Aww...that's great. I plan to do that today with a huge ratty old coffee table. I had planned on fixing it up with paint, etc. but have since realized it's just too big for my little house.

I'm gonna take it on the way to town and leave it up at "the turn" - I know it'll be taken from that vantage point.

Congratulations on taking a proactive stand on some of the clutter. I've really been in the mood to do that lately.

I'm glad someone took the bike. Sometimes I put stuff out with free signs on it, then I have to haul it back in! Guess it's so bad no one wants it.

I'm notorious about putting stuff out on the curb for *free*. It's my favorite thing to do after garage sales LOL. Anything left the next day goes to the ministry. Once I put out about 50 good sized banana trees and no one was greedy. Made me feel good.

I bought a steamer for clothes not all that long ago and paid good money for it, tossed the receipt, tried it once and hated it. In a moment of madness, I put it on the street. I was shocked that it took over 3 days for someone to claim it. It was large and still sparkling. I live on a corner only one street from the main entrance.... was visible to hundreds of passers by. Usually stuff goes immediately. That one just surprised me.

We put an old bike at the curb this past weekend and it was gone in a flash. I'm always delighted to contribute to curb-side shopping, and I like to do it myself. My best curb-side find was an enormous plastic kiddie pool. My kids enjoyed it for three years, outgrew it, and when I sent it back to the curb it was picked up by someone else.

Took the table and left it that morning - by afternoon it was gone.

Sure would have snatched up that clothes steamer! LOL
Think people didn't realize what it was?

re: steam cleaner... I don't know? The neighbor that finally took it wanted to use it to try and strip wallpaper. I haven't seen it back on the their curb yet. However, knowing them like I do, it will stay *packratted* for the next 100 years.

I still have fond memories of a garage sale we had 20 years ago (yeah, I'm half nutz). There was a man with a slew of kids driving a beat up truck. None of them were dressed well at all. We had a duplicate fairly new dryer we were selling and this man nearly drooled on it. He went to his truck and you could see him counting his money and digging in his pockets. Apparently he was short but never haggled with us. I guess he decided to spend what he had on clothes and other needed items for the family as both he and kids shopped the clothes carefully. We watched him try on suits that no longer fit my husband but fit him perfectly. After he saw the pile of clothes the kids had picked out, he put the suits back. When he was purchasing the items, he talked about the dryer but once again, never haggled. We told him to come back after 3 p.m. and if it was still there, we'd make him a great deal.

Long story - sorry. He came back and we sold it to him for only $20.00. He was THRILLED and so thankful. What he didn't know was that after he left, we pulled the dryer in (off the market) and stuffed the dryer with all the leftover suits, dress shirts, sport shirts, curling irons the girls were looking at - anything suitable for that family that was leftover and would fit into the dryer. He had no clue :)

I guess that is why my family and friends tell me I will never have a "pot to pee in" LOL. Giving is sooooo easy for me. Or, perhaps I'm just too lazy to go the distance? But seriously, after all these years, helping that family still makes me feel good.

Good job Lisa....you are the kind that made that families day. Imagine his surprise. You felt good and so did he!!
Karen L

Awww...Lisa, that's a great story. Also, the fact that you didn't GIVE him the dryer probably contributed to his sense of pride that, yes, he WAS paying you for the dryer, etc. Bet he thought that was one heavy dryer! LOL

For anything that I want to get rid of, I post it on freecycle.org. I really feel great at the same time I am ridding myself of clutter - and I'm chipping away at my long-standing packrat tendencies...

Here is a link that might be useful: Freecycle

I have a confession..... I went trash diving the other day hahaha. Actually it was free recycling - free to me :) Since I'm in the process of packing up my house, I needed packing materials. Around the corner from me was a massive pile of bubble wrap out for trash pick up. Had come off of an entire set of new furniture - lots of it! I had to run to beat the trash crew. I grabbed all of it, had it wrapped around me... dragging 10 feet behind me and proceeded to walk home through the neighborhood. I got caught by another neighbor - he commented on my new "ball gown". Must have been quite the sight from a distance.

Awesome find though.

After dinner my husband and I were out walking and spotted an old wooden sewing machine table by our trash. We lifted the lid and the White sewing machine swung up and out perfectly. The bobbins were in the side with thread. Its dusty and dirty but we put it in our garage to check out tomorrow when its light. Don't you think that would make a great little table for my portable sewing machine after I have refinished it?: We are living in an apartment while the house is being remodeled and we have been throwing stuff away for a year. or do I need a support group to keep me 10 steps away from the trash?
I would invite somebody to come up with a pledge or something that would help resist temptation.

Nice find marge! I'm jealous :) One man's trash is another man's treasure. It's especially great when you find something that you love and will actually use. I don't think you need *help* yet .

I've got a neighbor whose garage is jammed packed from top to bottom with other people's stuff. That's no exageration either. In this case, it is the husband. He brings EVERYTHING home. Wife stays furious with him. Now THAT is a sickness.

Oh you thought I had room in the garage? This is the second garage--its at the apt. or that I have a clue about how to refinish? But I could learn.

OK, lisa. I think since marge said it's a second garage at her temporary apartment, then it clutter out of control.

Marge. How much do you really use the portable sewing machine you have now? If you pull it out for mending a couple of times a year, then I don't think the White machine table is a good idea. Better left in a closet. If you use it frequently, then you know using the machine table won't be a comfortable sewing spot.

You were managing just fine before someone put that out. I would post it on freecycle and let someone who would really appreciate the machine give it a new home. White is a good brand and I love those older models. The mechanics in them just don't wear out.

The last thing you want to do after you get the house remodeled is to fill it up with stuff you won't use. Do you really want it in your nice, new space?

Gloria

Lisa,
I got on today for the frist time since I made the original post. Your message about the dryer made me cry. That is so touching & I'm so glad you did that!

Quiltglo, thanks for helping me wake up. I do sew a lot and that table would be too small. I can put it out in the alley again.

Lisa, that post made me cry, too. Maybe I'm just a big sap, but I love the thought of that family getting home and opening up the dryer and realizing that their shopping day has been even better than they realized.