Search Results for: blog organizing household donations for taxes

Organizing Household Donations for Taxes

This morning, while the kids were occupying themselves, I thought I would conquer a little bit of the spare bedroom upstairs. This is a room that needs a lot of work. Eventually, it will be turned into a bedroom for our youngest son, but right now, its proximity to the attic stairs, as well as its need of repair, has turned it into a sorting or holding room. As we fix up other areas of the house, we will put furniture or other items from the project room into that bedroom. It will probably be the last room we clean, … Continue reading →

Guide to Recycling Electronics 3

In our household there are so many electronic devices that we rely on using to get through the day. But technology is always growing and changing, leaving many of our devices obsolete and in need of being upgraded or replaced. It is important to practice responsible recycling of electronics, for the health of our planet and even the health of ourselves. Let’s keep dangerous chemicals out of the mix with this guide to recycling electronics. Today, let’s talk about recycling cell phones and small electronic devices, such as MP3 players. Cell phones and small devices are some of the most … Continue reading →

It’s Tax Time 2009!

Are you all set with your taxes? If you live in the United States, you know what I mean. Tax paperwork is due next month, and many of us still have it hanging over our heads. This weekend, my husband and I are determined to get the monkey off of our back, so to speak, and get all of our paperwork organized. We divide and conquer. My little portion is to add up the deductible household donations that we have made during the year and take care of any business-related expenses. With tax time in mind, I thought we might … Continue reading →

Guide to Recycling Electronics 2

Does your household contribute to the vast amount of e-waste (electronic waste) that has become a big issue for our environment? All of those cool devices and wonders of technology today will probably wind up in a landfill tomorrow, leaching out toxic chemicals such as arsenic and lead. One way to help the world is to recycle our home electronics in a responsible way. Today let’s talk about televisions. Most households have more than one television. And now that high definition televisions (HDTV) are available, families are eager to upgrade. At the same time, those new HDTVs will one day … Continue reading →

Swapping Out Seasonal Clothing 2

It is that time of year again. I’ve been talking about swapping out the seasonal clothing for my family. When do you do your swap? If you missed the first part of this series, click here: Swapping Out Seasonal Clothing. Now, let’s continue. Winter jacket and snowsuits are done separately from regular clothing. I usually make that a family affair, with everyone trying on different items to see what will work for them. Anything that is too small for the youngest or my only girl gets set aside to be donated. When I get back to the drawers, I sort … Continue reading →

Swapping Out Seasonal Clothing

We are spending the entire weekend indoors. Partially this is because it has been raining nonstop since Friday, but mostly it is because we are all sick. Being indoors, it has been a good time, in between taking care of everyone, to go through my kids clothing to update sizes and seasons. This is a big job for me, especially when I have the energy of a sloth to go with the other ill symptoms. I keep a lot of hand me downs, especially for my youngest son (since he has an older brother). These clothes are stored away in … Continue reading →

Frugal School Supplies in July 3

School supplies can add up, so if you want to spend between $1.75 and $5.50 instead of between $25 and $28 for all of those pencils, notebooks and more (one friend told me she spends about $45 for back to school supplies), keep reading. There are two previous articles in this series: Frugal School Supplies in July and Frugal School Supplies in July 2. Well, we have our school supply list and are now ready to use it to grab the bargains. What is the first step and where can we get school supplies for pennies or for free? Let’s … Continue reading →

My Spring Cleaning the Master Closet 2

Come with me and help me spring clean my master closet. Add your tips in the comment section. I’m going through clothing right now, but there is more ahead. So, we are still in my master closet, and regarding clothing, I also got rid of items that needed repair. Since I hadn’t bothered to repair anything in years, there was probably very little chance that I would have the motivation to do so any time soon. Maybe it is wasteful not to repair the skirt with the pulled out hem, for example, but it is just as wasteful to leave … Continue reading →

Annual Bulk Trash

Do you have an annual or bi-annual bulk trash day? It is a great way to take a good look at all of that large stuff that is gathered around your home, sitting there and doing nothing. Our town’s bulk trash pick up is coming up soon. Here they charge for bulk trash pick up, but that is probably because our garbage pick up is not included in our town taxes as it was in our old home. The fee is $15 for every three items. What can go into bulk trash? Rules vary by town or region, but basically … Continue reading →

Selling Versus Donating

What do you do with all of your extra stuff? We seem to accumulate a lot of items, even when we are frugal and try to spend less. One example is baby and children’s clothing. We will gladly take any clothing in the sizes we need or may need in the future. We often get clothing as hand me downs, at clearance sales and at thrift stores and garage sales. Sometimes it is a better bargain to offer someone a flat price for that box of clothing (or books, or electronics) that they have been trying to sell all day, … Continue reading →