I came home from playgroup today and Brian was in the kitchen opening the mail. He asks me, "Wanna hear the bad news?" Apparently our town has seen some of the towns surrounding us having their residents pay for special trash bags in order to have their trash picked up, and likes the idea. In about a month, we will have to use their special trash bags at $.75 a bag, and purchase special stickers for bigger items (like a couch) for $10.00 apiece. Ugh!
When I think back about some of the things Brian and I have thrown away (both honestly and covertly!) I shudder at the thought of how many "stickers" we would have needed. Then Brian asks me, "When's the next day that both of us are off that we can attack the basement and get rid of anything we don't want?" Well....no time like the present! Nothing like the threat of paying for trash removal to motivate you to clean out your basement, the most dreaded task in the chore world.
My basement is like a store. Kind of like Babies R Us, for the most part! There's a ton of baby clothes, diapers, swing, toddler bed for later, etc etc etc. Nothing I want to get rid of because eventually we'll have another baby. But the other shelves....it's kind of like looking at The Pit of Despair. Musical instruments, craft items, electronics, and well, a bunch of crap that one doesn't know what to do with. Like college textbooks. Or goalie gloves. Things you might need someday, but not stuff you want to see everyday. I know I could have a yard sale, but I don't want to lug all that stuff into my yard to have people hem and haw and think I'm selling it for too much and try to talk me down to a quarter for a book I spent $24.95 on. So I'd rather give it away. I posted a bunch of stuff on Freecycle and already have some takers.
Freecycle is pretty interesting. You post stuff you're offering, or stuff you're looking for. The rule is that it has to be good, useable stuff and it has to be free. I've gotten a file cabinet, raincoat for Will, (there were none in stores) and a hand mixer. I've given away countless things. I know I know, yard sale. But the stuff is out of my house, and that's what matters to me!
So, Brian and I worked for two hours, filled four trash bags and culled a bunch of stuff into a Freecycle Pile. We're on deadline, people! :)
1 comment:
I LOVE Freecycle!! Recently I collected bunches of christmas lights to help decorate the backyard for our wedding! I've given and taken many things, it's GREAT!
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