Sometimes you have to get rid of things. You might not have enough space, or you could be downsizing. There are plenty of reasons why you might need to get rid of a few boxes. The important thing is that you should do it ethically. You never know, you might be able to turn your unwanted things into a way to save yourself some money. We have a few ideas on how you can save money by ethically getting rid of your unwanted things.
Tech goes in and out of style quicker than anything else. One minute it is the latest piece of tech, and the next it is dated. Whether it’s a laptop, phone or even a smartwatch, there will be an ethical way to get rid of it. Everyone from Amazon and Apple to O2 and EE offers a ‘trade in’ or ‘refresh’ program. You will save money towards the cost of your new device, and the company will either recycle your device or refurbish it.
Clothing is one thing that we go through very quickly. On average, we only wear a garment seven times before getting rid of it. Maybe your clothes don’t fit you anymore, or perhaps they don’t reflect your style. You don’t necessarily need to go out and buy new clothes. Instead, save yourself the money and organise a swish with your friends. A ‘swish’ is a clothes swap between friends. Organise an event, perhaps drinks or a movie night, and ask everyone to bring their unwanted clothing. You might get that dress you have always wanted from your best friend’s clothes.
If you’re an avid reader, then might get through dozens of books every year. Unless it’s a favourite, the book might end up just gathering dust on a shelf. Buying books can be expensive and can take up a large chunk of space. If you don’t have a library that you can donate to, you can consider opening your own little free library. You can use anything from a bird box to a mailbox, anything that you can easily store books in. There are over 100,000 ‘little free libraries’ all over the world. Your own little library will let you swap and exchange books with your neighbours and friends. With a swapping scheme like this, you’ll have a free bookstore at your fingertips.
If you have random items that you want to get rid of ethically, then the internet will help you. If saving money or getting something in return isn’t an issue, then groups like free-cycle are a great idea. There are over 5000 groups and more than 9 million members worldwide, meaning that there is probably a group near you. The idea is that if you have an unwanted item, that you can give it to someone in the group for free. Sharing will allow your belongings to have a new lease on life and stop them from ending up in a landfill. These sharing groups work both ways, and you can save money by picking up items for free through the group. You can give an unwanted item a new home, and save yourself some cash in the process.
