Have you ever looked around your house and saw some items you don’t use anymore, or ask why do you even have them? It might have been a gift, something silly that was impulse purchase, or something that you really wanted at the time, but now it’s just another item to clutter your house. I’m sure we’ve all been there, I know I have.

Take a few minutes and look around your house, (well after you have finished reading this article). Did you notice a few items around your house that look like I just described? Do you feel it’s just cluttering your house, taking up space serving no purpose? Here are some ideas about what to do with them.

Sell them on auctions sites or to your friends

Auction sites are a great way to get rid of your old stuff. Go onto any of them and see all the things other people are selling. You might find similar items to what you have, or the exact same item.

Check out ebay.com or half.com. They are both owned by the same company, and are your best choices for getting rid of your old stuff, and by the way, you’ll make some money back on those items.

Have a Yard Sale

If you don’t want to sell it online, go offline and create a yard sale. Yard sales are cheap to setup, and you can get cash quicker. Get some bins and small tables to display your items. Place some small stickers on the items and mark the price. You will definitely get some hagglers trying to find a steal, but it’s always better to have something than nothing.

Check with your local ordinances and home owners association about the requirements and limitations of having a yard sale.

Check your Friends and Family

Friends and Family are an untapped source you may not think of. It’s possible some of them are in the market for the items you have. You can either sell or give it away, and if you’re going to give it away, it might as well be to someone you know. But if it’s a fruit cake, give it to someone you don’t like.

Trade them with others

There are new services out there targeting your needs by providing a way to connect you with others looking for some of the items you have. These sites include and.

SwapTree is a service that allows you to list your unwanted video games, books, music and movies, and they want you to list what you want. The idea is there is someone out there who may have an item you want, and you have an item they want. Think of it like a barter system. The current value of the items is irrevelant, so for some, it may not feel like a fair trade, but in the company’s mind, a trade is a trade, fair enough. They have a rating system for swappers, similar to ebay, and there is no charge to list your items or to use the service.

barter with friends and family.

Donate to a Charity

Charities will more than gladly take many items. Check your local yellow pages or online directories for a charity near you.

Give it away

Sometimes we don’t think about this but you could always just give away old items you don’t want.

Freecycle is one such website that helps you in finding others who want your unwanted items. Their mission is “to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community.” The idea is to give freely with no strings attached.

There are a number of benefits from doing any of the above suggestions I mentioned.

• You help to decrease the impact on landfills.
• You may make some of your money back, if you sell it through an auction site.
• You can get a tax deduction, if you give it away to a charity.
• You can get something in exchange for it, if you use a trading site or trade with friends and families.
• You get the warm fuzzy feeling inside knowing you gave it away to someone who could use it, if you use a site like freecycle.
• You clear the clutter from your house, which is always a great thing.