Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/815280
Afewweeks ago,I got a wake-up call that wasn't exactly intended for me. Our friends Matt and Sharlene were told that Matt's 92-year-old aunt had died. As the executors of her estate, this did not catch them by surprise. The surprise came when they opened the door to see what was waiting for them. As they described long-distance what they were facing — a home stuffed to the brim with stuff — I was with them vicariously, overwhelmed by the enormity of the accumulation of clutter. What to do? Where to start? At that moment, I renewed in my heart (and am now renewing publicly) my pledge to my husband and children: To the very best of my ability, and with God as my witness, I will never leave a mess for you to deal with. Admittedly, I am a clutter bug, and I know why. In my heart, I believe that everything I own has value. That means I must keep it. The struggle is real. Those books I'll never open again and my old mobile phone that won't hold a charge — they have to be worth something to someone, right? Or how about that box of video games? They still look good even though we don't have the game station that goes with them. And that computer monitor. Sure, it's smallish and old, but it still works (I think). I can't throw it out. All those DVDs. They cost a lot of money. And on and on it goes, from the garage to the basement — every room has the potential to become a clutter magnet. Here's the truth I confront every day: No matter my perceived value of stuff I no longer use or need, those things are losing value every day I hang onto them. Right now, today, I need to determine how I can turn all of these things into cash. Impossible? Not at all. Over the years, I have explored realistic ways to turn clutter into cash, and I've figured out ways to do it. Still, the truth is that not everything can be sold. So what I cannot sell, I donate. What is not good enough to donate, I turn my head the other way and throw into the trash. The heartbreak is momentary — replaced quickly by the wonderful feeling of clutter turning into cleanliness and order. Which brings me to my favorite company that pays me cash for some books, CDs, DVDs, electronics and old mobile devices: Decluttr. Notice I said "some." Decluttr doesn't buy everything, but it buys a lot! And it pays the shipping fees to send boxes of stuff to the company. Even better, once a box arrives, Decluttr sends me a check the very next day. Even when Decluttr offers me, say, 40 cents for a book I think is worth $40 (yeah, I'm like that), I know the book is not headed for the landfill. It will eventually end up in the hands of someone who will value it greatly and actually read it. Same for CDs, DVDs, video games, electronics and mobile devices I will never ever use again (I was surprised to learn Decluttr pays as much as $450 for a mobile phone). Go visit Decluttr to see how it works. It's easy peasy. Notice the option you'll have to download the Decluttr app to your smartphone. That's what I did. Now I just open the app and scan barcodes or answer a few questions regarding an electronic device. It's fun. In an instant, the app tells me whether Decluttr wants to buy an item and the price it'll pay. If it's an "Oops!" I put it into the donation box and just keep going. Once I hit at least $5 total on the app, I put those items into a box — any box — print the prepaid mailing label on my computer printer (it just shows up in my account), close up the box and send it off to Decluttr central. Within days, a check comes in the mail. I could also opt to be paid via Paypal. Decluttr does more than pay me for my stuff. The way I look at it, it pays me to keep my home and my life organized. That keeps my mind at ease. I just love that peaceful, easy feeling of knowing that I have a place for everything, and everything is in its place. Something tells me you do, too. Wouldyouliketosend a tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@ everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Ste. B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE Thepeacefuleasyfeeling that comes with decluttering A workshop titled Plant Collecting and Making Herbarium Specimens is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 29. Are you interested in how to collect plants, press them and make her- barium specimens? Learn about where to go to col- lect, how to obtain col- lection permits, proper collection practices and methods, including what types of data are needed to make specimen labels. You will also learn how to press, dry, and prepare a herbarium specimen. This workshop will be led by Emily Meigs Doe and Linnea Hanson. Doe has worked as a field botanist for the US For- est Service and as a her- barium assistant at the Chico State Herbarium. Hanson is a retired bota- nist from the Plumas Na- tional Forest. The workshop will meet in 129 Holt Hall at CSU, Chico. Cost is $75. Register in advance by calling 898-5356 or write to sscholten@csuchico. edu. For more informa- tion, visit www.friend- softhechicostateherbar- ium.com/eventsviewcal- endar/. CHICO STATE Herbarium to host plant collecting workshop ROUND-UP Mary Hunt By Julie Zeeb jzeeb@redbluffdailynews.com @DN_Zeeb on Twitter RED BLUFF The Red Bluff Kiwanis hosted the an- nual Red Bluff Round-Up Pancake Breakfast Satur- day at the Red Bluff Elks Lodge with several folks showing up shortly after the doors opened despite rain. "We're expecting about 1,000 people and all pro- ceeds go to sending over 100 kids to the Kiwanis Summer Camp held ev- ery year at Camp Te- hama," said Lisa Hansen, one of the event organiz- ers. "We've been send- ing kids to camp for more than 50 years. This event is the community com- ing together. For some it's a family tradition or will become a new family tra- dition and it's also a great way to meet new people as well as an easy place to go for breakfast before the parade." The event was a col- laboration with about 45 volunteers from Kiwanis members and their fami- lies to Key Club students from Mercy and Red Bluff high schools, Hansen said. For Jeannie Woodstrup and her husband Marvin, the breakfast is one of the events they attend each year over the last 29 years they have lived in Red Bluff, she said. The cou- ple moved from the Bay Area to Willows and then Red Bluff and had plans to move further north in a few years, but have been here ever since, Jeannie said. "We always come here and then to the parade," Jeannie said. Jeannie said enjoys supporting the event because every child should have the opportunity to attend a summer camp. T h i s y e a r t h e Woodstrups will be in the parade with the St. Peter's Episcopal Church float, promoting the church's 125th anniversary celebration scheduled for May 20. Marvin wrote a book called Pete The Squirrel for the church's 100th anniversary and he adapted and added to the book, which tells about how life in Red Bluff has changed over the years, for the 125th through the eyes of Pete's off-spring, Jeannie said. Kiwanis hosts Red Bluff Round-Up Pancake Breakfast JULIEZEEB—DAILYNEWS Dartagnan Kingwell, a Key Club member at Mercy High School, puts down a plate of pancakes and ham on Saturday at the Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast at the Red Bluff Elks Lodge. JuliFoster ExclusiveAgent 250 Walnut Street Red Bluff, CA 96080 Office 530-527-5534 Cell 530-339-1595 Fax 530-527-4808 julifoster@allstate.com CA Insurance License Number OD41159 24-Hour Customer Service AllAbout Seniors 1155WalnutStreet,RedBluff P: (530) 529-4595 • F: (530) 529-4544 CA Lic# 525002150 ACOMPASSIONATECAREFACILITY CALLOR VISIT TOURS DAILY ♥ TheSaturday Market SlowFood Shasta Cascade ® 8-12:30, every Saturday Home Depot parking lot Sponsoredby Celebrate the Bees! Education, Demonstrations, Honey sampling Earth Day, 4/22 SUMMER HOURS BEGIN APRIL 8 8:00am-12:30pm Buy local plants and flowers! We grow our own. At home. Quality flowers and vegetable plants GyleRdGerberCA Ph Hours:Monday-Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Tuesday, April 25, 2017 MORE ATFACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A4