Spring has begun to cheekily show us that it’s just around the corner. Longer days, the weather is getting warmer, and there is just a feeling that winter is just about done. Who am I kidding, this winter was warm as hell in Denver. Whatever. At this point I’m ready to drop kick the winter that never arrived and embrace the “Spring that’s going to happen!” And, I’ve begun to feel the itch to throw away, donate, and gift as many things as possible from my home. It’s time to for my annual Spring Cleaning Extravaganza. Almost like a wannabe Lollapoloza. But, not really. My favorite thing about Spring Cleaning? I always end up with extra cash. And, I thought I would share the 10 ways I make and save money when I spring clean. They’re super simple and easy-and I hope you’ll make some money too.
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10 Ways I Make Money
Spring Cleaning always feels like a very cathartic process to me. Releasing old energy, making room for new things in your life, and taking the time to make sure everything in your home is beneficial to you in some way. I have to admit that my Spring Cleaning process embraces the practical with the woo-woo. Baseboards get cleaned and I burn sage to clear out the energy.
I also love that I can reclaim previously spent money like “reclaiming my time.” It’s one of the many bonuses of doing an epic Spring Clean. It’s the frugal activity that pays you. Here’s how I make and save money.
Sell My Stuff
Sometimes you just need to sell your stuff. You may have held on to a set of skis that you no longer use, a skateboard that has been stuck in the corner, or the Instapot you just never used. Sell it. You can even do a Facebook “Garage” Sell where you share pictures on your feed with the amount the item costs (including shipping). Friends can put their name under the item and then you will have them email their mailing address and PayPal information. Obviously the in-town friends can pick up their items or you can drop them off (just subtract the shipping fee from the price). I’ve had friends successfully sell clothing this way.
Right now I’ve really paired down what I purchase, so I don’t think that I will sell anything this year.
Unused Gift Cards
Every single time I Spring Clean-I find gift cards. I honestly don’t understand how this happens. But, every year I discover that I haven’t used all of my fabulous gift cards. The only exception is Starbucks-I always blaze through my Starbucks cards. The great thing about discovering these cards (if they haven’t expired) is that it’s free money. Hopefully these are cards that have been gifted to you vs. purchased by you.
Unsubscribe
But, check your emails first. It’s a little counterintuitive, but, I’ve found a number of giveaways, opportunities to participate in beta groups for products and coaches, and opportunities to become affiliates for programs that I’ve taken online. Those affiliate opportunities make me money! If you’re running a blog or website and would like to learn more about how affiliate marketing might work for you-check out the following course “Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing.” Created by my friend Michelle Schroeder-Gardner who makes over $100,000 a month-she knows what she’s doing.
I checked my stats and noticed that I had $69 bucks in affiliate income that I earned from the course. Winning! If I had ignored my emails I may have missed the opportunity to sign up for her course (I’m pretty sure I was a beta tester).
ThredUp Closet Cleanout
ThreadUp is one of my favorite clothing websites to shop on. It’s an online consignment shop where shoppers can discover a ridiculous variety of mid-high end retailers…plus Target and H & M. If you don’t mind used clothing-this website rocks. One of my favorite things to do is to request a closet cleanout bag and earn money or credit. I will say that closet cleanouts are dependent on a couple of things:
- Brand awareness
- Clothing condition-you will find a lot of items that are brand new and still have tags on them.
- Possibility for resale-If they can’t imagine being able to sell the item quickly, you might not get a good payout.
Basically, there’s no guarantee you’ll make a huge amount of money. But, you may make a few bucks.
Spring Cleaning
Is a free activity that you can charge other people to attend. How? Throw a garage/yard sale. Spend some time thinking about all of the stuff that you can sell. Here are are some tips on how to make sure your garage sale is a success:
- Make sure you have plenty of change. This is the one time where people will spend cash on the items that you’re selling.
- If you’re selling electronics make sure you offer a way to plug in those items so that people can test them out before buying.
- Say “Yes” to electronic payments via PayPal or Venmo. Let your customers know that you will accept those forms of payment.
- Have some semblance of order and please don’t be the person who puts clothes on the ground. Get a clothing rack and hang them up so that people can easily access them.
- Don’t sell items that are: stained, frayed, has a zipper that doesn’t work, etc.
Finally, just have a ton of fun during that day. Make sure you have plenty of water, snacks, and sit in the shade.
Pay Off Old Bills
You’re probably confused because this is a blog post about making and saving money. But, I want you to think about all of the hours that you spend working. Now, think about all of the money you free up after you pay off a debt with the proceeds from your garage sale. Or, your ThredUp bag. Basically, you’ve freed up a ton of earned cash. And, made more money because it’s not obligated towards debts.
Change Your Internet Service
Recently, my local internet service provider began running ads about a new price plan that they are rolling out. It will save me a ton of money and I will be hightailing it over to the office to change my plan. I originally signed up for the highest speed internet service possible because Denver is notorious for having really slow internet speeds. It’s a thing. Because I run an internet based business, I decided that I would pay the extra money to get 1 Gigabyte access when it originally rolled out a year or so ago.
But, I’ve been waiting for the price to go down because it always does. This one change will save me $720 a year. Yep, almost a grand.
Ebay
I have no freaking idea how to sell things on Ebay. But, I know a lot of people making money doing it. My friend Jason from The Butler Journal has a free guide to selling affectively on Ebay. Check it out HERE.
Say GoodBye to Old Gear
Gear is also huge in my town. Don’t believe me? Here’s the types of gear that I have:
- Hiking
- Snowboarding
- Bike
- Dance
- Yoga
Yep, I have gear for almost everything that I do. But, I do check from time to time to see if there is gear that I’m just not using. I haven’t gone snowboarding for awhile…but, I’m not ready to let that gear go because I plan on going again. Especially now that I’m not traveling for the majority of 2018.
Time to Break Up
There are so many digitally based services or apps that. I have to unsubscribe to.
Here are a couple of examples.
- CBS because I signed up to watch Star Trek Discovery. It was fantastic, but, it won’t return for season two until 2019. It’s $6 a month which equals $72 bucks that I can use for something fun. Yes, I will resubscribe when the show returns and enjoy every minute of it. But, until then, I will save my money.
- Digit-I just noticed that they withdrew $2.99 from my account. If you’re not familiar with Digit it used to be my favorite way to save towards future goals with small (unnoticeable) amounts of cash. Digit was free, but now they’re charging $2.99. The way they rolled out the pricing change upset a lot of people-me included. Once I cancel the service I will save around $36. I now use RIZE as my preferred way to save small amounts of money. And, you get to decide if you pay (or, don’t) a small nominal fee each month. You choose the amount that works for you. Check it out HERE.
Remember, businesses love it when you subscribe to a service because most people FORGET that they’ve done it. Companies make a ton of money on subscription services. A couple of times throughout the year check your banking records to see if there are any debits for services you’re not using. You’ll be shocked.
Make and Save Money
I love this time of year because I know that I’m about to make and save a lot of money. If you do this right you’re saved and made money may rival a small tax refund. It’s crazy that cleaning your house is the same as a treasure hunt. How much money are you hoping to make and save during this year’s Spring Cleaning?
Want to Start a Blog?
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