It’s hard to know what to plan for in the New Year, especially since we are still living through the second year of a global pandemic. 2022 won’t hit the reset button on the world, but that doesn’t mean you should enter the New Year viewing life through a pessimistic lens. It’s important to be positive, optimistic, and prepare yourself for change. One of the best ways to do that is to adopt the “out with the old” policy and declutter your house. We’re leaving 2021 behind, so why not leave some other non-essential items behind as well?
Most of you probably deep-cleaned every last surface in your house over the holidays, considering the tremendous COVID-19 case spikes in the United States. You probably even got rid of things you didn’t even know you had. Well, we want to point out a few more things that you may still have in your home. You don’t have to throw these items in the trash (although, you may want to throw some things away); rather, you can donate them to a charitable organization. Keep reading to see how you can continue to purge your house before New Year’s Day.
Clothing You Never Wear
This is easier said than done, especially if you like to engage in regular retail therapy. So many of us have items, which we no longer or never will wear, in our drawers or closets. We keep them for memories or those perfect moments when we may want to wear them. Perhaps you purchased some clothes with fashion trends that came and went. The fashion trends went, but the clothes stayed. If you don’t wear an item, there’s no sense in keeping it. Lighten your load and free up some closet space!
Expired Foods In The Pantry
Even if you don’t have a pantry, you probably have some expired foods in the cabinets or drawers. It’s easy to forget about things when they aren’t in plain sight. Take all of the food items out of the cabinets or pantry and see which foods are expired and which ones are still good. While you have the shelves free, give them a good wipe down because they are definitely dirty. Once you throw away the expired foods, make a note of which items you have in order to avoid buying them at the store before you use up the foods you already have.
Mismatched Food Containers And Cups
If you’re like most people, you probably have a drawer of food containers or tumblers with lids. How many of those lids actually fit the containers/tumblers you own? If you have rogue lids or containers/tumblers, it’s time to get rid of them. Take back control of the chaos that is your food container drawer and match the lids that fit with the containers; the same applies for all the tumblers and their lids.
Extra Mugs
Whether you received them as gifts or just accumulated a vast collection of mugs over the years, it’s time to let some of them go. Some mugs are permanently stained or have chips in them, and those are the ones you need to get rid of. Mugs can also go if they are completely random and don’t match with your newer set. Let go of the excess because you don’t really need 17 mugs, do you?
Old Winter Clothes
If you live in colder climates, you probably have a whole section of the closet that’s specifically for winter clothes. Some people who live in warm climates have a box of winter clothes for the rare occasions they visit colder weather. Pull out those clothes and try on every item you own. Chances are that some items in your winter wardrobe no longer fit, or they aren’t in style anymore. There’s no sense in keeping what doesn’t fit, so pack up those items and donate them to a homeless shelter or charitable organization to help those who can use them.
Empty Gift Cards
It’s very common to use a gift card for a purchase, be it in store or online, and not throw it away. Perhaps the card stays in your wallet or the miscellaneous drawer in your desk. You comb through the wallet or drawer one day and find that gift card. You get excited to make a new purchase and then realize that you have no more money, or less than 68 cents on the card. Before the New Year arrives, check the balance on every gift card you own and throw away the ones with nothing. If you still have remaining balances on certain gift cards, use a marker to write the value of the balance on the card.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
