Life is fast and it’s hard to keep our homes, cars, offices and brains on track with clarity… I’ve found the best therapy is to chip away at finding some order in the chaos and you can even make a bit of extra $$! Channel Marie Kondo!

I’m a thrower and I can’t really understand hoarders. The idea of hoarding makes me feel claustrophobic – that’s another story and why I love sparking joy with Marie!

Any chance I get, I re-organise a closet or drawer and find items that are not needed and I can ditch and actually I enjoy it. Not only do I love to see the space that is created by doing this but I also potentially make a few bucks and really do get a clearer and uncluttered brain at the same time. (Tackling the over-r-whelm!).

Maybe you can relate, maybe you can’t. But as we all try and get back to basics and the simple things in life, I’m happy to share some of my tips and tricks for de-cluttering my closet. Many items can be turned into cash and others can be passed on and recycled so others can benefit from them. Where to start?

I try and go through my own clothes at least every 6 months. If anything is too big or too small and I still love it, I put it to the side to get altered – my alteration lady loves me as I’ve always got something needing attention. Items that I don’t need/wear/want that are still in good condition get put into bags. Bag 1 – take to the charity bin. Bag 2 – quality/expensive/brand items that I know are worth a bit more and Bag 3 – keep for my next clothes swap party.

The first bag is self-explanatory but be sure to go and put it in the front seat of your car in sight right away so you take it to the charity bin next time you get in the car. Trust me, you’ll get sick of looking at it and will drop it off!

Bag 2 is for me to sell online and turn this gear into cold hard cash. So easy, just take a photo on your phone of the item – lying flat or get someone to snap you wearing it. Be sure to show all angles if it makes sense and include as much detail in the description as possible (sizes, etc). Check out similar items to gauge your price point and don’t be too cheap, people will pay for quality and trendy brands. Note any imperfections as items don’t need to be perfect, they are being sold as used just be honest. Decide if you’re happy to post things nationally which gives you a bigger market and be sure to reply to questions etc as needed. That’s it.

Bag 3 is all about hosting a clothes swap party which is great fun and it's an excuse to socialise and drink champagne? Get your friends to also go through their closets and bring all the gear they no longer wear to your party. All the items are put on display around the room with pants together, dresses together, accessories together, etc. This makes it super easy for everyone to sift through and browse. If anyone likes something, they pin their name on it. After everyone has looked at all items and pinned items they like, everyone tries items on they liked. If there is only one name on an item and the person likes it and it fits, it’s theirs! If there are multiple names on an item you pull names from a hat or do some friendly negotiation to work out who gets what. This is shopping without money and you drink champagne with your mates, bonus! You might even all bring a plate and do it over dinner – many options! So you don’t make money just save it by not shopping!

Children’s Clothes – I try and go through the kids’ gear every 6 months as well since they grow so fast and there is always someone close who has a younger child that will take this gear off your hands. I’ve got a recycled kids clothing shop near me and they take special quality pieces that are seasonal and I get to swap it for credit to ‘buy’ the kids new gear that fits! Again, shop without money! For those special branded items that hardly got worn, you can even try Gumtree/eBay and make something from them.

Men’s Clothes – My husband and I go through his closet about every 6 months too. We both get a beer and make a night of it to go through everything with a fine tooth comb. He needs to try things on we're ruthless. FYI Handy Hint – if I don’t like it, I tell him it doesn’t look very flattering – he almost always ditches it!! Again, items go to the alteration lady and we get a pile for charity/friends. I haven’t found another way of selling his gear yet other than Gumtree for the odd item so if you have any ideas – please let me know!!

I definitely think twice before I shop and buy anything so I’m sure I really need it. These are simple systems that are now just a part of my life and yet are easy and fun! How do you de-clutter?