Clearing the Clutter for Extra Cash

Start Building Your Emergency Fund Today! 

In our conversation with Chelsea from SmartMoneyMamas.com, she mentioned that one of the ways to build your emergency fund is to clear your clutter from your home! I’m sure it is no surprise that I think this is a great idea! 

This project is different from what you may think of as organizing your home. In my Organizing Your Space Your Way online course, I teach four steps to organizing your home. With this project, we are focusing only on step two... 

PURGING and adding the extra task of Selling! 

Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Schedule your sorting session on the calendar. This way you know when you are doing it and can prepare mentally to get it done. Take a little time to review your motivation and why this is important. 

• Gather your supplies and staging area prior to getting started. 

  • Supplies will include boxes or some kind of container to collect your items and pen and paper for writing notes. 

  • The staging area is a place for you to put your items and eventually clean and/ or take photos of what you are selling. 

• Go through your home, room by room looking for things that you don’t use, like, or have any need for. I know this sounds easier than it really is, there is a lot of emotion when it comes to letting items go. If you get stuck, keep the item and keep going. 

• Remember you are looking for things that have some cash value. Selling one or two pieces of clothing is not going to be worth as much as a group of like items being sold together. For example: $50.00 for this group of 3T and 4T kids clothes. 

• Decide how you want to sell your items; garage sale, consignment shop, eBay, CraigsList, Facebook, Neighborhood sites, etc. 

• If you’re not sure of the value of an item, do your research and see what other similar items are going for. 

• Clean up your items and take good clear photos from different angles. 

Good Luck! 

Thank you for your time and attention.

-Nikki