by: AJ McCreary, PICurrent Assistant Producer
Living Green means all kinds of things and one of the best is the reuse factor! Among other things, reuse means selling and buying used good!
With spring is coming fast, now is a great time to clean house and make a few dollars. Time for a yard sale!
First, go through you belongings find usable items that you don’t need or want.
Going:
- You have not used the item in over 3 months
- Item does not fit, or is out of style
Stays:
- Family heirlooms
- Keepsake items: try and be realistic about what is worth saving and letting go
Once you have sorted your belongings, set a date, you can really prepare to make some spare cash.
- Clean your items: No one wants to sort through your dusty junk, make things presentable
- Hang up clothes to make them more presentable.
- Group like items together: household items, clothes, electronics
- Advertise: Craiglist, Bulletin boards at super market, community center, and hang signs in the neighborhood
- Use balloons and bright colors to draw attention to your sale
- Pricing: don’t set things high. Think “if I bought this how much would I want to pay for it”, not how much can I get for this.
- Clearly mark items for price.
- Set realistic hours (early morning to early afternoon) and be READY when you open. One day only helps your ad sound urgent, but you better have the goods to back that up.
- After the sale, arrange for left over items to be donated to charities like Goodwill or the Salvation Army.
- Get Helpers: its no fun to have a sale alone, and the bigger your sale, the better your profit
Good Luck! Half the success of a yard sale is your attitude and preparation.
My neighbourhood has had a street wide sale – it’s a great way to bring a lot more garage sailors in (if you advertise it), and meet new neighbours too!
Thats great Jody! You bring up an excellent point, not only is a yard sale a great way to clean out the house, make some money on your unneeded items but its a great community builder! Thanks for bringing up that point!
Yard sales are fun for both the seller and the buyers. Advertise around colleges if you live near some. They are always willing to buy. I’m glad you added to donate unsold items. Sometimes its easier to do that then plan a yard sale
Thanks for you comment Maya! Advertising around colleges is an excellent idea. Thanks again for you input!
[...] Everyone likes a little extra cash in their pocket, especially these days. But how do you do it with kids, limited time, etc.? While there are many ways to start a side hustle, yard sales can be a great way to make (or save) money, get organized, and go green. [...]