Making the Case For New Year’s Resolutions

estate sale

Jan 2

Happy 2023!

Did you set any goals or intentions for this upcoming year?

I polled our Instagram friends and the most popular resolution was “get organized”. The other three options were “save money/spend less”, “get healthy”, and “become less busy”.

I must admit that I did smile at the result of getting organizing. The estate sale team gets a birds eye view on what life is like when we don’t take the time to declutter and purge throughout the years.

While we certainly don’t mind sorting and categorizing what took a lifetime to accumulate, it does provide us with some perspective on the value of things.

I have my fair share of things in our home and I still love a good thrift treasure hunt day, but I must admit, I was giddy to purge last week during the downtime between Christmas and New Years.

Consider downsizing to get organized

Downsizing is such a wonderful life transitioning point. It allows you to reset and start over in a new (smaller) home while giving you the chance to make decisions on what you want to keep and what you don’t want.

During this process, we encourage clients to consider an estate sale. The first downsize is the ideal time to have an estate sale.

Instead of donating all the unwanted items or debating about whether to have a yard sale or not, consider hiring an estate liquidator to sell off your unwanted wares. Be sure to budget a few extra weeks between move and “close date”. Many of our clients have downsized and found themselves so grateful for a service that takes the weight off their shoulders and allows them to focus on what is next.

Save money by shopping secondhand

If you’ve committed to spending less in 2023, then might I encourage secondhand shopping. Instead of going to Target or Amazon, consider a trip to your local thrift store or schedule a day to shop your weekend estate sales.

Secondhand shopping is great for gifts, everyday kitchen items, clothes, seasonal sporting equipment, home decor, furniture, and more!

Take for example the simple coffee mug. Most will run $10 at the retail store. Or you could go to a Goodwill or thrift store and score one for $0.50 - $1. Now that is a nice savings!

Get healthy with at-home workout equipment

I’m all for working out and moving your body! We belong to the local YMCA but have a few at home accessories in the event we just aren’t feeling a trip to the gyrm.

Dumbbells, cardio equipment, yoga mats and more can be found at almost every estate sale. The prices will shock you at how affordable they are!

More Ideas for your New Year

Start a “Memory Jar”

Grab any vessel or jar. Throughout the year, add mementos the jar such as ticket stubs, napkins from a vacation, a sweet note from a friend, a four leaf clover. Even consider writing down special memories on cardstock and adding to the jar.

On NYE, empty the jar and reminisce. Store in a box labeled 2023 so you can always look back on special moments from the year.

Read the Bible cover to cover

My preference is the Daily Walk Bible. It has helped me read the Bible cover to cover not once, but twice!

Memorize one scripture verse per week

That’s 52 verses that you can know by end of year!

Write one bible verse at the top of each week in your planner. Ask friends and family for their favorite verse to help you get 52. Beside the verse they recommend, add their name so you can pray for them when that week comes.

Create a “Yearbook”

Intentionally snap photos of your year. It could be a trip to the berry patch or just a night by the firepit. Whatever you do, think about capturing those moments with a quick snap of your smartphone.

At the end of the year, upload your favorites and create a Yearbook. Two companies that I recommend are Chatbooks and Blurb.

Start a “Date Jar”

When we date our spouses, we have more fun and we show them how much they mean to us. Grab a mason jar and write out date ideas on small pieces of paper. Have your spouse do this as well!

At the beginning of each week, either you or your spouse will draw an idea and commit to scheduling it in - whatever it may be.

Date ideas could be mini golf and ice cream, bowling plus dinner, movie under the stars, ice skating, and so on!