe - poof! spit shine and no streeks).
I donate old books,and get some more and donate... I keep cycling them out.
BUT I need all these old books and game guides. :P Nostalgia
Another good video.
Really dislike the cuts between the two levels of zoom however. The jump are really jarring and make the video really hard to watch, even though the content is good.
Please please everyone, always donate your unwanted bedding and towels, maybe stuffed-animal toys to your closest animal shelter. Better if you ask if they will take it, but usualy they always in the need.