I am a big fan of a good purge, and the new year is a great time to get rid of unwanted stuff. At the same time, I hate to throw anything away that someone else might be able to use, and non-profit donation centers only take certain items.

For things that can’t be donated, I give them away using Freecycle, Next Door or Craigslist.  I don’t want to just leave things at the street until someone takes them — it’s unsightly, and the items can get dirty, or wet.  I often don’t have time to coordinate schedules with people who may or may not ultimately want the item, though, so here’s my strategy.  I wait for a non-rainy day when I am mostly at home.  I take lots of photos of the item, including the flaws, and post them (usually using Craigslist’s  “free stuff” section: Go to post.craigslist.org, choose your location, choose “for sale by owner,” then choose “free stuff” ), including measurements and as much information about the item as I have. I do not include a phone or email contact, but say in the posting that I will leave the item at the curb (giving the address), and that I will remove the posting as soon as I see that the item is gone. I then periodically check to see if the item has been taken, and remove the posting as promised.

This has worked really well in the past.  Things I have passed along in this way include an old washing machine, a broken printer, a cool leaded glass window (broken and warped), and a somewhat rusty charcoal grill.  It makes me feel good that the items are going to someone who can use them rather than to the trash heap!