Tiffany Raiford
Who couldn’t use a little extra cash? Extra money might not be necessary for you to get by, but that certainly does not mean it’s not good for savings. There are so many things you can do with a little extra cash, from paying off a debt to splurging on something amazing for your home to saving it for a rainy day or adding to your emergency fund. It all sounds good, no? But what if you don’t have a little extra cash just lying around? Well, you’ll have to find a way to get some. It’s that simple. What makes it even simpler is the fact that you can find extra cash literally lying around your house in the form of things you simply do not need anymore.
I can already hear all my hoarders and pack-rats shaking their heads adamantly while stating that they need everything they own, but they don’t. You do not need everything that’s in your house right now. Keeping it means you’re keeping yourself from having a little extra cash in your pocket, and that’s a waste. Read on to find out what you have at home that you absolutely do not need that you can sell for some extra cash right now.
Baby Items
Right now I have a problem that I’m working on; I’m not big at selling things since it’s easier to just take them somewhere and drop them off as a donation (I don’t like yard sales or strangers in my house). However, my big problem is that we have four kids, and our twins are almost a year-and-a-half. We went ahead and ‘fixed’ my husband after learning baby number three was two babies, and now we are done. But we have a house filled with double the baby items. Two swings, two bouncers, two rock and plays, two walking toys, two jumperoos, two bumbos, two high chairs, four strollers, two car seats, two car seat bases, two baby tubs, two exersaucers, two of everything; and we need to get rid of it. When you’re done, you’re done. So sell that stuff. I imagine we are sitting on a small fortune in terms of baby items.
Anything an Ex Gave You
So you broke up and he’s a jerk; sell the stuff he gave you. Really, don’t hang on to that stuff. You don’t want it or need it, and it’s not going to do you any favors in your post-break up ability to get over his no good self. Get rid of it. At least you can say he left you with something worthwhile after you sell it, right?
Big Boy Toys
We have a golf cart that we love to ride around the neighborhood in, but that has not stopped my husband from insisting we need a ranger instead. I vote no; and told him that we need one item of this nature at a time, which means he can have his ranger, but the golf cart has to go. Since the golf cart is the kids’ favorite and we absolutely do not need a ranger, I won that one. But these are the kind of toys that you might need to get rid of to make a little space for things like, oh, your car in the garage. Jet skis, lawn mowers, boats, golf carts, bikes and even campers are worth selling.
The “Stuff” your Mom Gives You
I am not a “stuff” person at all. I don’t like stuff. Knick-knacks and little “things” make me feel a little sick to my stomach. Clean, uncluttered and free of “stuff” is how I like my home (plus a lot of baby toys). My mother, on the other hand, is about one set of encyclopedias away from an episode of Hoarders. And she loves to give me “Stuff” and assure me that despite the fact she’s never seen anything she’s given me before in my home, I will love it. I don’t have the heart to sell it, I just give it to my aunt. But you could sell it.
Sports Equipment
Sure, you’re going to go snow skiing regularly, even though you moved from Colorado to Florida 16 years ago and haven’t been back, right? If you have sports equipment you do not – and will not – use, sell it. Seriously, no one is getting on that treadmill you bought three years ago. If you haven’t been on it yet, you’re not getting on it anytime in the near future.
Clothes that don’t Fit
Do you have a closet full of timeless fashions that simply do not fit? When I was pregnant, I bought a ton of maternity clothes; the good kind. The kind that come from A Pea in the Pod and cost just as much as designer clothes I can wear forever, only these I can’t wear forever. It made sense when I was pregnant with our first, but when the twins were born and we realized that four kids was plenty, I had no use for my maternity clothes. So what did I do? I gave them all to a pregnant friend. I could have sold them, though, and made a pretty penny. The same goes for things that you no longer fit into. There are many sites online, too, that will help you with that endeavor.
Furniture
My husband and I could retire off the amount of furniture we get rid of. Unfortunately, we always give it to my mother instead of selling it, so we can’t actually retire. We like nice things, too, so we could sell for a lot. If you have old furniture that you no longer have any use for, sell it. Someone will buy it.
School Books
Are you a college student in need of a little extra cash? How about selling those books that you used last semester for a little bit of dough? You can do it, though you do need to understand that not all books will offer you a ton of money. Some will become old editions in the near future, which means a newer one introduced for an upcoming semester might make yours worthless. Here’s a tip I learned in college, too; do not sell your books online. I tried this and was offered less than $50 per book. When I went into the bookstore in person, I was offered more than double that for each book I sold in person.
Dishes
You can sell your old dishes, sure; but I’m talking about new ones. I’m talking about those bowls your grandmother gave you for Christmas or your wedding gift that are just not your style. You can even sell those martini glasses your mom thought you needed even though you already have a dozen and don’t need any more. People buy these things, and you can make money off of them.
Appliances
Someone once came into my home and asked me why I needed a fridge in my laundry room and in my kitchen. Um, beer. But seriously, I definitely do not like clutter, so therefore I do not use many kitchen appliances. We have a microwave in the range, and that’s all I need (my husband did sneak a toaster in the house recently, though). If you have the same issues I have, you might want to sell things like your toaster oven or that old fridge you just replaced, or that washer and dryer you just upgraded. These are money makers, people.
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