It won’t be long until we’ll need to put away all our summer yard tools and start to break out our winter stuff again! That means getting our garages and storage areas in order. It’s amazing what can build up in just a few short months! What do we do with all that stuff? Great question! It depends on what it is and what we can do with it in the future. Here are some ideas!
RECYCLE
Just because it looks like trash, doesn’t always mean it’s destined for the dump! Often, we can recycle old stuff, keeping our landfills for the stuff that truly needs to be there. We can recycle just about anything! Paper, glass, metal, etc., are well-known recyclables. Did you know that old clothes that aren’t donated, can also be recycled? That’s right. We can turn them into rags and other types of cleaning cloths!
DONATE
There are numerous charitable organizations that take your unwanted items and turn them into cash for their causes. Just because you can no longer use an item doesn’t mean someone else wouldn’t love to have it! Thrift stores are big business! There are tax benefits available to those that donate items instead of throwing them away. Most all of us could benefit from a tax break here or there! According to the Idaho Tax Group, “the amount of your deduction for charitable contributions is limited to 50 percent of your adjusted gross income and may be limited to 20 or 30 percent of your adjusted gross income, depending on the type of property you give and the type of organization you give it to.” They also point out to verify all of this with your tax advisor! Better safe than sorry!
DUMP
Some things just aren’t meant to move on! That’s when the dump, or city landfill, becomes the best and only option. If it cannot be recycled or donated, proper disposal is best. If you have many items to go to the dump, or large items, it may be more efficient and cost effective to hire a company to come to you and pick it up. Your time is too valuable to spend on multiple dump runs. Professional junk removal companies have the capacity to take all your junk at once, making your life easier!
Take inventory of what must go and plan to get rid of it the best way possible. Whether it’s recycling, donating, or dumping, get rid of it and move on!
