Simple Challenge #4: Donate Five Things
Welcome to this week’s Simple Challenge! To check out other simple challenges, please visit the Simple Challenge category.
This week’s simple challenge is a multiple purpose one. It is one that you should rinse and repeat many times throughout your life. I think we should always be evaluating our material possessions and deciding whether we need them or not.
I challenge you to donate five things this week.
They don’t have to be big things. They can be be tiny little nothings if you want. Go through your junk drawer, closet, clothes, shoes, books, CD’s, movies, garage, and anywhere else where that stuff seems to just keep piling up.
My five things are:
- An old black baseball cap – I recently received a new hat as a gift and never wear the old one anymore.
- Four old CD’s – It is hard to see in the picture, but there are actually four CD’s stacked on top of each other. I have put them all on my computer so there is no need for the physical version anymore.
- An ankle brace – I got this when I sprained my ankle playing basketball a few year ago.
- Half-Life 2 – This one was hard to part with, but I will live. It is an incredibly addictive computer game with a massive following.
- A CD case – It holds around 100 CD’s or so. However, I recently sold most of my CD’s so I don’t have a use for it.
This a great thing to do for many reasons!
- You will be de-cluttering that mound of junk that you are hiding. (Don’t lie, I know you have one!)
- You will be simplifying your life by letting go of the need for material possessions.
- You will be helping out those that are less fortunate and less wealthy than you are.
I am probably going to donate my items to Good Will. It doesn’t matter where you donate them to. I am going to be posting the simple challenges every Saturday from now on. Good luck with this challenge!
What five things did you donate? Post a comment and let us know!
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I’ve donated about a dozen things this week and there will be more. I keep a box in the porch which I fill with stuff I don’t need/want and once it’s got a fair few bits in, off it goes to the charity shop
Sharon Js last blog post..Saving The Rainforest
Hey Jack, just yesterday I went through my closet a cleared out a ton of clothes I no longer wear, plus a couple of extra things. My wife took all the stuff to our local Goodwill yesterday. There were pants, shirts, sweatshirts, a couple of chairs, and a small table. It felt good to de-clutter a bit!
@ Sharon – Awesome! That is a great idea, just keeping a box for stuff that will eventually be given away. I have the problem of having to plan when I am going to de-clutter and then I get rid of a bunch of stuff at once. If I would just keep a box for that kind of thing and then add items here and there over time until it fills up, that would save me a lot of time and energy. Thank for participating
@ Lance – Always good to see you on Simple Sapien and I appreciate your participation. Thanks! Man, I find clothes to be the easiest thing to get out of hand. If you don’t keep up with it, it will definitely build up. Take care!
- Jack Rugile
Simple Sapien
Always keep a box for the outgoing stuff.
If something new (or used) comes in, something goes out.
I prefer smaller resale shops, those for the homeless or womens shelters, and old blankets and sheets to the vets or animal shelters.
And if you need a self-serving angle (besides the pleasures of an uncluttered living space), remember that donations are tax deductible and that bill’s gonna come pretty soon!
My husband and I are planning on taking a huge load to Goodwill in the next month. It’ll feel fantastic to empty out the decluttering closet before the new year seriously, I have a whole closet full of stuff I don’t need anymore), get the tax write-off, and donate stuff in time for people who are shopping at Goodwill for the holidays or just need warm, winter clothes.
Sara at On Simplicitys last blog post..Handling Feedback Elegantly and Easily
[...] Challenge: Donate 5 Things — from Simple Sapien [...]
@ Carol – Hey, thanks for stopping by my blog and taking the time to comment! That constant cycle of bringing in the new and getting rid of the old is a good cycle. No build up whatsoever. Hope you enjoy your time here
@ Sara – I totally forgot to mention the tax deduction! That is reason enough alone. Glad you are taking the time to de-clutter and give back to the community.
- Jack Rugile
Simple Sapien
In my town, there is a place to donate so that the items go directly to single mothers and their children or to abused women. They are always needing household items and clothing and it is given free to the people needing them.
@ Jane – Hey, thanks for commenting
That is a great cause. I am so happy that selfless organizations are out there to help the ones who truly need it.
I’m not hiding my pile of junk. It’s just sitting out in the dining room.
Oddly enough, right after you wrote this (and I didn’t read it), I donated some bags, luggage, clothes, and shoes that were cluttering up my flat. Um, I need to get rid of way more than five things I think.
[...] Whether you’re making room for new stuff, looking for a tax write-off, or just taking on Simple Sapien’s challenge, donating items you don’t use anymore is an easy way to take care of clutter. Here’s [...]