Donating  items that you no longer need or want can be very rewarding.   You get a less cluttered space and someone else gets something they need.  Before you go on give-away campaign, be sure that you follow these simple rules of thumb.

1.  Give the good stuff. On the surface, it may sound counterintuitive, afterall, you want to keep the good stuff, right? Remember, it’s only good if it’s useful to you. So, be sure to only donate something that functions as intended (read: not broken). This also means giving clothing that is clean and CDs that are not scratched. A couple questions to ask yourself before donating would be:  ”Would I buy this exactly as it is?” or “Would I be offended if I received this as a gift?”

2.  Give the good stuff with all the parts. Wouldn’t it be great to get that gently used, really fabulous thing that you’ve always wanted?  Not so much if the power cord for the really fabulous thing is missing.  If you can’t find all the parts, you may want to consider recycling.

3.  Give the good stuff with all the parts without your marks. This means that if your name is on it, you’ll have to remove it.  When in doubt, refer to the questions in #1.