- Start small. It can be overwhelming otherwise. Begin with easy projects like your kitchen junk drawer, your medicine cabinet or your purse/wallet. You'll be amazed how good you feel afterwards. Unwanted prescription medications can be dropped off throughout Dutchess County; go HERE for details.
- Schedule time. If you don't put these tasks on your calendar, time will pass -- and more clutter will no doubt build up.
- Prep yourself with supplies. Think post It notes, sharpies and boxes. Ashe recommends having a "toss it" box, a "recycle" box and a "donate/junk box."
- Stop unwanted catalogs from filling your mailbox (sign-up is free). Go HERE for details.
- Consider a garage/tag sale, but be honest with yourself about the hard work it entails. If your heart is set on having one, she said this is a great time of year as it's not too cold or too hot. Check out what your town or village might require in terms of permits. See if other neighbors may be having one as the more in one area, the better for driving traffic.
- Have a plan for what happens to the stuff that doesn't sell. Do not bring it back into the house no matter what, stresses Ashe.
- Put kitty litter in latex paint to dry it up. Many of us have leftover paint in our garages. By dumping in kitty litter and letting it sit for a while, you'll be able to toss unwanted paint in the regular trash once dry.
- Do a clean-up of your filing systems post tax-time. Eighty percent of the papers we file, we never look at again, said Ashe, making this a good time to sort through what you have. Take advantage of free shredding sites to get rid of old papers.
- When you put your new spring/summer wardrobe in your closet, put items in with the hangers facing backwards. As you wear them, change the hanger to face forward. At the end of the season, take note of what you didn't wear. This is an indication of what you didn't wear -- and might be able to get rid of.
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