How to Dump Your Junk
Organizer Beth Penn of Bneato Bar suggests a less painful way to part with your precious belongings
We all think we are special (I mean, I know I do). We think our stuff is equally special (my hand slowly raises). This is why most of us have a clutter problem because we can’t just donate our stuff to Goodwill. Egads. The Salvation Army? Fugetaboutit. “I can’t just have anyone ending up with my T-shirt,” you think, ignoring that it’s full of stains and you haven’t worn it in years. So it sits around, collecting dust until one day, you get a wild hair and decide to do something about it! I know, I’ll sell it, you think, dollar signs floating before your eyes as you contemplate what you’ll do with your new-found riches. Maybe you’ll get a new car, take a trip around the world, get that piece of expensive jewelry you’ve had your eye on, pay off your debts. And so, incentivized, you put up your stuff for sale on Craigslist and wait for the notifications to come pouring in.
Only there are no takers. After a few weeks, you head on over to Facebook Marketplace and try your luck there. Crickets -- not even any views! “Hmmmm... why is it not moving?,” you wonder aloud. Perhaps you’re asking for too much money, a friend tentatively suggests. “Fiiiiine,” you say, miffed that people are not understanding the value of your stuff. But even though you drop the price by half — HALF! — still nothing. A friend of a friend had success with OfferUp so you think, ‘It will work for my stuff too!” But that doesn’t pan out either. You’ve one last hope: NextDoor. Only there are five other AC units, couches, side tables, vintage skirts, handmade pottery--and in better condition than what you’re selling. So the pile sits and grows. You don’t have to do too much for it to grow and grow, threatening to take over the garage or closet or car truck where you’ve been stashing it. Now what are you supposed to do?
Here’s what to do: join your local Buy Nothing Group on Facebook. And if it doesn't already exist for your neighborhood, start your own -- that’s what I did when I couldn’t find a local chapter (Buy Nothing focuses on hyper-local gifting and receiving so you can give away your treasured stuff to actual people that NEED and WANT your things). And here’s the great thing: the BNG is not just for donating, you can also ask for stuff. One member in my group needed Creme de Menthe to make holiday brownies. I had an unopened bottle sitting in my cabinet from when my mother-in-law, who’d been staying with us, needed some for a recipe. It had sat, unused and gathering dust, ever since. What a relief to get it out of my house! And she was overjoyed to save money on something she only needed a small quantity of and was reluctant to spend money on. Win win win!
Once you get over the idea that there won’t be any cash changing hands, there’s nothing like seeing your stuff go directly into the hands of a person that has asked specifically for it. Or witnessing multiple people show interest in your stuff when you post it to the BNG Facebook feed. And seeing that junk pile (because if you’re not using it, that’s what it is) diminish.
And when you do gift your stuff, you’re encouraged to ask members to comment on their interest in the item along with a tid-bit that will help you get to know them better. For instance, I gave away a bud vase and asked those that were interested to tell me their favorite flower bud and why. The answers were just as varied as the folks that commented. My group feels like a community because it is. I still get a kick out of seeing a quarantine banner that has gone to at least 15 different people this past year. When things have gotten dark, my BNG group has been a source of comic relief. I know getting rid of your stuff is hard work; I see clients struggle with it on a daily basis. But I think you might be inspired to declutter your home if you are an active participant of your Buy Nothing Group. And who knows, you might just get something out of it (and not just more stuff).