Tip

Live simple > Rule your stuff > Purge your stuff >

TIP: When purging a group of items, you may find it helpful to get three boxes or bags and label them GARBAGE, GIVE AWAY, and SELL.

Pick up an item from the group, ask yourself the questions:

1. Have I used this item recently?
2. Does this item help me in my life's goals?
3. Do I need to own this item?

If the answer is no to all three, then decide the item's fate according to this clutter triage:

• GARBAGE: send the items with no useful or sentimental value to the garbage (recycle where possible). This is a good fate for items, because it requires only that you take out the garbage or send the item to recycling to get rid of it.
• GIVE AWAY: send the items with some useful or sentimental value along to friends, relatives, neighbors, charities, or co-workers. You may feel guilty about discarding some items directly to the garbage or recycling, but you may feel better knowing someone could get more use out of it. Other items are just too much of a hassle to sell. Extra pens and pencils, books, miscellaneous articles of clothing, and other things can accumulate in your home just because they are not worth bothering about. These items could benefit someone even if they have low monetary value. Donate the items to a school, Goodwill, or Salvation Army store, or other charity. Pass along extra office supplies to friends or co-workers. Give things to family members or friends who might appreciate them.
• SELL: you can consider selling items which have some commercial value. This is a good fate for an item you want to keep only because you believe it is worth something. You can sell the item in a consignment shop, at a yard sale, or in the classified advertisements. Remember, if the item doesn't sell, or its sale is not worth the hassle of selling it, consider giving the item away.