Purse Funeral

It kills me to have to write this, but it is time for a purse funeral.

I love my beautiful red purse. It is especially special because my husband bought it for me a few years back when we were on a date. (If you know my husband, you know that this is atypical to say the least.) I like to carry it in the fall/winter, as it goes well with both my gray and brown coats. It's nothing special, just a vinyl handbag that happens to be a very pretty shade of red, with teal lining, and is just the size that I like to carry--big enough to serve a few diaper bag functions (water bottles, snacks, extra clothes) without being Huge.

So why the funeral?

This purse has a metal frame opening, and it keeps falling apart. I searched for someone who could repair it the first time it happened, but no one really 'repairs' things anymore. I finally found a clock repairman who was willing to give it a try, despite the challenge of cheap manufacturing. He did his best, and it lasted a bit longer, but now it is falling apart again. When the frame IS holding together, the clasp doesn't hold the purse closed properly. Clearly the lesson here is: Do not purchase a handbag that has a metal frame/clasp opening, no matter how pretty the bag is!

I am so disappointed because I am the type of person who likes to use a handbag (or ANY item) over and over again. I keep finding that my expectations are too high for how long an item should last, whether it be a home appliance, or a purse made of vinyl. I know that the companies that manufacture these items want me to go back to the store any buy a replacement item as soon as possible. I get tired of this process.

I've tried different strategies to get around the built in 'wear-out' timer on my stuff. Once a while back, I bought a handbag and I liked it so much that I bought a second one exactly like it (on deep discount) so that I would have a new handbag all ready to go when the first one died (my plan worked!) I have also bought multiples of shoes that worked well for me to avoid having to search all over again for something that fits.

My summer handbag is canvas with a few pieces of leather, and it has tolerated being washed in the washing machine twice now. Next spring/summer will be Season 3 for that bag.

In the mean time, I need to somehow let go of my beautiful red bag, and find a replacement. It's in perfect condition other than the metal frame. Goodwill? The trash??? Maybe I will just put it on the shelf in my closet, to look at once in a while.

Dishwasher Day Part 1

A few weeks ago, I observed that all of the dishes coming out of the dishwasher were less than clean. I used Angie's List to find a reputable, affordable repairman, and he had bad news: the dishwasher motor needed to be replaced entirely.

We were disappointed to say the least, as we purchased the dishwasher in February 2006 based on the Consumer Reports recommendation at the time. (It's a Kenmore Elite, if you care to know.) We have run the dishwasher once a day on average for less than 4 years, so we were very surprised to learn that it needed such an extensive repair--$350!

My first thought was to replace the dishwasher entirely. It doesn't make sense to me to invest an additional $350 into a machine that cost less than twice that amount in the first place. When I asked the repairman for dishwasher recommendations,the repairman recommended the mid-range dishwashers because many of the low-price dishwashers have a one-piece motor identical or similar to the one in my broken dishwasher. I hopped online to research and determine which dishwasher would be the best replacement.

Many hours of research and deliberation later, I was confused and overwhelmed. The dishwashers rated highest by Consumer Reports (and the dishwasher repairman) were the ones that had the most positive AND negative reviews by individuals on the various store web sites. Most of the time it was difficult to determine whether the reviewer was writing a review for the specific dishwasher I was looking at... or an older/different model.

The entire research process left me as uninformed as when I started, except as to the high cost of a new dishwasher. In addition to the $1,100 dishwasher I was considering, I would need to pay an installation fee, anywhere from $200 to $400. After reading about the mixed experiences people were having with the various dishwashers, I felt like it would be taking a risk to purchase a new dishwasher.
These conclusions led me back to the option of repairing the current dishwasher. Not the glamorous choice by far, especially after seeing the special 3rd rack my potential new dishwasher came with. The deciding factor was the recycling factor. It seems like a crime to dispose of a practically new dishwasher, even if the entire motor doesn't work. If I succumb to temptation and buy the sparkly new dishwasher (with stainless steel interior), I will be reinforcing our culture of discarding appliances at the first sign of a problem to replace them with the latest and greatest (energy-saving drying cycle!).

If the old dishwasher lasts another 4 years with the repair, we will have saved money.

If the replacement motor dies in 12-18 months (as happened to numerous reviewers on the web), we'll kick ourselves and wish we had gone with the new dishwasher. And then buy the new one.

If we're lucky, the new motor will last longer that our wildest dreams and I will never get a chance to enjoy the new-fangled one. I don't know why I care; ask me how often I load the dishwasher in our household? I'm the chef of the house, my husband is The Loader.

Anyway, I have been spending way too much time thinking about dishwashers recently.

Declutter Challenge June Update: Zip Zero

This is the most depressing post I've been procrastinating about writing.

I've been overwhelmed by the rest of my life, so I didn't get around to selling or donating anything during the month of June. Things are not looking too great for July, either, seeing that we are almost midway through the month and I haven't sold anything. We did send a carload of items to Goodwill, so at least that's something to offset the huge amount of artwork that my kids brought into the house at the end of the school year. (I don't even know where to start with that project! What am I going to do with all of this stuff? How on Earth do I decide what to keep and what to get rid of? How many of my daughter's identical pictures of puppies do I need to keep? According to her, we need to keep them all. Ack!)

I've got about a week to work with sale-wise, so maybe with some focus I can do a little something. I was doing so well with this and I would like to get back in the groove and continue meeting my monthly goal.

I'm learning new insights about myself, though. I can see that I had an expectation that I would be just as productive in the summer, and now I am realizing that I just want to take my kids to the pool. I hope to keep this new insight in mind for future summers.

Recycle a Piperlime Shipping Box

I ordered a pair of shoes from Piperlime recently, and I love them!

I also loved the interior of the shipping box:

The entire interior of the box is covered in little green 'limes' in a pretty shade of green. So pretty, in fact, that I couldn't imagine just tossing the box (used once!) into the recycling bin--or even my shipping box stockpile. I decided to see how the limes would look if they were on the outside of the box.

I used a pair of scissors to cut the tape open on the bottom of the box. I then carefully tore the glued seam of the box with my fingers. When the cardboard was completely flat, I refolded the box so that the limes show on the outside, and sealed the seams with clear packing tape. I left the top flaps loose for now, but I may table those down in the future. This was the result:

By keeping the seam on the outside of the box (rather than on the inside as it was originally assembled) it covers up the torn area and still looks pretty nice, as you can see below:

 

Now I have a pretty cardboard storage box! The dimensions are 14" long x 10" wide x 12" high. I just need to figure out what could be stored inside. Cardboard isn't a good fit for frequent use, so I am thinking it may belong on an upper shelf in my or my daughter's closet. The narrow width makes it easier to store it in a narrow area.

This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family!

How to Recycle Non-Stick Cookware

I think know that I have issues with throwing things in the trash. This pan is no longer useful (unless you like rust in your food) and has caused great trauma and wastefulness. It needs to go! I really hate adding to the trash pile, though, and my husband is the same way. That's why in addition to our yucky pan pictured above, we also have these guys:

These are two additional non-stick pans that have started to flake. We no no longer use them for cooking, but we couldn't bring ourselves to throw them away, either. So, they sit in our house collecting dust and taking up space.

It's time for these items to find a new home! I have been trying to find a way to recycle them. I read an article on Teflon recycling and was feeling discouraged. Apparently one way to recycle Teflon pans is to get them recovered in Teflon. Or you could get the Teflon coating 'blasted' off and be left with a basic steel pan. They also mentioned that Caphalon has a cookware recycling program here. The catch is that you must purchase an 8 or 10 piece cookware set from them in order to receive a cookware recycling box.

At that point, the trail seemed bleak and I had to get creative. I called Caphalon Customer Service and they said they would recycle my cookware if I mailed it myself (and paid to ship it). I thought this was what I was going to do, but then I thought to check my local recycling center to see if they would accept them, and the web site says that they do!

They are now in the car waiting to be delivered (do I recycle the glass lid with them???) and there are three fewer useless items taking up space in my house. I hope these pans get recycled into something useful.

Decluttering: Sell Your Gold!

Maybe one of the themes for my Declutter Challenge in February should be Super Small Items because this week I donated my unused contact lenses in addition to selling some old and broken bits of jewelry for cash!

What happened was this: I have a friend who has been out of work for a long while due to health problems. She is a single mother helping to finance her son's college education, so she is always trying to come up with strategies to come up with a little additional money to help make ends meet (at least make the ends come a bit closer anyway!).

She knows that I am trying to find a useful home for my unneeded stuff, so she suggested that I accompany her to sell some gold jewelry and other precious metals (sliver, pewter, etc.). I had a schedule conflict, so I found some broken gold necklaces and a few other items, popped them in a plastic bag, and sent them off with my friend to see what she could sell them for.

My friend has sold gold several different times now, and she has a few tips to share:

• Avoid offers that require you to send your gold through the mail. If at all possible, find a place where you can go in person to sell your gold. The buyers can make an offer for your pieces, and you can decide on the spot whether you want to sell them or not. You have less control over this process if you are sending your pieces through the mail, and could be more vulnerable to scams.
• Bring a friend. Some buyers offer to pay you an additional percentage for your pieces if you bring additional people with you. Your friends can also help you decide whether to accept the purchase offers or not. A third benefit of bringing your friends is that they can look over your unwanted items and perhaps offer them a new home. I had two pair of earrings that I sent which were too large for me and not my style at all. I wasn't even sure if they were made of gold or not. The type of gold they were made of was low quality, so the buyers declined to purchase them, but my friend really liked them, so I gave them to her. Better than having them return to clutter my jewelry box! Which leads to our next tip:
• Bring your items even if you aren't sure they are made of gold. You never know! On the other hand,
• Avoid selling sentimental items if you think you will regret it later. For several of my broken necklaces, I kept the pendant, but sold the broken chain. The pendants carry the sentiment, so I kept those. I avoided selling items that have sentimental value to our family. I may not use them right now, but my daughter may be interested in them when she is older.
• Think 'outside' the box when locating items to sell. My friend did this literally when she was looking through a small jewelry box one day for potential gold pieces. Suddenly it hit her that the actual jewelry box was made of sterling silver, and could be a sellable item! (She kept it for now, but she may sell it in the future if silver prices go up.)

We had a sucessful gold sale; the results of which will be included in my Declutter Challenge Report for February. I am still tallying up the rest of the items I sold this month, and I will put the February results up next week. Stay tuned!

Donate Your Unused Contact Lenses to MADRE

Several times now I have ended up with a number of unused disposable contact lenses that I wasn't able to wear. In one case I became allergic to the brand, and in another more recent case, my vision changed dramatically after my daughter weaned and the lens prescription began to cause eye strain.

I could have just swept the unused lenses into the garbage without another thought, but I got to thinking about how much I paid for those contact lenses in the first place, and it didn't seem right to just throw them away. Someone somewhere must be able to use them!

I found an organization called MADRE that promotes rights for women worldwide. They accept a number of items for donation, including contact lenses that are at least 6 months away from expiring (they also accept cell phones with chargers, non-prescription medications, sewing supplies, etc.). They then match the contact lenses (or other items) to women around the world who have that need. You can just mail your items to the following address:

MADRE
Helping Hands Campaign
121 West 27th Street Room 301
New York, NY 10001

If you include a return address, they will send a thank you letter that you can use as a receipt for your donation.

It's a very small thing that can help a woman in need somewhere in the world, and also keep the three Five (I found two more!) extra contact lenses I have on hand from being thrown away before being used. It's the smallest decluttering project I'll ever do, probably, but it meets my goal of finding a useful and needed place for my unwanted stuff.

Check your medicine cabinet and see if you have contacts or other items that could be donated to a good cause!

PS I will also be donating my extra earnings from January to MADRE to help with their Haiti relief efforts, partly as a thank you for taking on the onerous task of collecting and redistributing contact lenses that would otherwise go into a landfill unused. Thanks, MADRE!

Donating Yucky, Unwearable Clothing: What Really Happens?

Someone recently made a comment on my Selling vs Donating: Why Bother? post, advising that Goodwill may throw away clothing that they cannot sell in their thrift stores. This disturbed me because most of the children's clothing I donate is stained, torn, or worn out, and probably not marketable in a thrift store setting. I felt very discouraged to think of all the piles of clothes I've donated to Goodwill, just to have them in end up in a landfill anyway! I decided to do a little research and find out what really happens to the old, yucky (but clean!) clothing I donate.

St Vincent de Paul: My commenter recommended St Vincent de Paul as an organization that sells unwearable clothing as rags. This sounds promising except that the nearest location is almost 50 miles away (in Fredericksburg, VA) I decided to focus on organizations closer to home.

Goodwill: I sent an email to Goodwill inquiring about what happens to clothing they are unable to sell in their thrift stores, and they responded quickly with a lengthy explanation:

We have over 2300 in the US and Canada. The items that don’t meet the quality standard are sometimes sold at Goodwill clearance centers, such as outlets or “by the pound” stores. Not all Goodwill headquarters have such centers, but where present, this is a good way to squeeze more value from donations, keep more product from reaching landfills, and fund our job training programs and employment placement services. Any remaining product is then offered for sale to textile recyclers, which extends the life of already manufactured goods.

Some of the used clothes sold to textile recyclers are recycled into rags, carpet fibers and other products. This is an environmentally sound process - we have seen estimates that textile recyclers divert approximately 2.5 billion pounds of used clothes from landfills.

PlanetAid: I also contacted PlanetAid as they operate in Washington, DC, not too far away from me.They emailed a message including this response:

The clothing and shoes that are donated to Planet are resold to international used clothing brokers. The profits derived from these sales are used to fund sustainable development projects in Africa, Asia, & Latin America.

The brokers that buy our clothes actually have sorting facilities. Once they receive a load from us, they sort through clothing. The stained, ripped, or unwearable clothing is sorted out and then it is resold to actual textile recyclers. The textile recyclers then use that material to make shop rags, carpet padding, insulation, and other by-product materials. As you can see, there is an extensive chain of recycling that goes on within this industry.

The Salvation Army: I couldn't find a contact email for The Salvation Army so I called them. According to the two representatives I spoke with, they sell the higher quality clothing in their thrift stores. Less desirable but still wearable clothing is baled and shipped around the world to areas in need. If clothing is soiled or completely unwearable, it does end up in the trash. Good to know!

This research has led me to reassess what I am donating. I'm donating clothing that is often not resellable in a thrift store, but it is still wearable. I cannot think of anything I've donated recently that would have gone into the trash. I think that most of my items (if not sold in the thrift stores) are being packed into bales and being shipped to people who will hopefully find them useful.

I'm glad I did this research and learned a little more about where these clothes are going after I donate them. We will stick with donating to Goodwill for the present because it is conveniently located very close to our home. It's nice to know that any of these organizations in our area will treat our donations responsibly and have multiple ways to reuse clothing and keep them out of landfills.

Ebay Update: Take Note if You Plan to Sell Cloth Diapers

When I mentioned my plans to sell cloth diapers on Ebay, a commenter observed that some people have had their cloth diaper listings removed with no notice. I didn't want this to happen to me, so I decided to do a little research and find out what the regulations are regarding cloth diaper sales.

The answer: http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/used-clothing.html

"Used cloth diapers can be sold, as long as the listing states clearly that the item has been cleaned per manufacturer standards."

I'm really glad that I checked this out in advance; otherwise my listings may have been pulled! I appreciate the heads up about this potential problem, and I hope this info is useful to my cloth diaper selling competitiors out there as well.

Happy Selling!