Turning your Trash into Cash

If you're like our family, you've got a list full of things you'd like to do to spruce up your your yard. A little mulch here, some new patio furniture there, flowers, shrubs, firepit--the list goes on. All of those little spring spruce ups, can get pricey, so today I'd like to share with you some quick ways to help finance your Spring projects.



I couldn't resist this sign-hilarious!



1. Host a Garage Sale: This is a bit old fashioned, but it's a surefire way to get rid of some of the stuff that's cluttering up your garage. What to toss? Clothes, picture frames, artwork, exercise equipment, furniture, linens, appliances, dishes, toys-you get the idea. A good rule of thumb is, if haven't used it within the year-it's best to just let go.
 Click here for a step-by-step guide to setting up your own garage sale.

2. Ebay: I swear by Ebay for casting off my clothes (kids & mine), bedding and other miscellaneous items. Throughout the year, I keep a few big Rubbermaid bins that I toss stuff into. Once it starts to pile up, it's time for me to turn my stash into cash. It's nothing new for me to make $300-$500 off of one single bin.

Heck, I paid for most of our Florida vacation using my Paypal funds!! Faithful Ebayers know all about Paypal-smile! This weekend, Ebay is making a lot of changes, one being FREE Insertion for the first 50 items you sell monthly. They used to charge an insertion fee based on your starting price (ie: $1 fee for $50-$199 start prices).

If you're new to Ebay, check out this Ebay Seller Information link. There are helpful videos, plus step-by-step instructions for setting up your account and getting started.

My Wedding Dress-SOLD!!

3. Craigslist: Some people are a bit leery of the big C, because of scary things they've seen on the news, but I've bought and sold a dozen or so things on Craigslist and haven't had a problem. The biggest thing is to use common sense-as in, don't go to a stranger's house in the middle of nowhere all alone to pick something up at midnight. Got it?

My most recent sales were my son's Race Car bed (made $100) and my Wedding Dress (another $120). Some of you may be gasping about the wedding dress, but no tears here. It was taking up space in my closet and let's be realistic, I have absolutely no intention of wearing it again. So, it made sense to put it on the market while it's still in style!!

I feel that it's best to sell big items on Craigslist (kids play sets, furniture,etc) because it's tough to sell those things on Ebay (just imagine the postage)! Click here for more information on Craigslist. If you're already familiar with Craigslist and just want a quick chuckle, check out Hillenblog's How to Sell on Craigslist for Idiots. Funny stuff!

I'm not much of a garage sale kind of girl-there's just something about sitting outside for hours while people drive by and go through your stuff- so I tend to utilize Ebay & Craigslist.

Hope that this post has given you guys that much needed push to turn some of your trash (such a harsh word, but it rhymes) into cash!!