May 2025 Newsletter
- Judy Granlee Gates
- May 4
- 5 min read
Welcome Spring! This month we will talk about time, energy and money as related to both our clutter and our things! Read on for insights from my most recent speaking event from a very seasoned group!
Newsletter Topic of the Month
Collections
How is it already May, my friends? Between some travel, some issues with the hubs, and a cold or something like that has lasted two weeks, I have been a little out of sorts.
I had a great speaking engagement for the Gig Harbor Chapter of AAUW, American Association of University Women. What an amazing group, more “mature” baby boomers, many have already downsized! They had such good, thoughtful questions. Something that came up repeatedly was what to do with a large collection of things like books that still had use but were a lot to offer up to one person or entity.
I recalled when my grandmother died, she had many, many books, and some were a hundred years or more old and in complete volumes. My mom spent a lot of time having books looked at and appraised to find out they really were not worth much.
This topic led me to the simple answer I often go to. How much time, money and energy do we have to dedicate? I think and talk about this so much. Every single thing we own requires energy. And energy can be broken down to two important things…time and money. And the realization is that everything we own, everything, will at some point become trash.
Let’s focus first on energy. Decluttering, giving, donating, all take time. A lot of it. Some of it can take money to get help, haulers, you name it. You have heard me say some folks back up a dumpster and just load it up full of perfectly good stuff and I can tell you why. Time, energy and money. The shortest path to clearing out is trash. Most of us are not wired that way, and we want useful things to be used, but I do see why it is done this way so often. Especially in an estate situation when the owner of said items has passed, and others are left to clean up.
One lady in my group was an academic and had a large collection of books. Very large. She wondered what to do with it and had already donated significant parts of it to various academic locations. So, what to do with the rest? I brainstormed out loud with my group.
The first, easiest and most obvious choice was donating to a large charity. I know a lot of folks take issue with the Goodwill, but they are the go-to for large drops and generally take most things. You could overrun a small thrift store quickly, but the Goodwill can take a huge load of something. The benefit here is that you can get rid of a lot of items quickly, and they will be available for people to purchase at reasonable prices. This is the fastest route, and the least effort donation. Other large options include the Salvation Army, and St Vincent De Paul.
The second is searching out options that offer more local community support. Small thrifts that benefit local nonprofits, library book sales that support public libraries, other ideas could be nursing homes, used bookstores (as a donation) a little free library (google this if you are not aware). This requires a lot more time, energy and money. First you must call around to see who can take them and how much, then sort out the lot into smaller groups often as to not overwhelm one place. Then someone must find boxes, pack them, load them and drive them all over. Who will do all this, coordinate, load and deliver? You are either doing it yourself, getting help, or hiring it done. In terms of time, energy and money, this method is more of an investment.
Lastly you can do a combination of both and maybe send select books to specific organizations, museums, friends, academic locations. One of the ladies in attendance found a nice relic and contacted the museum that might like it. They wanted it of course, but had no money to even pay for shipping, and it was to Australia and cost her $15 to send one item. This is by far the costliest in terms of time, energy and money.
While there are not easy answers here, there are talking points, and things to consider so that when you are ready to gift or donate, you have some ideas.
I’d love to hear any feedback or ways that you have dealt with a large volume of items like books. Please shoot me an email to share. I am currently working on creating a local resource guide of places that take donations, what they take and how much they can accept. I welcome suggestions for the Kitsap, Mason, Jefferson, Clallam and greater King, Pierce, and Snohomish County areas!
Have a topic idea? Area of struggle? A fun tip? Send it in and I may make it the topic of the month. Email me at hello@judygranleegates.com
Join in the conversation at Facebook group – Declutter and Resize – Bigger Living Smaller Space
Product(s) of the Month:
In the spirit time, energy and money, no suggestions! I would only like to suggest a purchase for something that will help or add value!
News & Upcoming Events
I have a big announcement coming next month. Stay tuned here, or in my Facebook Group, Declutter and Resize. I’ve been running a contest collecting bits of info from my group, feel free to join in. At the end, I will count everyone’s points, put them all in a bowl as an entry and choose the winner of a $100 gift card!
If you don’t know Paige Pritchard and The Money Love podcast, check out my episode with her! We covered the gamut and I am getting great feedback on the episode. I hope you will check it out and let me know what you enjoyed most! Paige is one of my very favorite podcasters and I listen to her often!
In March, my book was given the Literary Titan Gold Award. I’m so thrilled and appreciative of everyone who has supported me and my decluttering mission! A big thanks to you all.
The Literary Titan Book Award is a monthly award, given by Literary Titan, that recognizes and celebrates excellence in writing, both in fiction and non-fiction, with gold and silver awards. It’s given to books and authors that Literary Titan, an organization of professional editors, writers, and professors, has reviewed and found to be of exceptional quality. The awards recognize exceptional storytelling, creativity, unique writing styles, vivid worlds, complex characters, and innovative ideas. The award is a mark of distinction, recognizing excellence in writing that is both innovative and impactful.
Other Stuff
Do you have a group or event that would like to hear about decluttering, living smaller, or parting with sentimental items? Let me know, I love to speak to people about all things decluttering and resizing!
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