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Spring Cleaning Tips: Finding Items for Sale to Earn Money

This article was written by in Frugality. 8 comments.


This is a guest article by Jennifer Calonia, Junior Editor at GoBankingRates. In the article, the author offers suggestions for making spring cleaning work for you.

We are officially one week into spring, and many are shedding winter stagnation for more productive ways to save money — and earn money — using items around the home. Spring cleaning gives Americans an opportunity to revive their finances by playing salesman with forgotten and unwanted stuff.

Did you stumble upon a crock-pot from a Black Friday sale that you’ve yet to use? Turn impulse buys into cash in your pocket, instead of letting appliances and other belongings go obsolete or outdated. Finding items for sale in the garage or attic now can help you make as much back on your purchase as possible.

There are many ways to sell spring cleaning finds that are straightforward and take little time. Some of the most important decisions to make when selling your stuff is knowing what to sell, how to sell it and for how much — establishing these three critical factors can determine how much money ends up back in your bank account.

Have items for sale? Here’s what to do

Your selling approach can impact how much you earn on a specific product, so following the right game plan is crucial:

  1. Selecting items to sell. When deciding on which items to sell, it is helpful to create three different piles for donations, yard sales and online sales. Just because you found an abandoned tea bag plate in the cupboard doesn’t mean it’s worth the time to post it on eBay and absorb packaging fees for a $5 sale. Items like a partially used spiral notebook, crayons and well-worn clothing are better served in the donations or yard sale bins, while big-ticket items like an iPhone, leather jacket, new running shoes or a coffee maker will bring higher sales online.

  2. Choosing your audience. There are many ways of communicating to buyers that you have items for sale. Each of the most popular resale options have their pros and cons, so determine which is a practical selling approach for you, depending on what you’re selling and your resources.

    • Yard sales: Like other selling avenues, yard sales are typically hit-or-miss. A benefit of hosting a yard sale is that you’re able to negotiate prices with buyers in-person and can showcase your merchandise in one location, on one day, to get the sale done at once (ideally). The big disadvantage to yard sales is that it eats up a lot of your time. Not only do you have to stand guard on your lawn for potential shoppers, but advertising your sale is a time-consuming, yet necessary, factor for success. This includes posting your yard sale to the classifieds or Craigslist, making street signs and creating price tags or signage for your items.
    • Craigslist: This community listing is a great place to sel big items like a snowboard or toaster oven, when you don’t want to spend money on shipping. To save the most money and keep the profits of the sale in your wallet, try dealing with buyers in your immediate location so you don’t lose money on gas. While Craigslist is a free service, sellers must be prepared for possible haggling (unless the post clearly states the price is “firm”) and be able to meet the buyer face-to-face in a public location.
    • eBay: For over a decade, eBay has been a common selling platform for those with either valuable items for sale, or are selling new items like unwanted gifts. For example, I purchased two new brake pads at $85 each, but sold my car before I got a chance to install them. eBay was a better audience for this type of sale because there’s a higher chance I could get close to my original purchase price, and shipping costs were not budget-blowing. When dealing on eBay, however, there are a few basics to keep in mind for a successful transaction and sale.

Name your price

Before setting up a yard sale or creating a post online of items for sale, conduct a quick search online to see how much similar items are being priced. Remember, there is a difference between being flexible and being hustled. By knowing the price range of each item you’re selling and the lowest amount you’re willing to accept to part with your goods, you are setting yourself up for a fair deal.

Keep in mind yard sales and Craigslist deals will likely present the most back-and-forth price negotiations, as eBay allows sellers to set a reserve price if necessary, which is why you need to have a lowest price-point established ahead of time.

All it takes is a free Saturday to get your spring cleaning underway. Start fresh this spring with a tidy home and a robust savings account by parting with the clutter in your life.

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Your Dream Wedding: When to Save, When to Splurge

This article was written by in Frugality. 7 comments.

This is a guest article by Jennifer Calonia, Junior Editor at GoBankingRates. In the article, the author helps couples in search of their dream wedding decide which expenses are worth paying more money for.

The pressure to plan a perfectly executed wedding is a monumental undertaking, especially for those lacking a savings fund or a generous benefactor. Instead of focusing efforts — and funds — on every wedding detail, couples can save thousands just by allocating funds strategically.

While saving money on wedding planning is a common dilemma to contend with, some view their wedding as a once-in-a-lifetime investment, which is why certain key details merit a splurge to help keep the day memorable.

The wedding brideBeing able to recognize when to save or splurge on wedding elements makes all the difference when investing in the big day. Despite the minute intricacies involved in wedding planning, particular wedding to-dos are simply not that vital.

For the perfectionist, it may be difficult to accept that a limited budget often means sacrifice in one way or another. However, in letting go of the little things during the planning phase, couples can put earned savings toward big-picture expenses and possible have ample funds to work with well into their first years as newlyweds.

The wedding dress: splurge

Brides should not sell themselves short in the dress category, as being comfortable and confident on the big day sets the tone for the entire event. All eyes will be on the dress, but that’s not to say that tapping into a 401(k) account is merited for a designer gown.

To find a quality wedding gown at a value, visit sample sales, trunk shows, and bridal expos in the area. These limited time events offer discounts of 75 percent or more for the perfect “splurge” on a reasonably priced dress.

Invitations and paper goods: save

If traditional wedding invitations are a must for your main event, steer clear of costly stationary, calligraphy and unnecessary letterpress services. These additions come at a premium price as most designs are done completely by-hand. Calligraphy invitations can churn out $2 to $10 per envelope, equating to hundreds of dollars pulled from more important things like the dress budget and the venue budget.

As an alternative, couples can turn to laser-printed invitations and basic paper types from stationary stores, as they have gone a long way in terms of their aesthetic quality.

Photographer and videographer: splurge

It’s sad to say, but the ceremony and reception go by so fast, it’ll be difficult to remember every single highlight of the wedding — this is where the photographer and videographer work their magic.

Appropriating a generous portion of the wedding budget to these key players ensure that all the sweat and tears that went into planning the wedding are well documented for you to reminisce about 50 years later.

For added value, make sure to negotiate packages (think about services included in the package, rather than just the price) with both the photographer and videographer. Try also purchasing a CD of the edited wedding images so you can make your own prints for family and friends on the cheap.

Flower girl’s flower: save

To save a few bucks, skip the long-stem roses for the flower girl to toss down the aisle. No one will really be paying attention to what she’s throwing anyway, so why not save money in this category?

Rose petals can cut down florist expenses and even fake rose petals from a local craft store can replicate this time-honored tradition.

Wedding favors: save

Couples should do themselves a favor and opt out of extravagant wedding favors for reception attendees. Among the many weddings I’ve attended, I’ve probably only kept about 25 percent of the favors I’ve received.

Wedding favors sometimes even go unnoticed in the midst of the excitement. While favors act as a take-away for guests, spending less on favors and using saved funds toward things like lighting and venue can give them a much more memorable experience.

Wedding planner: splurge

Wedding planners carry the misconception of being a luxury expense among newly engaged couples. While it’s true that planners are another service to cut a check out for, their industry know-how can help couples determine the best venue, vendors and creative ideas with a specific budget in mind.

Also, there is less risk of being dazzled into unnecessary upgrades by vendors looking to squeeze an extra buck out of couples’ pockets.

It’s important to keep a level head when planning the details of the wedding, despite being on cloud nine. In the long-run, tactical money management during the process can keep couple on track with other big milestones to come, including buying a home and starting a family.

Editor’s note: It’s dangerous to refer to an expense as an investment. An investment implies that one is not spending money, but trading money for an asset that will, if one is lucky or smart, appreciates over time. Perhaps a relationship is an asset that appreciates, but a wedding is not the representation of that asset. A wedding is an expense, not an investment, pure and simple.

That said, the best type of expenses are related to once-in-a-lifetime experiences. The word “investment” is a trigger that allows people who spend what they can’t afford to rationalize their behavior. Feel free to spend what you can afford or what you like on your wedding, but I wouldn’t refer to a wedding as an investment.

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Debt Collections: Do You Have To Pay?

This article was written by in Debt Reduction. 8 comments.

People who borrow money generally understand that they will eventually need to pay borrowed money back to the lender. This understanding, whether codified in a contract or not in any particular case, makes lending and borrowing money work as an economic mechanism. It’s interesting that regardless of what’s written in a contract, most debt can be legally ignored. Borrowers may feel bound by their pride to honor commitments, but every state in the country has laws that prevent lenders from chasing after deadbeat borrowers after a certain amount of time.

Time-barred debts are subject to a statute of limitations. After a certain amount of time passes with a borrower unable or unwilling to pay back a loan, the lender will no longer be able to sue the borrower for uncollected debt. The lender can still contact the borrower and try to convince him or her to pay back the loan, but the lender’s legal rights to the funds are limited.

This doesn’t mean that it’s a good idea to wait for the statute of limitations to pass on all your debt in order to avoid your obligations. There are consequences if you don’t pay back debt. Most importantly, the three credit reporting bureaus will significantly decrease your credit score, and it could take a long time for that number to return to normal. This will affect your ability to qualify for more loans, mortgages, and credit cards in the future.

This is a dilemma many homeowners have considered recently; with the market value of houses sharply decreasing in the last few years, and the resulting financial reality of owing the bank more on the mortgage than the house is worth, some in this situation have considered walking away from the house and mortgage. In some cases, this could be a tactic that is more financially responsible than continuing to sink money every month into a depreciating asset. Families considering this option have to weigh the consequences, including not being able to qualify for a mortgage again for many years, against the emotion-based drive to honor financial commitments.

Although lenders are legally barred from suing borrowers after the statute of limitations for a particular debt has passed, they might still try. If you’re able to show a judge that the debt is time-barred and no longer legally collectible, you have nothing to worry about other than the consequences.

Credit cards and other open accounts like home equity lines of credit, written contracts, oral agreements, and promissory notes may have different statutes of limitations, and each differs by state, as well. Here’s a list by state of time-barred debts.

The clock starts ticking on the statute of limitations from the day you miss your first payment. The moment you send a payment to the lender, no matter how small, the clock resets. For example, if the statute of limitations on credit card debt in your state is seven years, and it’s been six years since you’ve made a payment, you may determine that it makes more financial sense to refuse to make a payment for one more year rather than negotiate with the lender. If you are in financial difficulty and don’t expect to ever be able to pay off the debt, paying even a small amount means you’ll need to wait another seven years after making the small payment before you’ll be legally protected from paying back the debt.

Not all debt is time-barred; student loans backed or issued by the government have no statute of limitations. Anything you borrow under any of the loan programs that qualify in this category can never be ignored. The lenders are often willing to negotiate the terms in order to help you make payments you can afford, but these students loans are, for the most part, legally stuck with borrowers until the lenders are satisfied.

A few questions for discussion:

  • Do you think it’s right that borrowers can avoid agreements by patiently waiting for the statute of limitations to pass?
  • Have you ever been sued for debt you didn’t need to legally pay back?
  • Have you inadvertently restarted the clock by paying a small amount to a lender when it might have been better to wait?
  • Are you dealing with the credit consequences of letting a debt expire?

Note: I am not a lawyer, and nothing written on Consumerism Commentary constitutes legal advice. Always check with an attorney before making any decisions regarding the law.

Photo: Dave Stokes
Federal Trade Commission

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A Financial Festivus for the Rest of Us

This article was written by in Personal Finance. 20 comments.

To all those who celebrate, have a successful Festivus. I’ve come to be a fan of this secular “holiday,” celebrated every year on December 23 following its mass introduction to the public through an episode of Seinfeld. At its core is a non-commercial, non-religious approach to the season. While I do enjoy gift exchanges with friends and family and everything else that goes along with the holiday season, the traditions of Festivus are interesting and applicable to everyone.

Before Seinfeld, Festivus was but one family’s tradition. This family produced a comedy writer, Daniel O’Keefe — how could it not? — who incorporated some of the aspects of the holiday into the television show in 1997. The episode aired thirty years after the first familial Festivus celebration. The primary symbol of the holiday is the aluminum Festivus pole with a “very high strength-to-weight ratio.” Two primary holiday practices have entered the public from the holiday: the airing of grievances and the feats of strength.

The airing of grievances

Festivus poleIn dealing with personal finances, everyone can relate to these traditions. In today’s modern world, any individual who pays attention to his or her own financial situation can have grievances to air. In the typical manner of Festivus, celebrants air grievances against each other. For our purposes, it will be more constructive or cathartic to air grievances against the companies that charged us extra fees, salespeople who stretched the truth or lied to encourage us to buy something, and reflect on the mistakes we made with money throughout the past year.

Here’s my grievance from a recent encounter. I purchased a used camera from a local shop a few weeks ago. I like buying from local shops rather than from the internet in some cases, because if local shops aren’t supported, they’ll eventually disappear. I found a great deal and wanted to take advantage of it. One of my concerns with used cameras is the shutter actuation count; if a camera has been used too much, as it might be if it were used by a professional, the shutter mechanism wears down and will eventually need to be replaced, if the value of the camera warrants part replacement rather than full replacement.

I was mostly sure that this model would not indicate the true shutter count unless brought into a Canon shop, but the store owner convinced me the shutter count was readable, just like the older models. The information he pulled up on the camera showed a very low shutter count; a count I thought would be too low considering the wear on the camera’s grip. I took his word as the expert, and after trying out the camera in the store, bought it for the great price we negotiated. I probably should have waited to research the model at home to confirm my belief — that the shutter actuation count was not readable by the user. I will eventually take the camera to the Canon service center near my house to determine the true shutter count. Even if the number is high, I still got a great deal. Even if I end up paying to replace the shutter, the total I will have paid is still less than I figured I’d be paying for the camera.

I don’t think the owner was intentionally lying to me in order to make the sale, as his opinion is probably a common misconception about this camera model. I should have taken my time, though, and I should go back and let him know what the true shutter count is when I am able to retrieve that information.

What are your grievances? Here are some examples to get you started:

  • Unexpected bank fees
  • Hassles when returning purchased items to a store
  • Confrontations with your boss
  • Tenants who don’t pay their rent on time

The feats of strength

In Seinfeld, Festivus celebrants displayed feats of strength by challenging each other to a wrestling match. Rather than physical strength, I think it’s fair for Consumerism Commentary readers to focus on financial strength. While I review my finances and look for positive trends at the end of every month, this isn’t enough for the holiday. Most successes that I’ve seen so far are ordinary financial feats of strength. A brave decision with money is a the type of strength that would be appropriate to celebrate for Festivus.

This year, my biggest financial feat of strength might be obvious. It is my decision to leave my day-job salary and benefits behind and pursue with greater vigor what I had already been doing. Consumerism Commentary is now the bulk of what financially sustains me, and without the relative security of a pay check, that was a difficult decision to make. In fact, it took several years for me to have enough faith in the long-term sustainability of this income to be willing to make the leap.

For your feats of strength, here are some examples to get you thinking:

  • A promotion at work
  • Finding a treasure of coins in the couch you bought used
  • Getting out of debt

Air your grievances and share your feats of strength from the past year. The comments on this article are open for anyone who has a grievance or feat of strength. Which banks gave you problems? Did you make any mistakes with your investments? What were your successes and strengths in 2011?

Editor’s note: This article ran originally last year, but I’m bringing it back for 2011.

Photo: M. Keefe

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How to Receive Great Customer Service

by Flexo
Telephone

Rather than blaming a representative or a corporate culture when discussions with a company don’t go the customer’s way, perhaps there are specific things the customer can do to encourage representatives to help. Money Magazine polled its readers and talked to experts to determine the best tactics for receiving the best customer service from companies. ... Continue reading this article…

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American Express’s Small Business Saturday

by Flexo
American Express

I’ve avoided writing about Black Friday this year. In the community I follow, promoting the day after Thanksgiving for shopping has gotten completely out of hand. I wrote an article for PC World a few years ago, The Insider’s Guide to Black Friday Bargains, where the tips are still relevant for today’s shoppers. I’m not ... Continue reading this article…

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10 Ways to Avoid Hotel Fees

by Flexo
Hotel

I’ve noticed over the past few years that the fees and surcharges that appear on my hotel bills are creeping steadily upward. I’m apparently not alone with this observation. According to a new study by Dr. Bjorn Hanson from the NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies, hotel fees and surcharges will account for $1.8 ... Continue reading this article…

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The Buffett Rule: Tax for Millionaires

by Flexo
Warren Buffett

As a continuation of President Obama’s jobs proposal (economic stimulus) for curbing spending and increasing federal government revenue, the administration is taking a cue from famous investor, Warren Buffett. On many occasions, Buffett has claimed that wealthy Americans do not pay a fair share of the tax burden relative to their means to do so. ... Continue reading this article…

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