Spring Cleaning: Declutter, Donate and Make Money

When I moved to NYC from LA, I came with just a few boxes. But somehow over the past 3 years, I've managed to accumulate a lot of stuff. Since I was moving apartments, I wanted to declutter and get rid of anything I wasn't wearing or using.

Even if you're not moving, spring is a great time to clean out your home and wardrobe, and you can make money doing it. Win, win! Here's 5 ways to make your declutter count:

1. Sell back designer clothes and items you're not wearing for a Nordstrom gift card. The Fashion Project teamed up Nordstrom to give $40 gift cards to customers who donate 5 or more designer items, plus they'll give proceeds to your charity of choice from the resale. You need to have originally paid $50 or more for each item. You don't even have to leave home: sign up online and they'll send you the shipping materials to send in your goodies, then mail you the giftcard so you can buy yourself new clothes.

 2. Get money for your old laptops, digital cameras and iPods. We all have old clunker laptops and outdated devices sitting around unused. BestBuy offers you an online quote for your old gadgets and a gift card when you bring them into the store to use for new gadgets.

3. Ditch your old cell phone and get a giftcard. You can bring any old phone or tablet to any AT&T store and they'll give you a gift card to use on your next bill or purchase. Verizon is offering gift cards for $100 to $300 for old iPhones in good condition through 3/31.

4. Donate for a tax break. If you take your used clothes to your local Goodwill or Salvation Army, they'll give you a receipt to fill out for a tax deduction come April.

5. Donate old prom dresses for a discount on new designer clothes and to give another girl a chance to go to prom. If you have once worn homecoming, prom or bridesmaid dresses, Becca's Closet is a great charity to donate to for less fortunate girls to wear, and you can get a discount to Nicole Miller as well as a tax write-off when you give a gown.

If you live in NYC, Becca's Closet is having a Spring Fling fundraiser party this Wednesday at Hotel Chantelle with open bar, apps and awesome raffle prizes. Come party for a purpose!

For more closet cleaning and organizing tips, check out my segment for Fox & Friends. Happy Spring!

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