My in-laws are plagued by ticks so when they discovered the Ticked Off tick remover, they promptly gifted one to us. It’s sat, unused, in our junk drawer ever since. Then the dog carried a tick home from a weekend romp in the woods. Next thing you know, I’m digging through the junk drawer, wondering where the tick-remover thingie went. Using it is easy — place the notched cup behind the tick, then slide it forward toward the head. It ensures that the entire tick is removed and the cup catches the tick for easy and touch-free disposal. Designed for use on pets or people, the $10 is well worth the peace of mind. Find it at a local retailer through the Ticked Off website or order online through Amazon, where the original is currently a steal at $2.99 . Made in the U.S.A. — Sarah L.

Moving into a smaller home made one thing immediately clear to us: we were overdue for a garage sale. So, as we unpacked our way-too-many boxes of stuff this January, we started a “for sale” pile and waited and waited for a sunny spring weekend. We got our wish a few weeks ago, making over $200 and clearing out some much-needed space in the process. All that was left was one box of small things that we donated. I’d call that a huge success. If you, too, are buried in things you no longer need or want, here’s what worked for us (and what we learned for the next one):

Use Craigslist – Look up other garage/yard sale ads to see what the typical hours are for sales in your area (we went with 9-3, and I think we could have ended by 2). Once that’s set, put your own ad on Craigslist by mid-week and then follow up with another one the night before the sale. Include a list of what you have; pictures are a bonus. If you have anything from Pottery Barn, mention it. A lot of people specifically asked where the Pottery Barn stuff was as soon as they arrived.

Get small bills — Most people pay with the $20 bills they get from the ATM. I got $60 of $5s and $1s, and that still wasn’t enough.

Price things in advance — There’s always room for negotiation (and, believe me, most people will try), but I think buyers appreciate seeing price tags. And, if you have a lot of stuff for sale, so will you.

Make street signs — We live near a busy intersection and put up big signs with arrows on both streets. As my husband was nailing one of the signs up, he saw drivers taking last-minute turns down our road as soon as they spotted it.

Find that old fanny pack — Or, to be a little more stylish, wear a cute apron with pockets. The sale can get busy, and you’ll want to keep your cash close.

Make $1 or $0.50 bins for the little doo-dads — Surprisingly, people seemed to like sifting through those bargain bins, like they were going to find a hidden treasure.

Don’t expect big-ticket items to sell — People are looking for a deal. Our patio set and nice dining room chairs garnered very few looks, so we sold them on Craigslist instead.

Hang those cute baby clothes – They drew oohs and ahhs, and I got more for them than if I sold them to a consignment shop.

Garage sale veterans, please add your own tips in the comments. And happy decluttering, everyone! –Ginny F.

Sign and photo by Flickr user hauntlove

Related: How do you feel about yard sales?

Every time I go to my mailbox, I find myself aggravated with the amount of junk mail that comes my way. From prescreened credit card offers to catalogs I never asked for, my mailbox is usually filled with little more than wasted trees. I always say I’m going to do something about it, but the motivation is replaced with a mental fatigue spurred by the assumption that figuring out how to stop the assault from various sources will amount to no more than a colossal hassle with unreliable results. Well, there’s nothing like moving to a new place to spur an organizational renaissance, and while changing my address I decided to confront the beast head on. Great news! Taming the junk mail dragon is as easy as making a few simple calls. Here’s how:

To stop prescreened credit card offers: Call 888-567-8688. Answering a few simple questions will stop the mailers that arrive as a result of information obtained by the main consumer credit reporting companies.

To keep your junk mail in check all around: Fill out a temporary change-of-address form with the U.S. Postal Service when moving. Filling out the permanent change-of-address form makes your new address available to direct marketers who pay a fee to access the National Change of Address database. The temporary option buys you 12 months to contact all parties you’d like to hear from to notify them of your new location individually.

These steps, both easy and quick, go a long way on their own to not only taking back the mailbox, but also protecting your privacy. I stumbled upon this comprehensive guide (typical of Real Simple, love it!) while doing my research and suggest taking a peek and tying up more loose ends when you have a minute. From getting on the FTC’s Do Not Call list to blocking personal phone numbers to stopping the receipt  of unsolicited catalogs, each of these tips can be completed in little time and deliver big, stress-reducing results! — Sarah C.