I placed more online orders than I can count in 2020. And I justified all of them.
My front porch was filled with boxes containing all sorts of things: Furniture (I needed to redecorate), paper towels (I needed to stock up), crafts (I needed activities), board games (more activities) and a treadmill (I needed exercise).
But if I’m being honest, I bought a little too much.
Take a look around your place. If your quarantine habits were even a tiny bit like mine, you could turn that clutter into money. Here’s how.
Too much stuff? Sell it
Perhaps you purchased more than you ended up using, like board games or video games. Or maybe you bought new products to replace old items and were left with a drawer of discarded technology.
Whatever the case, you have more than you need. And there are lots of places to sell your stuff online.
Chelsea Lipford Wolf, co-host of the “Today’s Homeowner” TV show and host of the “Checking In With Chelsea” web series, says she made more than $1,000 selling things online during the last six months of 2020 through Facebook Marketplace, an outlet for buying and selling locally.
You can, too. Look online for this or another marketplace that suits your needs.
You can sell almost anything online, video games, clothing,, technology, furniture 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,” Wolf says. Clean it first, then take flattering photos in natural sunlight, preferably near a window. Get multiple angles.
• Price. Consider what someone might pay for the item, then price it slightly lower to make it move. You can also check listings posted by other users to determine the going rate.
• Particulars. Spell out everything in the description, including the brand and any imperfections. A more detailed listing means less back and forth with potential buyers. As the saying goes, “Time is money,” Wolf says.
Too much work? consign
Depending on which site you use, you’ll have to write listings, package your items and send them either directly to the buyer or to the platform you used to make the sale. In some cases, you can deliver in person.
To save time and effort, take your stuff to a local consignment store instead. You’ll likely make less, but the store does the selling for you. Expect to pocket half the selling price, Wolf says.
Other options? Give things away to family and friends. Donate to a local charity. And throw away items that have absolutely no use.
Resist restocking
Once you’ve sold and donated what you can, fight the urge to impulse shop again. One way is to save first and buy later.
But you can’t stop shopping altogether. For things you absolutely need, consider buying where you sold your old items. You sold your items there at a discount, which means you can purchase things at a significant discount, too.
Consumers have been buying and selling used during the pandemic, according to Sara Beane, media relations specialist at technology marketplace Swappa. “Everybody is kind of strapped during this unprecedented time,” Beane says.
For example, the site saw a rush on laptops around back-to-school season.
Search used marketplaces by model and condition of the item. You’ll find many price points to fit your budget.
But before you hit the “buy” button, do some organizing, Wolf says.
“If you have so much stuff that you can’t see what you have, then you’re going to buy more than you need.”
Courtney Jespersen is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: courtney@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @courtneynerd.