With popular cleaning show “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo” inspiring a lot of early spring cleaning this year, you may wonder how you can turn this good habit of organizing your home into a way to make a little extra money to stock your savings account or manage a few big bills better. Here are some excellent options!
Selling Clothes to Local Gently Used Clothing Shops
Plato’s Closet popularized the option of selling or getting store credit for one’s gently used clothing. If you choose to clean out those closets this spring, research which shops in your area pay money or store credit for clothes.
Get your kids in on the effort too and let them have a little “shopping spree” with some of the rewards. You’ll save as they purchase gently used (often never worn!) clothing using their store credit, and you’ll have created new space in everyone’s dresser drawers.
Basement, Garage, and Attic Furniture: List Them Online
If you’ve lived in the same place for a while, chances are that at least one chair, table, or nightstand has been banished to the cold reaches of your home; the attic, garage, or basement are great places to find things to sell online.
Online trading and sales sites can give you an idea of the “going rate” for items in similar condition. Even if you just get a few dollars, you’ll save the hassle of trying to dispose of it or having it continue to collect dust. You may find other items too: old typewriters, window-unit air-conditioners if you have central HVAC, or other items with some life left in them.
Get Rebates or Cash for Old Electronics
Rebates are often offered for the return of items such as cellphones, printers, and ink cartridges. Some office supply stores even offer a free package of printer paper for every ink cartridge you return!
When you are finished, you’ll have a more spic-and-span home and a little sum of cash that might help you start to meet your spending and savings goals in the next few months as summer approaches.
For more money management and savings tips, see our blog page or talk with one of our credit union branch associates.
