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Need a Clearinghouse for Clearing the House?

by Kimberly Johnson
written by Kimberly Johnson

 
Fingers crossed. A friend is trading her suburban house for an urban condo, which means the baby grand has to go. It has had no takers. At the last minute, I see a post from a gentleman who orchestrates neighborhood events seeking…a piano! He can handle the move and tuning. I rush to contact both people and arrange an introduction. They share a dream of keeping the music going; neither can fathom a baby grand being left at the dump. It might work out. Need a Clearinghouse for Clearing the House?
Welcome to the new world of downsizing…where anyone can be a matchmaker.
Downsizing a large household used to mean filling two or three dumpsters for the landfill, but only after the kids gathered up the bulk of the furniture and heirlooms. The elders of the family streamlined their material worlds for easy living. The mantle was passed to the next generation of hosts of large family gatherings along with all the trappings. The legacy remained intact, staying in the family.
Lifestyle changes and concern for the environment have altered the way people see the bountiful home. Millennials, coping with less money and space, are saying no thanks to traditional decorating. As a result, yesterday’s collectors find themselves scrapping the plan to give everything to the kids as they embark on an angst-filled search for anyone who might take their stuff. And to make matters worse, it now seems one needs a crash course in waste management to navigate the landfill.
As a downsizer, It is okay, perhaps essential, to take a moment to mourn whatever piece of the past might get lost as you face your belongings. But do not panic. Remind yourself again and again that you are lightening your load to free your spirit and renew your own vitality. Embrace the process in ways that serve you best and engage with others to expand your understanding of the possibilities.
Pay attention to your own feelings as you explore new surroundings. Find the best of your belongings to take with you so that you have what you need and what you love. Then build a community to help you take that deep dive into the discard pile from your material world. People from local charities, consignment shops, and online message boards in your neighborhood can become your new best friends.
And remember…your family may not want your stuff, but they can still help. Cleaning out the house can be a nostalgia-fest with your kids, your siblings, cousins, friends, anyone you need by your side. Learn to say yes to anyone offering help with the sorting and packing, and enlist the tech-savvy to gather research on remote donation sites or specialty recycling. Soon you’ll be strutting your stuff – even at the landfill – like a pro. Need a Clearinghouse for Clearing the House?
Kathleen Wright operates Essentially Yours, a downsizing company in the Greater Boston area where she lives with her husband. After careers in healthcare and education, she is hoping to help clean up the planet one house at a time.

Need a Clearinghouse for Clearing the House?

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Friendly Scammers Preying on Seniors
Money Tips

Tips Reducing Debt

by Kimberly Johnson
written by Kimberly Johnson

Nobody enjoys being up to their eyeballs in debt. I mean let’s face it life is hard enough without having to worry about how you’re going to pay bills that seem to keep piling up all around you. If you’re feeling this way I can assure you it’s not just you. Sadly millions of people suffer from having to pay a large financial obligation due to an enormous amount of debt they have accumulated over time. Just doing a quick search on Google shows that there are over 16,000,000 million web pages that use the term debt reduction which explains the hundreds of debt reduction programs that are offered online. Stop and take a breather for a second because this article will give you several ways you should be able to reduce your debt. Tips Reducing Debt
DEBT REDUCTION TIP NUMBER 1 – CONSOLIDATE YOUR CREDIT CARDS
Tips Reducing DebtCredit cards, credit cards and still more credit cards. Millions of people carry them with a large portion of that group overusing them to an extreme resulting in high interest and a large accumulation of credit card debt. If you are suffering from high credit card debt then one method to alleviate that stress would be to consolidate all of your credit cards onto a lower interest rate or zero interest rate card. This should allow for one central payment at a lower rate then several payments too many different cards at a higher percentage interest rate. Do your online research and find a card that offers a lower rate and then transfer all of your balances over to that new card and don’t use the now debt free credit cards again.
DEBT REDUCTION TIP NUMBER 2 – CONSIDER A DEBT CONSOLIDATION LOAN
On the surface this sounds like a bad idea but in reality this can be a way to relieve yourself of several payments at different rates and terms. The key here would be to find a debt consolidation loan with favorable rates which will most likely be based on whether or not you have a steady income from employment and a fairly decent credit score.
DEBT REDUCTION TIP NUMBER 3 – CONSIDER AN ESTATE SALE
Depending on the amount of debt you need to relieve yourself from it could be possible to sell some items you have laying around your house for a few extra dollars. This could be jewelry you no longer wear, that hot tub you no longer use or that third car that collects dust in the garage month after month. Use any money gained from this sale to immediately be put to use paying off any credit card debt you may currently have.
DEBT REDUCTION TIP NUMBER 4 – CONSIDER A SECOND JOB
Nobody enjoys having to work more then one job to make ends meet but if your financial security and future is at risk then perhaps you should reconsider. After all wouldn’t you rather go through the pain of working a second part time job now instead of bankruptcy and poverty at a future date? Use all income gained from this second form of employment to pay down any of your outstanding debt starting with the higher interest debt first. Once things have settled down for you and you have your financial future back under control you can always part ways with your second job.
DEBT REDUCTION TIP NUMBER 5 – LOOK FOR ANOTHER WAY OUT
Even if you’re piled under a mountain of debt that doesn’t mean you have to roll over and take it. Let your mind relax and become creative in ways you can earn money to pay off your debt. Look at other methods of acquiring funding to pay off your bills – such as tapping into a home equity loan (if you own a home). Maybe you have some stocks you can sale or a little bit of cash stashed away for a rainy day. You as a last resort could even consider bankruptcy but this has a drastic effect on your credit score and may not be worth it if you think you can salvage a way to pay off your high interest debt.
This article wasn’t intended to provide a debt reduction plan. Instead I wanted to pass along a few tips that I’ve seen other people use successfully to rid themselves of high interest debt in order to regain their financial freedom. If they can do so can you. Do some additional research and see what you can come up with in order to eliminate your debt.

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