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Saturday, August 11, 2012

Every Little Bit

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
As I've mentioned before, the hubby and I are getting quite diligent about saving money in all the ways we can - even little things.  We have also started clearing out and figuring out how to make a little money from the stuff we don't need or want to hang on to.  Here are a few things I'm doing to make a little extra cash (every little bit helps!!).





  1. Next weekend we are hosting a garage/yard sale.  Current status:  Pending.  Hopefully we get rid of a lot of stuff and make some cash.  Whatever isn't sold will be donated.
  2. With the help of my Mom who's an experienced eBay seller, I'm listing some of my better clothes, shoes, jewelry and more on this site to hopefully get decent chunks of change while cleaning out my closet!  Current status:  Just this week buyers snatched up two pairs of shoes, making me over $60!
  3. I've listed a bunch of books on Amazon.com.  Current status:  I just posted the listings on Thursday night, but I've already sold one book!  I'll only make a few dollars from this, but if I can sell more, it will add up! (AND...it's more money that I would have made if I donated it!)
  4. I'm contemplating selling some of my artwork (A year ago I began taking painting classes and I just love it!  I don't have a ton of pieces, but there are some that I'm not completely attached to.  It would be great to not only make a little money, but to know that someone likes my work enough to pay money for it!)  Current status:  Figuring out what I would sell and how.  Etsy?  Word of mouth? 
  5. I tried selling a bunch of clothes at a consignment shop - not successful.  Apparently everything I took in was over a year and a half old, so it doesn't matter if it's in great shape.  Current status:  Pretty disillusioned with the whole consignment shop thing.  I might try others, especially for some of my work clothes, but at this point it seems more lucrative to pull out the good stuff for posting on eBay.
  6. We are keeping our ears open for people who are looking for some larger items (futon, bookshelf, small kitchen table and chairs) so that we can sell them.  If we don't get anywhere with that, we will list them on Craigslist.  Current status:  Holding pattern.  I sent a few pics and prices to a friend, but she is waiting to make a decision.  If she doesn't want anything, we'll move forward with Craigslist.
It's a great feeling to clean out, and an even better feeling to get a little cash reward for not too much effort!

Purging tip:  Over the last few years I've gotten better about getting rid of stuff, but sometimes it's still tough for me because I am indecisive.  It's been a lot easier for me to make decisions about purging items when I think about packing everything up for storage in a few months!  The more we get rid of now, the less we have to pack, move, and store (and unload some time down the road!)  If you are trying to clean out, try to figure out something that inspires you to really move stuff out.  Maybe you are moving to a new house?  Or having a baby and need more room?  Or maybe you just feel cluttered and don't want to end up on an episode of Hoarders!?  Try to think about how you will feel down the road, when you have tackled this project and can see the back of that closet or open those drawers easily. There is always a good reason for cleaning out and keeping life a little more simple.  You just have to figure out the reason that means something to you and will keep you motivated to clear out!  One other tip I've heard that I think is a great one:  If you haven't worn it/used it/looked at it in over a year, it's probably safe to say you aren't going to miss it!  Get rid of it! 

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