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TMS Money Making Bootcamp – Clear out the clutter and claw in the cash!

TMS Money Making Bootcamp - Clear out the clutter and claw in the cash!

 

Did you collect an abundance of goodies over the festive period? I know I did! Personally I like to set myself regular de-cluttering challenges throughout the year. I like to ensure that we clear out the clutter on a regular basis. By working together to clear out the clutter we have less stuff to dust or clean, more space and more money too! Over the last year I have made several thousand selling off old items that we no longer use and I have also been able to help out our local charities regularly too. Today I am going to give you some tips on how you can clear out the clutter and claw in the cash!

Be realistic when de-cluttering

When you are looking at clear out the clutter you need to be brutal. If you have an item of clothing you haven’t worn for a year you probably never will again. Holding on to all the possessions that we never use, and have no sentimental value, is just a waste of energy. You spend time dusting and cleaning these items and for what?! Being a little brutal when you clear out the clutter is going to help you have a cleaner home, spend less time tidying and also give you some extra money too.

Look at different ways to sell your item

Obviously eBay is the most well known website in the World for online sales. Around 80% of the items that are sold on eBay are actually new – which was a surprise to me! If you have a used, or new, item then eBay can be a great place to get it listed. You can stipulate whether you want people to collect your item and you can even set a reserve price. However, there are lots of other great ways to sell an item without using eBay and having to worry about eBay and Paypal fees.

Depop – This is a mobile app. You can list your items with a sale price and then wait for people to contact you. In recent months I’ve seen celebrities using Depop to allow them to clear out their designer wardrobes. This is rising in popularity at the moment and could be a great way to make extra cash, and not have to worry about posting your item.

Facebook – Now Facebook has its own inbuilt selling function now. You can list your item and buyers in the local area will be alerted that there is something for sale. As Facebook are being REALLY persistent with the notifications for this it is a great chance to show off your goods to lots of local people. Also, be sure to look for Facebook selling pages in your local area too.

Consider your courier carefully

Be sure that you are using a courier that is going to refund you if your item doesn’t arrive. Also, ensure that you have the adequate insurance. In a month where I posted 50 items with Royal Mail 2 of them did not arrive. I was reimbursed, in full, the cost of the item and the postage that I paid. This meant that I wasn’t out of pocket and I was able to refund the purchaser easily.

Some couriers, such as Yodel, have a bit of a reputation for not delivering parcels safely. It is often better to pay a little extra, and use a more reliable company, than have to faff around with refunding customers and chasing up tracking numbers repeatedly.

Re-use packaging

If you are already busy filling your home with new items then consider re-using packaging. Typically buyers won’t mind the packaging that you use for an item. I have even bought from pet shops online that have re-used packaging for dog food and cat treats. I like to know that they are considering the environment and I have then re-used the packaging myself. If you don’t want to re-use packaging then look for something high quality for posting your goods, such as these jiffy bags.

Give away what you don’t sell

If you have already decided to part with an item, and then it doesn’t sell give it a few more weeks. If the item still doesn’t sell then reduce your price. Beyond that don’t invest months of time re-listing the item and having it piled up in your home. Instead, do something nice – give your item to charity. I personally like to support local charities. I regularly have a clear out of baby clothes and toys and drop them off. The charities in our local area include a hospice and a food bank. These are both places that directly help people in my local community and I like knowing that I am helping them out too.

De-cluttering is so healthy for your mind. Since I have worked on having slightly less possessions I have felt better. I have made a few small changes. For example I have bought a Kindle and given my books to charity / sold them. I have switched to using Spotify and sold my old CDs. All of these little changes make my life more convenient, and fun, and mean that I have less piles of clutter to clean and tidy.

What do you think?

Written by themoneyshed

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