I placed more orders online than I can count in 2020. And I justified all of them.
My front porch was full of boxes containing all kinds of things: furniture (I needed to redecorate), paper towels (I needed to stock up), crafts (I needed activities), board games (more activities) and a mat ( I needed exercise).
But, to be honest, I bought a little too much.
Take a look instead. If your quarantine habits were a little bit like mine, you could turn this disorder into money. See how.
MANY THINGS? SALE
You may have purchased more than you ended up using, such as board games or video games. Or maybe you bought new products to replace old items and were left with a discarded tech drawer.
Whatever the case, you have more than you need. And there are many places to sell your stuff online.
Chelsea Lipford Wolf, co-host of the TV show “Today’s Homeowner” and host of the web series “Checking In With Chelsea”, says she has earned over $ 1,000 selling things online during the last six months of 2020 through the Facebook Marketplace , an outlet for buying and selling locally.
You can also. Search online for this or another market that meets your needs. For example, Facebook Marketplace serves local transactions, while other sites focus on product categories like technology or clothing. Read the instructions to see how the site works and check customer reviews or an accreditation from the Better Business Bureau before committing. Make an account and start working.
You can sell almost anything online – technology, furniture, clothing, video games and toys, to name a few.
Here are Wolf’s keys to making things sell:
– PRESENTATION. “You want the item you’re selling to be the focal point of your photo,” says Wolf. Clean it first, then take attractive photos in natural sunlight, preferably near a window. Get multiple angles.
– PRICE. Consider how much someone can pay for the item and then set a slightly lower price to move it. You can also check lists posted by other users to determine the current rate.
– PRIVATE. Spell everything in the description, including the brand and any imperfections. A more detailed list means less coming and going by potential buyers. As the saying goes, “Time is money,” says Wolf.
MUCH WORK? CONSIGN
Depending on the website you use, you will have to write listings, pack your items and send them directly to the buyer or the platform you used to make the sale. In some cases, you can deliver in person.
To save time and effort, take your things to a local shipping store. You will probably earn less, but the store does the sales for you. Expect to pocket half the selling price, says Wolf.
Other options? Give things to family and friends. Donate to a local charity. And throw away items that have absolutely no use.
MANY TEMPTATIONS? BACK SCALE
After selling and donating what you can, fight the impulse to buy on impulse again. Maintaining your current habits can take you back to where you started. A way to avoid this? Save first and buy later.
This approach is the exact opposite of putting something on a credit card and paying it after the fact, says Pam Horack, certified financial planner and owner of Pathfinder Planning LLC, based in Lake Wylie, South Carolina.
Save money and wait to place an order until you can pay it in full. Horack says his family has a designated clothing account. When someone needs a new pair of shoes, the money comes from what they have set aside.
You can do the same with an overhead account. “If you don’t have money in that account, you can’t buy it,” says Horack. “That must be your rule.”
There are also ways to keep yourself busy without spending a lot of money. Here are some of Horack’s ideas: Redecorate your home by moving your furniture. Spend some time outdoors. Complete projects around the house. You will spend less and accumulate less things.
VERY EXPENSIVE? BUY USED
But you cannot stop buying completely. For things you really need, consider buying from the same sites you used to earn extra money.
When listing products, you will not sell them for the amount you originally paid for them. This means that you can also buy things at a significant discount.
Consumers have been buying and selling used cars during the pandemic, according to Sara Beane, a specialist in media relations in the Swappa technology market. “Everyone is kind of tied up during this unprecedented time,” says Beane.
For example, the site saw a race on laptops at the time back to school.
Research the markets used by item model and condition. You will find many price points to suit your budget.
But before clicking on the “buy” button, organize a little, says Wolf.
“If you have so many things you can’t see what you have, then you are going to buy more than you need.”
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This column was provided to The Associated Press via the personal finance website NerdWallet. Courtney Jespersen is a writer for NerdWallet.