Hey, guys, it's Lauren from The Financial Diet. In this video, I'm going to be talking about 10 things that you can get rid of in your home today.

This is a really relevant topic for me, because I personally did a really heavy closet purge and home purge about two weeks ago. Getting rid of so much stuff in my house going into the wintertime made me feel a lot better, because it's just honestly less shit to clean during the springtime. In my opinion, this is the perfect time of year to do a purge-- right before the winter comes around, because once it gets really cold out, you don't feel like doing anything anymore. Getting rid of items in your home that are old or that you no longer use isa great way to de-clutter, but it's also a great opportunity to make a little bit extra money by selling those items. And lord knows I could use a little bit of extra money going into the holiday season. So, let's jump right in.

 Number one is old, dated clothes. A good rule of thumb is that if you haven't worn something in about two seasons, it's time to let it go. I recently tried to sell two bags of clothing-- unsuccessfully, and I will link out to the article that I wrote about that in the description below. If you are trying to sell clothes for money, I can give you a pro tip, which is don't try to sell clothes for the wrong season-- meaning if we're in fall, don't try to sell summer clothes, and if we're in summer, don't try to sell winter clothes. Stores are generally looking to buy items from you that they know they can get rid of quickly. But you can sell old clothes for money, and it's a great way to de-clutter your closet. Once I got rid of the old clothes that I wasn't wearing anymore, it made it really easy for me to look at my closet and see what I needed based on what I already had. This allowed me to buy items from my style story, which I talk about in the article linked below.

Number two is wasteful energy-inefficient products. For example, if you're still using electronics and light bulbs that are really super energy inefficient, it's time to switch those over. You can save yourself hundreds of dollars per year if you make sure that the items, you're using in your home are energy efficient. We linked out to a few articles in the description below, which will help make everything from your dishwasher to your refrigerator, to your toilet more energy efficient. There's nothing better than the feeling that you're saving money on your energy bill, and also doing your part to reduce your carbon footprint.

 Number three is getting rid of any electronics, power cords, or chargers. So, I have a junk drawer at home that's filled with old electronics, power cords, cameras, camera chargers that I don't use anymore, and they're just taking up space. These are items that I've hung on to for years without ever really using them, and there comes a point when you just gotta let that shit go. You'll create enormous amounts of space in your home if you clean out those junk drawers. Do your research to find a store near you where you can either donate these old electronics or you'll get money for selling them back.

Number four is old condiments that are taking up precious fridge space or freezer food that's on its way out. So, both myself and Chelsea have entire shelves in our refrigerators that hold just condiments, which is objectively totally unnecessary. Take the time to go through your refrigerator and your freezer to go through items that have expired. Make sure that you're checking the dates on things frequently, and if you know something's about to expire, you use it up. It's a great idea to dedicate a full week to just making home-cooked meals so that you're really doing a deep fridge clean.

Number five is damaged items that you're never going to fix. This could be anything from ripped or torn clothes, Christmas decorations, lights that don't work anymore, stuff like that. For example, I had a pair of extremely worn shoes that I was just waiting to go get resoled, but after about two years, I realized that was not going to happen. So instead, I just donated them. Take a few minutes to be brutally honest with yourself and walk through your home and acknowledge that there are things that you're just not going to fix and donate them.

 Number six is old work, school supplies, books, and papers. You should go through and pare down your stock to a few useful items. For example, I pared down my own collection of loose papers to about one folder to keep receipts and really important papers in, and one notebook that sits on my desk. Things like old work and old school supplies are things that tend to pile up really quickly, and they take up a lot of space. It's a good idea to dedicate one small space in your home to put these important papers.

 Number seven is cruddy sheets, linens, and towels. We spend a third of our lives sleeping. So, it's really important that our sheets feel clean and comfortable. The same can be said for towels and linens. And although we don't spend a third of our lives showering or doing the dishes, it's important that these have no stains in them and that are tear-free.

 Number eight is books that you're never going to read or books that you've read a million times. Each take up an unnecessary amount of space and have no place on your shelf. And the thing is that we probably all have a few books that we're just never going to read. Take a hard look in the mirror, admit it to yourself, and just let them go. Sell unwanted books online or in-person, which we've talked about in videos before, give them to your friends or simply donate them. Either way, it's time to purge them so that you can stop feeling guilty every time you walk by your shelf.

 Number nine are toiletries and medicine cabinet items that have expired. So yes, toiletries can expire. I, for one, have a huge plastic bin under my bathroom sink filled with things that I don't really use. Going through the items to get rid of this stuff that was frankly expired and items that I just didn't really use anymore felt like an enormous weight was lifted off my shoulders. Make sure that you're going through these regularly and that you're checking bottles, creams, lotions, sprays, et cetera. If the color, smell, or appearance has changed in any way, it's time to throw them out. We've also linked out to a really helpful article in the description below, which will help you identify when medications have expired.

 Number 10, which is my personal favorite, is old kitchen sponges-- health and safety first. So, chances are we've all let sponges linger on well past their prime. Make sure that you're getting rid of old kitchen sponges that smell and are probably doing more harm than good. And we recommend having two sponges in your kitchen-- one to do dishes with, and one to wipe down surfaces.

 So those are just 10 of the items that you can get rid of in your home today, but you don't have to stop there. At the start of every season, you can go round your house and assess the items that you do and don't need. And like I said, this is a great way to de-clutter your home, and also make a little extra money. So as always, thank you for watching, and don't forget to hit the subscribe button, and go to The Financial Diet for more. Bye.