Garage Sale! Everything Must Go!

The theme of this summer for me was Reduce/Recycle/Get Rid.  I have ebay'd what we had that was of value.  I craigslisted the boys outgrown bikes.  I thred'd up boxes of kids clothes and I am now on the last day of Garage Sale-ing.

The Man just came back from his parents house.  He went over there to get a few boxes of items for the garage sale, to sell.  However what is happening right now is that he is going through said boxes and picking out items he thinks we can use.  Which is the complete opposite of my purpose.

Just between you and me, whatever he is putting in our house will be going into a box when he is at work next week.  Then that box will go to Amvets, Purple Heart or Goodwill.  I really should have made sure The Man was golfing.  I broke my own rules.  You can see my handy rules for reducing junk in your house below:

My patent pending rules to getting stuff out of my house:
Step 1:
1. While cleaning cull items to be re purposed. When I say re purposed I mean:
A. Can I sell it as part of an ebay lot?
B. Can I swap it on Paperback Swap or on thred up ?
C. It is a potential Garage Sale Item?
D. Decent enough to donate?

NOTE: very important to do while kids are at school and spouse at work.

Step 2:
Put items in boxes organized by if it is an ABC or D item.

Step 3: Leave items in my office.  Garage Sale stuff is usually in my office for 4-6 month before it is actually sold.  So, if anyone has a need or attachment to the item they have had a good several months to take it out of the box. 

Step 4: Have a garage sale. We are only allowed to have one garage sale per year in Hickory Hills.  So in this area it does make sense to consider a flea market space for say $20 if you have a fair amount of quality stuff.  Of course, it can be hard to know if you do have 'quality' stuff.  One mans treasure is another's trash!

Step 5: This one is key.  To make your life easier and to help ensure family doesn't start  secreting junk back into the house, try to have your garage sale when family members are not home!

Here is hoping that the sun shines for another couple hours!