Being approved for a new apartment rocks. You may be tempted to pop a bottle of bubbly. Success, acceptance, approval.  They’re all great feelings.  But then the reality; moving.  That my friends, does not rock.

Suddenly you realize how much stuff you’ve collected since your last move.  Suddenly boxes you swear you unpacked and responsibly stored away come tumbling out of that closet tiny closet.  Suddenly you’re confronted with fashion mistakes from Spring 2011 (no judgement, we all thought neon was back for good…). Here’s some advice: let it go.  Put on your bravest face and turn your back on the past and all that doesn’t matter.  New apartment, new you, right?  Here are some tips and services to help you out.

Crossroads. It’s your stuff, so why not make some cash?  If your items are in pretty good shape and falls within a current trend/season, hustle over to a local Crossroads and see if you can make some change to help support your new change. Here are a list of Crossroads locations around the US.

Craigslist. If you have to sell more than clothing (ie furniture, art, and junk in general), there’s a good chance someone will want to whip it up.  Whether you’re looking to get rid of that old couch or those milk boxes that were for that never completed DIY project, you can potentially kill two birds with one stone.  One, you have the potential to make some dollars, but more importantly, you’re clearing out heavy duty/annoying items you no longer wish to have.  Even if you give things away for free, as long as the new owner comes and hauls it off themselves, you don’t run the risk of awkwardly being “that guy” trying to swiftly curb unwanted items (which we do not recommend and could get you a fat ticket in our home city of San Francisco).

Goodwill. If money isn’t an issue and you just want to do some good, bag up some stuff and head over to your local Goodwill.  Sure you can use this as a tax write off, but you’re also providing items that can genuinely bring some good to a person.  Check out their drop-off locations here.