This time of year makes me think of two things. The first is of course how I can do my Christmas shopping efficiently and with buying a minimum of junk. The second is… how do I get rid of the stuff that keeps accumulating?

I don’t feel that I do that badly overall, but still stuff that I no longer need manages to hang around.

I like thinking about how to get rid of things at this time of year also because it’s a good lesson for the kids. Even those times I’m not thinking about what I really don’t need anymore there are the toys they never play with. At this time of year it’s easy to get the kids thinking about less fortunate children.

And so, here are some ways to get the clutter out of your house. How you determine what is clutter is your own problem.

Have a Swap Party

This can work for children’s toys, clothes for people of similar sizes, even rarely used kitchen or garden tools. Just get together with some friends and see who can use the things you don’t really want anymore.

My sisters have even talked about doing this regularly with children’s videos. That way one copy can be enjoyed by many children, and it can always make its way back to the original owner when it’s really wanted.

Send It to the Thrift Store

This is the classic solution, of course. Just call up your favorite charity as soon as you have things boxed up. They’ll haul it away for you and it’s out of your life.

Pay attention to what they will and will not take. Working electronics are one thing. Broken are quite another, for example.

Craigslist and Freecycle

Two different sites, but you can use them with the same goal in mind – to get rid of things you don’t particularly want anymore. If you think you can get some money for it, Craigslist is a good option. If you don’t want money for it, even if you could get some money, try Freecycle.