Clutter Busting: Yard Sale, eBay, Donate…and more!!

It’s too good to toss, but you don’t use it. It once served a purpose, but that time is over. This clutter is out of control, yet you are too practical and frugal to just through it all in a big dumpster. So what do you do with all the clutter? There are quite a few different avenues that you can investigate, and any one of them, or a combination of all, may work best for your needs. Here are just a few suggestions:

Yard Sale

A great fun way to get rid of the clutter, and get your family involved, is by having a yard sale. Ask around to see if your community does a group yard sale, or if other neighbors would like to have one as well. The bigger the yard sale, the more interest you will get from passerby motorists, and you will be able to split the advertisement costs with the others involved.

A special safety note: As always, your security and safety is a big concern. Never allow people to come into your home. In addition, if you have your garage open during the sale, be sure to hide any items of major value. More than once I have heard of someone who was robbed after a yard sale because apparently someone saw something they liked that was not for sale.

Editor’s Note: For more information and hints on throwing a successful yard sale read some of Geralin Thomas’ tips here.

eBay:

While you may receive more money from an item sold an eBay, there are a few variables that must be considered. Keep in mind any extra money an item might be sold for on eBay may be lost by the price of shipping, fees, and your time. Example: You have a stroller that you can yard sale for $25.00. Let’s say that same stroller can bring you $40.00 on eBay with an additional shipping charge of $20.00. You will receive payment of $60.00 for the item. Sounds great, right? There is the listing fee, paypal fee, and closing value fee for the $40.00. After all the fees you’ll have made close to $32.00. You need to pack up the stroller (and hope that you have a box that fits…and that the $20.00 shipping price is high enough to cover the real cost to ship- and the box and packing materials. If you are lucky and you estimated correctly and the shipping does cost you $20.00, you’ll have an $8.00 higher profit than selling it at a yard sale. Now, factor in the time. EBay is a time intensive process. It normally takes me about 1-1 1/2 hours per auction; research, picture taking, writing the description, listing, replying to questions, and shipping. For me it depends on how much time I have to devote to selling the item and the demand and estimated value of the item, as to whether or not I will eBay it or not.

Swap:
There are some fun places to give and get on the internet. I recently discovered a website called www.bookit.com and if you have piles of unwanted books, and you love to read, this site is for you. It’s a super, simple, clever and cost effective way to get rid of book clutter and get something new to read in return. You simply list your books and the recipient pays $3.99 to have it shipped to them. You earn points and with those points you get to receive books for yourself for $3.99. There is no cost to join, no charge for sending, and you print the postage from your computer at home!

Donate:
My personal favorite thing to do with clutter that is in good (or better) condition is to donate it. I usually try and find a family member or friend who could use the item first. Make sure you ask before simply bagging up and giving. You do not want your good intentions to become someone else’s clutter! If I cannot find an individual that needs the item, I take it to the local charity donation center. You may want to contact them first and make sure that they will accept your item. Unwanted items are often just tossed into dumpsters. Make sure you keep written records and receipts of items donated for tax purposes. Often times the amount of money that you will save come tax time, far outweighs what you would have made by having a yard sale!

It’s a good idea to plan ahead. Before you start de-cluttering, decide where these items are going to go! If you are planning a yard sale, you can place the price stickers right on the items as you are in the purging and sorting process. If the items are headed for a donation site, write a list of the item, date purchased, condition, original price, and market value so you will be ready to take it immediately to the donation center.

The above are just some examples. My suggestion is to ask around to friends, family, churches, etc. Just keep in mind that by keeping these items in closets, attics, and basements unused and unwanted is helping no one. It is not doing the items, or the person who gave you the item, any service by keeping things boxed away. There is far more to gain than cash, by letting go.

Betsy