Decluttering Tips for Christmas: 3 Places to Purge Before the Gifts Pour in…
Christmas. I bet you’ll agree that it’s one of the most wonderful time of the year, if not the absolute best. But the wonder of the season comes at a bit of a price. Stress. And plenty of it.
One of the biggest stressors? Clutter.
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I’ve learned over the years that my stress level greatly decreases if I purge before the Christmas gifts start pouring in. I’m sharing three decluttering tips to prep you and your home for the holidays. I hope they’ll help you as much as they’ve helped me.
3 Pre-Christmas Decluttering Tips:
I strategically choose the places in my house to declutter that give me the most bang for the buck. How do I know? If you’re looking to earn a little more mad money for the Christmas season, then selling on Craigslist and Facebook yard sales is something you should try, if you haven’t already.
I wrote a post about how to sell on Facebook yard sale sites as well as a post about tips and tricks for selling on Craigslist and Facebook yard sales. Check those out right away.
And if you subscribe to our free newsletter, I’ll send you a guide to making money using these platforms, as well as a sales calendar showing you the best times of year to sell different household items for the biggest profit. Just click on the picture below to have it emailed to you immediately!
1.) Decluttering Tip #1: Christmas Decor Downsizing.
November is a GREAT time to downsize Christmas decor. Why? One reason is that’s when people are looking to buy it.
If you are looking to make some money while decluttering, now is the time to post that unused tree topper on Craigslist.
Create three boxes (sell, donate and dump). As you’re scanning through boxes of Christmas gear, ask yourself the following:
- Have I used this the past two holiday seasons? If the answer is “no,” or if you know you want to go a different direction with your decorating then decide to sell it, donate it, or if it’s in really bad shape, pitch it.
- Am I only holding onto this for the sentimental value (but really don’t like it or use it)? If so, take a picture and stash your shot in a folder called “sentimental Christmas memories.” If you gather enough images, you can consider making them into a Shutterfly book. Then place the actual item in the sell, donate or pitch group.
Establish the in for out protocol. If you want to purchase cute new Christmas napkins, or a new twinkly trinket, force yourself to ditch, sell or donate the same number of items that you’d like to buy. We want a net neutral or negative Christmas here, and this is a great way to achieve our goal!
2.) Decluttering Tip #2: Whittle Down Winter-Wear.
Chances are, some new clothing will be arriving for Christmas, so prep your closet now to prepare for the onslaught.
Just as November is a great time to clear out Christmas decor, the same goes for winter weather wears. This is when people are looking to purchase a coat, mittens and the like.
So go through those coats, hats, mittens, boots and the like and pitch, donate or sell.
** Bonus points: Go through the winter gear like sleds, skis, etc as well.
2.) Decluttering Tip #3: Tackle the Toys.
Know what else sells like crazy in November? Toys. And what will your kids be getting more of in December? You bet. Toys.
Take a few hours to go through that toy closet and clear out the items that no longer draw their attention. If they are still in good shape, sell them or donate them after a cleaning.
Certain toys sell great online. In my experience train sets, Legos, Calico Critters, popular book series, movies, video games, Fisher Price, all are very marketable.
Rather not deal with the hassle of reselling? Great! Find your local women and children’s shelter and ask if they’ll accept a donation of toys. We’ve done this several years in a row, and brought in new and used toys for the children spending Christmas in the shelter. What a gift it is to give a homeless child a happy Christmas morning.
And with these three spaces in your home now decluttered, and hopefully a little cash in your pocket for a bit of extra discretionary December spending, consider yourself well prepared for Santa’s upcoming visit. With a lightened spirit, and a decluttered home, you’ll feel more prepared to accept friends, family, and gifts over the coming season.
Pin this post for later! And if you make one, leave a comment (or better yet, a photo) on the pin! That helps others know whether they want to try this project, too!
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Sandi magle says
Great tips, I’ve already begun—since I’m having surgery Monday, the house has been decluttered and the closets and drawers in my room, total gone through. All but a few magazines have been purged from the house—-and books.
Now Christmas is another story—LOL…but it was a nice thought while it lasted!
Heather says
Oh my gosh!! Here it’s Monday and I’m just responding!! I hope that surgery went well!!! I hope it wasn’t anything too serious!! Hang in there friend!! Much love to you.
Pamela Smith says
When my kids were little, we went through their toys every Thanksgiving break. We knew more would be coming soon, so we had to make room! Great tips!