This is the time of year when many Canadians are preparing their homes for new gifts and presents that they will receive from friends and family during the holidays. Of course to make room for new things means clearing out some old ones. If you are like many people who aren’t sure what to do with your extra stuff, there are a few options and we’ve got 6 tips that can help you offload your extra stuff during the Christmas season which allows you to make room for all of your gifts as well as your boxing day items.
We’ve compiled 6 ideas for donating your belongings to charitable organizations:
1) Warm Up Someone’s Winter Holidays
Donate one of your old coats to a local charity and you’ll be making room for new coats and giving someone else the gift of warmth with a second hand like new coat.
2) Support Those In Need
You’re tired of staring at that old sofa, but you dread hauling it to a local charity. Several nonprofit groups, such as Goodwill Industries and the Salvation Army, will come to your home to pick up furniture that you’d like to get rid of.
3) Help Out Some Dogs and Cats
Donate some of your old bed sheets, linens, and towels to animal rescue groups or animal shelters in your area. These can be used to wrap animals during winter months to keep them warm as many of these facilities are always on the look out for items to clean up after animals as well as wrap them up to provide warmth.
4) Help Out Abused Women
If you’re active in women’s rights, a local women’s shelter would love unused toiletries, bedding and furniture
5) Help Sea Turtles
Organizations like the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, FL, accept donations of bath towels, antibacterial dish soap, plastic bags, paper towels, ladders, wheelchairs and other items. The center cares for sea turtles.
6) Feed The Hungry
Various groups conduct food drives around the holidays. If you’re looking to clean out your cupboard, consider giving nonperishable food to your local food bank.
As a bonus there may be some tax breaks for your holiday donations also. Before you drop off or have items picked up, put together a list of what you are donating. Note whether the item is of ‘high’ or ‘low’ value, as most tax deduction forms provide estimates for these two categories.
If you haven’t fully decided what to do with your extra stuff and need to make room for new holiday gifts then it may be a good time to take advantage of some of our self storage promotions and move in at a discount into a storage unit.