A top thought people have as they prepare to move is “how did I end up with so much stuff”? You certainly don’t want to pay to move stuff you no longer need and this is a perfect chance to take a good look through all your stuff and decide what should be donated, tossed, sold (or perhaps burned?) When it comes to tossing your stuff, there are always the “usual suspects”. These are the places where you’ll find plenty of stuff to fill many garbage bags.
Here’s our list of the top 10 things you can toss before moving:
Old Magazines
Chances are that you’re never going to read them again. This is a great opportunity to recycle them.
Documents, Receipts, Bills
This can be a time-consuming job, but most people can find stacks of old documents and bills that have pilled up throughout the years. The simple rule-of-thumb is that if you don’t need them to return items, or for tax purposes, you can toss them. Careful with anything that has your personal information on it. Investing in a good shredder is always a good idea.
Books
Take a look through your bookshelf and gather the books you haven’t touched in a while or don’t plan on re-reading.
Old and Expired Medicines
Your medicine cabinet is usually full of old and expired prescriptions. If they’re been sitting around for too long and you no longer use them, get rid of them. Remember that your meds can be harmful to pets or any wildlife who may be having dinner at your garbage can. To safely dispose of meds, mix them (do not crush tablets or capsules) with an unpalatable substance such as dirt, kitty litter, or used coffee grounds and place the mixture in a container such as a sealed plastic bag before you throw the container in your household trash.
Clothes
The two-year rule works best here. If you haven’t worn something in two years, consider donating it.
Makeup
Any makeup that’s old, expired or is no longer being used, is an easy well to fill out a bag of garbage that can be tossed out.
Old Electronics
With electronics getting outdated, most of us have lots of gadgets sitting in our drawers. There are many local recycling and donation programs that would love to have your electronics.
Food
You’ll have to dispose of food in your pantry or fridge right before you move, but this is a good opportunity to take a first pass through your fridge, pantry and kitchen cabinets to toss out anything that’s expired or about to expire.
We’d love to hear from you… how many things did you manage to get rid of?
This article offers general information only and is not intended as legal, financial or other professional advice. A professional advisor should be consulted regarding your specific situation. While information presented is believed to be factual and current, its accuracy is not guaranteed and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgement of the authors as of the date of publication and are subject to change. No endorsement of any third parties or their advice, opinions, information, products or services is expressly given or implied by RBC Ventures Inc. or its affiliates.
