Is it really the 1st today? And did I really publicly proclaim to declutter my entire home during the month of September? Well, yes and yes. Now I must keep my word so glibly thrown out in the safety of late August and begin the painful but ultimately rewarding process of letting go of too much stuff. I have undertaken this in the past and have the garment bags of unworn clothes stuffed in the darkest corners of the coat closet to prove it, but this time they will make it out the door and away.
Marie Kondo talks a great deal in her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, about how many garbage bags her clients fill up with unwanted stuff, though she never says where these garbage bags go. While I’m capable of deciding if a designer jacket no longer brings me joy I’m not capable of stuffing it in a garbage bag and tossing it out. With the original cost buzzing in my head I rationalize that I must find a new home for it via a consignment shop or a charity thrift store. Thus with good intentions they end up in a garment bag waiting to be taken away but instead seep deeper into the closet and eventually are forgotten.
This time though I vow to finish the job. Fortunately it’s never been easier thanks to The Real Real, an online luxury consignment site. Email for an appointment and a representative will come to your home, assess the goods and take away what they deem worthy on the spot, and you stand to make a little cash back! For the rest of it (if you live in NYC) there is The City Opera Thrift Shop. Their web site will give you instructions on how to package your stuff and arrange for a pick up. As a charity you can take a tax deduction for the value of the goods donated. Everybody wins! Stay tuned for my progress or visit my minimalist inspiration board on Pinterest to share my clutter-free vision.
