I?ve been on a big de-cluttering kick lately ever since I discovered whole blogs devoted to the subject. I?ve cleaned out my kitchen, my closet, my garage, and more. I now have a lot less stuff, and thanks to these four easy ways to turn your clutter into cash, I have a lot more green in my bank account.
Host a Yard Sale
The easiest way I?ve gotten rid of my clutter and made some cash is by having a yard sale. Embarrassingly enough, I?ve had a yard sale at my house every spring since I moved into my house. (I moved in during the fall of 2012, so I?ve had three yard sales already.)
Every year I collect things in my basement in large storage totes until the spring when I have my yard sale. I always think I won?t have enough to have a sale the next year, and yet somehow I always find more stuff to get rid of. Now that I?ve slowed my spending down considerably, I hope that I?ll finally get caught up. Plus to be fair, my mom and cousin usually contribute a lot of stuff to the yard sale every year too. 🙂
Visit a Consignment Store
If you have some really good stuff, it might be worth it to visit a consignment store to make more money?out of your clutter. After all, one man?s clutter is another man?s treasure.
I have taken name brand clothing to a consignment store in the past and while I never get anywhere near what I paid for the items, I still get more than I would at a yard sale.
There are some pretty strict rules at some consignment stores regarding what they will and won?t accept, and how long you can leave your items there to be sold. So make sure you check that out before you decide to consign your stuff.
Post Things on Facebook
I live in a pretty small town, but we have a very active Buy/Sell/Trade group on Facebook for my community. Once in a while I get tempted and buy something on there, but most of the time I just sell things. It can be a pain to try to get together with someone to sell them the item, and it?s definitely not worth my time if the item I?m selling is worth less than about $10. But some things sell like hotcakes on there so it?s worth a try if you have a group like this in your community.
Sell Through an Online Account
The internet is also a great way to get rid of clutter and make extra money. In the past I have sold things on Ebay, and Amazon?with some success. To use these online mediums you definitely need to do your research to make sure it?s worth your time, effort, and the shipping costs to sell your items online.
If you aren?t a big fan of either of those options there are plenty of online consignment stores and re-sale shops that will buy things from you too. I have looked into options like ThredUp for my gently used clothes, but I?ve never personally found anything worth sending in to them.
Getting rid of clutter has a lot of benefits, and if you go about it in the right way, one of those benefits can be a little more cash in your pocket.
Are you on a de-cluttering kick? How have you gotten rid of your clutter? Have you ever made money off of it?
Photo courtesy of: NathanCopely
Wise Dollar
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I’d say the internet and social networks have definitely made it 10 times easier to sell items. Thanks for the post!
Yes! The internet has made this a lot easier for sure.
I am having now a small yard sale and have earned some cash for my emergency or Christmas fund, Kayla. I think there’ll be follow-ups after this as I am having fun.
That’s great! Nice job Jayson.
I love your article! I think the consumerism is to blame for how much stuff we have! The commercials want to make us believe that if we had this or that then we would be better off or we will be more worthy. In actuality, we can get by and live probably more happily without all the stuff! About few times a year, I do so-called spring-cleaning myself and de-clutter my house. I always try to turn it into cash which has proved to be not so hard at all. It’s a win-win situation — somebody gets a great deal and I make some extra money and also room in my home!
The only thing I would say now is to stop the cycle, because even though you are getting some cash for your clutter it is likely less than what you paid so you are still losing money. I know it’s easier said than done, I struggle with it too, but it’s something to strive for.
I usually post on Facebook or Instagram a product I am selling. Most of my friends buy it. I remember last month I posted so many that almost all of it were sold, which I earned some money. Next time, I’d probably create a Facebook page solely for my products I sell to separate it from my Facebook personal account.
We have a Facebook group solely for buying, selling, and trading items in my community. It has worked out pretty well for me so far. I just try to avoid looking at things for sale when I go on there to post my items.