.....HOME |
SEARCH || SITE
MAP | UNCOMMON
FINDS
|
|
|
|
It has
been said that thriftiness is a virtue. Here
are a few Lessons in Frugality from someone who has been dubbed “The Queen of
Thrift” by family and friends (uh, that would be me). MAKING EXTRA CASH: Here are the best ways I've found to turn them into cash: 1.
Consignment shops Consignment
shops resell clothing in good condition and split the profit with you.
Some establishments offer a 50/50 share of the selling price, and others
keep 60% and give you 40%. Check
your local yellow pages for consignment or resale shops.
Call and ask about their terms, including the length of time the shop
will stock your items and what becomes of the leftovers which don’t sell. I
like to take those left over items down the street to another consignment shop
... which usually depletes my supply of unwanted clothing in no time. (Another hint: shop the super clearance racks at consignment stores and take those items to another resale shop. I’m sometimes able to purchase things like that for $2 or $3 and receive $10 or more when it sells at the next shop. Yard sales can be an even better source of inexpensive clothing, especially after you haggle for the lowest price.) Some consignment shops also accept household items and furniture, so load up your truck and turn your unwanted stuff into liquid money! 2.
Garage sales
If
you live in a residential area which permits garage sales, you may be able to
cash in on that dust-laden exercise equipment, your teenager’s baby crib, and
other items no longer in use. Since
“one man’s junk is another man’s treasure,” you’ll be surprised what
kinds of things you can sell. I
once sold a set of steps to a man who insisted on paying me MORE than the
pricetag asked for (so I let him)! Get
together with friends and relatives for a multi-family sale ... it attracts more
customers. Or join your neighborhood's annual
community yard sale if they offer one. With good advertising
and a desire to haggle, you’ll soon be raking in the dough. If you live in an apartment, or just don’t have the time to host a yard sale, as mentioned above some consignment shops accept household items and furniture in addition to clothing. Also, check the classified ads -- there are people who actually want to buy boxes of saleable items and will haul them away for you. 3. Online auctions This has quickly become my favorite source of extra income. My love blossomed in March 2000 when I was searching for a way to sell a transcription machine. I've been hooked ever since! Yahoo is my favorite because it has the 2nd largest audience and the lowest selling fees. Click here to see what's currently for sale in my Yahoo auction booth. Ebay is my second favorite because it has the largest audience, and when you set a Reserve Price and bidders don't reach it, you can see their email addresses and try to negotiate and possibly gain a buyer anyway.You can find some great deals at yard sales and thrift stores and turn around and re-sell them on auctions. Another great source of items to sell is finding friends who have valuables they want to unload. Offer to create and manage the auction for them at a reasonable commission rate. I've sold a number of original artworks this way, also some antiques. And if you have any friends who are wholesalers, even better! You can sell their stock on auctions on a regular basis. I've made huge chunks of money this way in the past and currently.If you're really brave, you could also try the above suggestion and sell strangers' items. Whether you sell things for your friends or strangers, you'll definitely need a written contract to avoid misunderstandings and to make sure everyone is "on the same page" with the arrangement. Terms and payments will need to be outlined very precisely before entering a business agreement like this. Click here to check out the contract I use, it covers everything you need to specify and has worked perfectly in my deals. Don't miss this spectacular SECRET info on how to be a successful online auction seller. You'll find out how to get inside tips which have helped many make ebay and other auctions their job. I've taken 10 vacations in the past 2 1/2 years from the extra money I've made selling on auctions, including a cruise to the Bahamas!! This is a great market. 4. Do odds and ends for family and friends People
you know may be more than happy to pay you to mow their lawn, clean their house,
do their windows, fix their microwave, detail their car, babysit their kids,
etc. Look for innovative ways to
fill a need. My
husband and I have done those things, and a side job I’ve had for several years
is planting flowers at various places of business. Think about it: most
stores and offices have no time to maintain a flower bed, but enjoy the ambiance
of colorful flowers greeting their customers.
Why not approach a few business owners?
They supply funds for the plants, and you charge them for labor.
Every couple of months, it’s time for a new batch, a little weeding,
and maybe some fresh mulch. If
you’re not sure how much to charge, just estimate how long it will take you to
buy the supplies and do the work, then decide how much your time is worth.
It’s that simple. 5. Affiliate Programs If you have a website, you can earn unlimited income as an affiliate of merchants all over the internet. All you have to do is put the merchant's banner or link on your site, and you can earn money either every time someone clicks on it and/or when they make a purchase or register for something. I make a nice amount of extra money this way. Click here to see over 20 different advertisers I work with AND how to find nearly 2,000 online stores and merchants who want and need you. Companies like Amazon.com, PayPal, Half.com, Fingerhut, etc. They're willing to pay generously for your efforts, so check it out! There's no better way to SELL WITHOUT BUYING. SAVING
MONEY: 6. Buy secondhand items Why
spend
a small fortune on retail clothing when you could find something comparable (and
sometimes better) at a consignment or thrift store?
The opportunities
are boundless.
There isn’t enough space here to write about the DEALS
I have found at such stores (furniture, small appliances, shoes, bags,
coats, you name it). And get this ... certain stores of this type will actually
trade with you -- you give them a few articles of clothing, and they either give
you a few or allow store credit. Plan
ahead, too. Some thrift stores
slash prices on certain days of the week. In
that case, sometimes you can catch a 50% off sale just for shopping on the right
day! And many have those wonderful BAG
SALES ... stuff as many clothes as you can into a paper grocery bag for 7. Shop at online auctions I've gotten some fantastic deals this way
... cologne, perfume, movies, books, and more. Not only can you find quality
used items on auctions, but there's a growing trend for retailers to offer their
BRAND NEW items up for auction at below retail cost. Here are the best ones I've
found so far: You'd be shocked at how much money you can save buy purchasing things online verses retail stores. To find these valuable online deals, check if your favorite store is online or do a search engine search for the product and be sure to use tip #9 below for extra phenomenal savings. 9. Coupons and rebates Most
weekend editions of the newspaper contain literally hundreds of coupons for
food, health & beauty items, etc. If
you’re going to buy the product anyway, why not save a few dollars?
Keep the coupons organized and carry them with you each shopping trip.
To
optimize coupon usage, use them on things which are on sale.
The store flyer can be reviewed ahead of time, and your week’s menu
planned around sales and coupons. I’ve
done this every week for the past eight years and save more than enough money on
each trip to make the effort worthwhile. Rebate
offer forms can also be found in those coupon inserts with the weekend
newspaper. Look for additional
forms on the shelves or bulletin boards of grocery and specialty stores. Hardware
and software now offer some outstanding rebates, so don't overlook those when
shopping offline or online. Rebates can earn you anywhere from $1 to $50, depending on the product,
so start saving those UPC symbols. I've recently found an incredible collection of online store coupons and rebate notifications. Now you'd better be sitting down for this one ... quite frequently you can get expensive items, including computer equipment for FREE or ALMOST FREE!! Recently I used these combinations to get a free printer and a free scanner and walked away with an extra $10 to boot! Don't miss this little-known secret to saving money. Here are 3 gigantic collections of online coupon codes and printable retail coupons available anywhere: www.wow-coupons.com and www.a2zdeals.com and coupongirl.com 10. Find out what's on sale in stores this week with one mouse click SalesCircular.Com provides information about products advertised by local retail stores in 45 states every week, so you can compare prices and get the best deal! Product categories currently covered include consumer durables, electronics, computers, software and peripherals, etc. Stores include Walmart, KMart, Best Buy, Sears, Radio Shack, and more. Also find out about current rebates for further savings. 11. Barter for products and/or services The idea in #2 above can be expanded upon by trading services with someone you know or even someone you don't know. I trade flower maintenance services for my weekly chiropractic adjustments! I'm sure the fact that she was a client of our office cleaning service at the time had something to do with the generous bartering arrangement, but it illustrates the opportunities that are out there if you just use a little creative thinking. Lately I have been able to trade the package of 100 Secret Freebies on this page for great stuff online -- I just inquire of the seller if he or she would mind doing a barter of my package for their product or service since my package is valued at over $3,375. Just about every person agrees to the trade and I get things for free this way. This product is another great thing to barter with, I market it for $39.95 but is value is in the tens of thousands of dollars. Once
in a while you can find a business person who will agree to barter.
We have enjoyed saving money this way on occasion.
An artist friend of ours has traded art prints for carpet, furniture,
plants, a boat, legal and dental services, restaurant meals, and even a pet Interestingly,
there are several barter exchange networks which maintain a database of
members’ goods and services available for trade. Some charge a fee for this information, and
others don’t.
Search the Internet for bartering associations, or check your yellow pages. 12. Get online freebies You wouldn't BELIEVE how much free stuff you can get on the internet -- samples, coupons, etc. Here are my favorite places to find whatever my little heart desires: Secret Freebies -- my own
collection of over 100 special deals 14. Develop and stick to a budget Click here for an online
solution, including a free debt calculator. Smart Money Tips! With
just a little creativity and a commitment to cutting corners, you may actually
begin to enjoy squeezing every last drop out of your precious greenbacks.
S-t-r-e-t-c-h those dollar bills! |
|
2001-present by Deborah M. McGeorge. All rights
reserved. Reproduction or publication of the contents of this website in any
manner -- electronic or otherwise -- without written permission is prohibited.
Appropriate action will be taken.