If you’re reading this in the future, I hope you think to yourself, “Why in the world would I not be able to donate right now?”
But my guess is that if you looked at the date when this post was written, March of 2020, you’d say “Ohhhhh . . . . ”
We’re living in a crazy time in history. We’re stuck at home, with nothing to look at except our own stuff, so the desire to declutter hits hard.
And many of us have the time. Events and commute times have been cancelled, so it feels natural to tackle the closet or the cabinet we’ve been pretending didn’t exist for who-knows-how-long.
I get it. This is a great time to get some decluttering done.
Except for one thing.
Most donation places are closed. Not all (so definitely call and check), but most. People are staying home, including the ones who might otherwise have been willing to come get your stuff if you posted it online.
It’s a fact. A strange fact that’s unique to this strange period of history, but still a fact.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a perfect solution for you. There isn’t a perfect solution. But if you’ve been around here for any time at all, you already know that perfect isn’t the goal anyway.
I have never been able to do perfect.
My main advice? Declutter anyway. Work through your stuff, making final decisions about each item as you pick it up.
Even though that stuff can’t leave your house immediately.
It isn’t ideal to stack a corner of your garage or your living room high with Donate Boxes.
But it’s better. And better is the goal. Even if you’re garage-less and the living room corner is your only option, a living room with a corner stacked with Donate Boxes that is otherwise pile-free with shelves that are no longer overstuffed is an improvement.
It’s better.
Yay for better.
Here’s the thing. If you’re decluttering, JUST decluttering, and doing it in a way that makes progress and only progress and never a bigger mess, you can make big progress during this time. Really.
The key is that as you pull each item out of a cluttered, make a final decision about that item. Once you decide, the item will go to its final destination.
The donatable Donate Box counts as a final destination, even though it’s only temporarily final.
It’s final because once the opportunity to donate becomes available again, there’s nothing to do but donate. Haul that box (or those many boxes) to your car to take away or to your front door to be picked up.
“Temporarily final” is a phrase that could have justified scoffing a few months ago. I’m hoping it will be scoff-worthy again soon.
But for now, embracing “temporarily final” will take you much further in your decluttering journey than you’ll get by embracing despair because you can’t declutter perfectly.
And a living room that is decluttered except for a pile of boxes already-made-decisions in the corner is better than one with piles-of-decisions-that-you-will-have-to-make-someday everywhere.
If you’re new around here, and the idea of making final decisions about each item as you pull it out of a space is mind-boggling, don’t worry. It’s what I have talked about and written about for years. I have you covered. Here are a few links to get you started on this style of decluttering:
How to Declutter Without Making a Bigger Mess
My Two (and only two) Decluttering Questions
I also have a lot of podcasts on these subjects to listen to while you declutter. Here’s a recent one on decluttering in uncertain times and the challenges that presents.
If you want it ALL in one place, in instructional format, check out my books. How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind and Decluttering at the Speed of Life will teach you everything you need to know, and are available in all formats including paperback, digital, and audio. E-books and audio can be downloaded so you don’t have to go anywhere or even touch anything anyone else has touched. Go here for links to all of the formats.
I also have a shred box for my decluttered tax records. Some of those records have spent time in 5 states and 1 foreign country!
I was just about to start decluttering when I thought about the fact that I probably couldn’t donate now. You’re right, saving it for future donation is better than waiting until things open up again.
I have at least 4 bins ready and waiting to be donated…. All decluttering decisions made since this has all started. The car is going to be FULL at the end of all this.
As somebody who has worked in a second hand store in the past, I am choosing not to donate to places that are staying open through this. If you’re staying open, you are showing exactly how important your staff are to you.
Hi Dana! I hope and pray you and your family are well doing this crazy time. Have been reading your blog for years and have your books but first time commenting. Thank you for being here for us!?
Hi. Just an Fyi on how I have been working on the donating part. I live in Canada and am part of a Facebook group that lists just the surrounding area I live in. I’ve been cleaning then donating after disinfecting/washing all the things I place into a box or bag, then I just place the boxes or items outside and people have been very appreciative to be able to come and pick them up from my front step. We talk through messenger just like Facebook marketplace so I physically interact with no one. So far I’ve donated 3 boxes, a garbage bag of clothes, 2 bags of cat food and one other item I just placed outside to pick up. If you are interested in creating one for your area the groups all begin with the words “Buy Nothing and then the name of your area. They are a great idea if you want to get to know the community around you, and you can also get rid of your stuff while you have the time and opportunity.
I have given up, and just trash it. Keeping it for later, is how I got here in the first place. I know that is far from ideal, but better to put it in the dumpster, than live in one.
Most of the cleaning started before the quarantine but we’ve taken out 40+ boxes and bags. (Our donation place has a drop off box so no contact)
I’ve wanted to write a fan letter to you for awhile now 🤣
I was so ashamed when our foster care worker said we needed to “clean up a bit” before our new foster placements came.
The next time she was in our house she was bragging how great it looked!
Your posts have saved my home and my sanity. Not to mention made our home a lot happier for our 3 new loves.
Thanks so much for all the advice and tips.
We put items at the end of our driveway with a free sign, since so many people are going for walks now that everything is closed they have seen them and taken almost all the items! Since it’s all free no contact is necessary and we can keep social distancing 😀
There are many reasons why “donating now” might be impossible! The only charity shop in our town had a fire last week … .