A few weeks ago, I got a wake-up call that wasn't exactly intended for me. Our friends Matt and Sharlene were told that Matt's 92-year-old aunt had died. As the executors of her estate, this did not catch them by surprise. The surprise came when they opened the door to see what was waiting for them.

As they described long-distance what they were facing — a home stuffed to the brim with stuff — I was with them vicariously, overwhelmed by the enormity of the accumulation of clutter. What to do? Where to start? At that moment, I renewed in my heart (and am now renewing publicly) my pledge to my husband and children: To the very best of my ability, and with God as my witness, I will never leave a mess for you to deal with.

Admittedly, I am a clutter bug, and I know why. In my heart, I believe that everything I own has value. That means I must keep it. The struggle is real. Those books I'll never open again and my old mobile phone that won't hold a charge — they have to be worth something to someone, right?

Or how about that box of video games? They still look good even though we don't have the game station that goes with them. And that computer monitor. Sure, it's smallish and old, but it still works (I think). I can't throw it out. All those DVDs! They cost a lot of money. And on and on it goes, from the garage to the basement — every room has the potential to become a clutter magnet.

Here's the truth I confront every day: No matter my perceived value of stuff I no longer use or need, those things are losing value every day I hang onto them. Right now, today, I need to determine how I can turn all of these things into cash. Impossible? Not at all.

Over the years, I have explored realistic ways to turn clutter into cash, and I've figured out ways to do it. Still, the truth is that not everything can be sold. So what I cannot sell, I donate. What is not good enough to donate, I turn my head the other way and throw into the trash. The heartbreak is momentary — replaced quickly by the wonderful feeling of clutter turning into cleanliness and order.

Which brings me to my favorite company that pays me cash for some books, CDs, DVDs, electronics and old mobile devices: Decluttr. Notice I said "some." Decluttr doesn't buy everything, but it buys a lot! And it pays the shipping fees to send boxes of stuff to the company. Even better, once a box arrives, Decluttr sends me a check the very next day.

Even when Decluttr offers me, say, 40 cents for a book I think is worth $40 (yeah, I'm like that), I know the book is not headed for the landfill. It will eventually end up in the hands of someone who will value it greatly and actually read it. Same for CDs, DVDs, video games, electronics and mobile devices I will never ever use again (I was surprised to learn Decluttr pays as much as $450 for a mobile phone).

Go visit Decluttr to see how it works (It's easy peasy!). Notice the option you'll have to download the Decluttr app to your smartphone. That's what I did. Now I just open the app and scan barcodes or answer a few questions regarding an electronic device. It's fun!

In an instant, the app tells me whether Decluttr wants to buy an item and the price it'll pay. If it's an "Oops!" I put it into the donation box and just keep going. Once I hit at least $5 total on the app, I put those items into a box — any box — print the prepaid mailing label on my computer printer (it just shows up in my account), close up the box and send it off to Decluttr central. Within days, a check comes in the mail. I could also opt to be paid via Paypal.

Decluttr does more than pay me for my stuff. The way I look at it, it pays me to keep my home and my life organized. That keeps my mind at ease.

I just love that peaceful, easy feeling of knowing that I have a place for everything, and everything is in its place. Something tells me you do, too.

Mary invites questions, comments and tips at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or c/o Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Suite B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website and the author of "Debt-Proof Living," released in 2014. To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.