In these tough financial times, we're all finding new ways to live within our means. We are, literally, clearing out financial clutter. You can do the same thing with physical clutter. The principals are the same as well, but there's a special bonus to getting rid of all your unnecessary stuff: you can actually make money.
When you skip that latte, you save but if you part with the 10 sweaters taking up space in your drawer, you can make money. A lot more than four dollars...
Kids Storage Totes
What is Clutter?
Here's my #1 Golden Organize Clutter Rule: If you don't need, use or love it -- it's either trash a donation.
Donations are things someone else could use
Trash is something no one can use
Do you have clutter?
Yes. We all keep things we don't need, use or love.
Here's my #2 Golden Organize Clutter Rule: If you have to move more than one thing to get to the thing you need, you have what I call "stuff in the way of your stuff." That is, you have clutter.
If making money provides the motivation you need to start clearing stuff out -- excellent! You can help yourself by creating a bit of breathing space in your home. You can help someone else by offering them something they need or want, and you can make a bit of cash to boot! All good -- all around.
Here's how to make money from your clutter:
Garage Sale - Yard Sale
Martha Stewart calls these "tag sales." Is that an east coast thing? Whatever you call them, they're a wonderful way to make money. Some people make a complete business of this; buying things at other garage sales and selling them at their own, for slightly higher prices. But, if you're trying to eliminate clutter, I certainly don't recommend this.
You can put absolutely anything out at a yard sale. Seriously, visit a few and you'll see what I mean. You'll find it all, from the ridiculous to the sublime: old tires, ugly pictures, expensive furniture, furs, old cars -- even that promotional tote bag that came with a magazine subscription. Especially when money is tight, the old adage, "One's man's trash is another man's treasure," is even more valid. There's really no telling what your customers might be looking for or what they might need. So collect up your castoffs, price them and display them.
Since things are tough all over, you can expect plenty of customers and they will likely come from a broader range of income levels and tastes. So, even if you've had less-than-successful sales before, you might expect to make more money this time.
If you're not up for a yard sale or you're left with items that didn't sell -- don't return them to you recently cleared storage areas! There are more ways to dispose of those things and also make money...
Local Newspaper Classified Ads
If you have only a few items to sell, consider listing them in the classified section of your local paper. Again, many who wouldn't have bothered with these two years ago will be reading the classifieds now.
I used to think classified ads were more for "big" things, like washing machines and golf clubs but I was wrong. As long as the things are in serviceable condition, you may find a buyer here. So, don't be too concerned about what's "acceptable" to list. I recently saw a classified ad for: "Spiderman Pajamas, flannel, new, Men's X-Large ." Still sorry I passed those up! Really! As long as the ad is affordable, don't hesitate to list "small stuff."
For larger and more expensive items, local classified ads can often be a better option than yard sales. Since the item is featured on its own, you can usually get a better price. People do "browse" the classifieds but they also search for specific things they need or want, which could mean a "guaranteed" sale to a willing buyer.
Online Classifieds and Auctions
Really, there's no telling what people are willing to buy until they buy, or don't buy. You can list all sorts of items online, at eBay.com, Craigslist.com and other auction and classified sites. I'm no expert at this but I know there are many places to place online classified ads for free. Keep your price within reason but don't be too shy about it either. If it doesn't sell, you can always lower it later. Tip: You'll probably want to avoid shipping headaches by listing larger items as "local sale only."
Tax Deductions:
I'm not a CPA and I'm definitely not giving tax advice here -- but I do know that your charitable donations are tax deductible. When packing things up for charity, make a list of all the items you plan to donate, including a brief description of each item. (Come tax-time your descriptions will matter, so make them clear enough to easily recall that specific item; i.e. "blue angora sweater.")
When you drop off your donations, be sure to get a tax slip from the receiving charity. Staple your list to the tax slip, record the date of the donation, and place list in your tax file.* If you like, you can estimate a value for each item, which should be the price you'd expect to receive at a yard sale. I estimate the value of my donated items by using Intuit's It's Deductible software. It's very inexpensive and very easy to use. You simply select your items and descriptions from the list. The software assigns a pre-determined value and makes a list with everything the IRS will need.
*You do have a tax file, don't you? Okay. Just label a file folder with "Taxes 20xx" (xx= the current year). There now, you have a tax file. Put all your miscellaneous tax-related stuff in there. In April, you'll love me even more.
Cheers, and thanks for reading.
Black Friday Fit & Fresh Salad Shaker 2011 Deals
Nov 26, 2011 02:36:58
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Black Friday Fit & Fresh Salad Shaker Feature
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