Give away your possessions

Giving away your possessions is a great way to start your career break - you're cutting free, plus you're giving something back!

Charity shops

Most people give their unwanted possessions to charity shops - although you might want to invite your friends to have a root through the bags first. If you have a huge amount of stuff, the shop might come and collect it - give them a call and ask them about this.

Bear in mind that if something's rubbish, the charity shop won't be able to sell it, and it costs them money to get rid of it.

Recycling

If you have things like old clothes which are too horrid or tatty to wear, you can recycle them. Your local council will tell you where you can recycle fabrics, shoes, wood and other things.

Freecycling

If you've got things that are hard to get rid of (like electrical goods), try freecycling them. Freecycling is an internet-based system where you post your free stuff online and see if someone wants it. Go to www.freecycle.org or search the web for 'freecycle' and the name of your town.

Where next?