Ways to get rid of stuff and make money too

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to purge and get rid of “stuff” that we don’t need. Another resolution is to budget. Hubby and I are tying these two together by purging the things that we don’t need and trying to make some extra cash in the mean time. 

We began this immediately after the new year. It will be a process that takes a lot of time—but we’ve begun! There are quite a few ways to make some extra cash and sell your unwanted things if you’re wiling to take the time to do it. When you’re trying to budget, this extra cash can come in really handy.

Here are a few ways we’re doing this.

1. For Sale Groups: There are a lot of these on social media. So far this year, we’ve sold a bedroom set that used to be in a guest room and we’re trying to get rid of an ugly couch. We have sold part of the set and are sale pending pick up on the rest. I’ve also started listing a few clothing items and some of those are sold pending pick up. If all goes as planned, we’ll have an extra $150 in our pocket from the furniture alone. That’s almost half of our grocery budget for the month—what a difference that makes!
2. Consignment Stores: In Iowa, we have a store called Stuff, etc. It’s a chain of large consignment stores that sell everything from clothing to furniture. I’ve had a lot of luck at these stores and I’ve scheduled an appointment to sell more items. Anything that doesn’t sell on the For Sale Groups will go to Stuff. At the consignment stores, you typically just have to wait until your items sell and then you can get your cash. Sometimes it’s quick, sometimes you have to wait a while, and sometimes your items don’t sell and they end up donating your items to Goodwill. But either way, it’s a win.
3. Pawn Shops: My husband recently got rid of some tool items that he no longer used this way and he has done this in the past. You can also sell them your old DVDs, CDs, electronics, you name it. Sometimes they offer you good money and other times you just have to say no. But we made $40 this way so far this year and there’s no waiting for the items to sell because the pawn shops simply buy the items from you and they sell the items for more. Sometimes these places feel dirty and trashy to me…but if you care bear it for a few minutes, it can be worth it.
4. Ebay/Amazon: Depending on the item, this can be a way to get rid of your stuff. I have sold books and clothing this way in the past, but it’s more of a hassle than just selling on For Sale groups locally.
5. Goodwill: While you won’t see immediate returns on your donations, you can make tax deductions. Just keep good track of what you’re donating and get a receipt at Goodwill for your donation. Our accountant gave us some very detailed instructions on how to get the most out of your donations at tax time, but it was just too much work in my opinion. I simply keep track of what I’ve donated and ask for a receipt.

Every dollar helps. A dollar earned selling items you aren’t really using and don’t need can be a dollar saved! Or you could just sell your unwanted items to fund your Starbucks addiction.

Are there any other ways that you get rid of unwanted items and make a little dough at the same time?