7 Ways to Make Money by Selling Your Clutter

A list of great ways to make money by selling your clutter!  Use these ideas to earn money while you declutter and simplify. 

There are affiliate links in this post – please read my full disclosure policy.   

I recently came through a month of intensive decluttering.  And while my goal was mainly to simplify, I was pretty happy to also make almost $75 in the process!

In fact, knowing that I could potentially make a couple of dollars off of something was great motivation for me.  And in the week since, I actually made another $165 from selling a double stroller and some clothing that I hadn’t had a chance to sell earlier.

If you are decluttering or are simply on a tight budget and need money, it is definitely worth trying to sell some of your things.  If you aren’t sure where to do it, here are a list of ways to make money and the places that I have used and recommend.

RELATED: 10+ Easily Doable Side Hustles that Will Make an Extra $500 /month

7 Ways to Make Money by Selling Your Clutter

1. Craigslist

Craigslist is a great way to sell things and we’ve had good success using it over the last several years. While you can post anything, I recommend using it mainly for bigger ticket items as those seem to do well there. 

If you aren’t sure how much to charge for your item, simply use the “Search” box to see what others are charging for similar things and go from there.

To avoid being scammed, take only cash. Also, if you aren’t comfortable having people come to your home, you can instead meet them at a local public place.

PRO TIP: Detailed description and a few good pictures help a lot!  Also, a fairly specific location is helpful too so that people know whether it is worth there time.  For instance, instead of saying “Exton” try “Exton, north side”. 

2. Ebay

I don’t use Ebay as much as some of the other methods simply because it gets expensive to ship big, heavy items.  But it’s great for smaller things and I’ve done reasonably well selling here.

Before I list something, I like to see if it is worth my time by using the Advanced Search feature to see if similar items have sold well recently.  

This is also a great way to figure out what to charge too.  To find these details, once on the search page simply enter the item description and check the “Sold” box.

PRO TIP: Again detailed description and great pictures go a long way in helping your item get attention.  Also be sure to factor in shipping costs.  

3. Yard Sales

Good old traditional yard sales are still a great way to get rid of things. We typically have one every summer and I love it for things that just don’t sell well anywhere else.

To keep things simple, we have a small corner in the basement where we put anything that we want to sell at our yard sale. Want to really be efficient? Price the items as you add them to the pile!

Looking for more yard sale tips? Check out this Ultimate Guide to a Successful Garage Sale.

4. Online Yard Sale Facebook Groups

In the last year, I’ve become a big fan of Online Yard Sale Groups on Facebook. Never heard of them? It’s basically like a great big yard sale online that you can sell items from any time.

To find one, simply search Facebook with your area’s name and either yard sale or resale and likely something will pop up. If not, create one yourself- but be prepared for it to become a hopping, popular place!

While you can sell big-ticket items here, I’ve found these groups to be a great place for selling smaller items and kid’s clothing. In fact, two groups that I’m part of are specifically for kid’s stuff.

I really like these groups for two reasons. For one thing, you can see a picture of the person that is buying from you which makes it feel safer and less risky than Craigslist. And asking questions is as simple as leaving a Facebook comment or sending the seller a PM.

PRO TIP: Use Paypal Ship Now to mail items directly from your home.  Not only is it handier, but it’s also cheaper because you get commercial shipping rates!  All you need is a small kitchen scales like this one to get the exact weight of your packages and some boxes or mailers to ship your items in.

(I really like these poly mailers.  They’re inexpensive, don’t tear easily and have worked well for shipping clothing.)  I love not needing to run to the post office every time I need to mail a package!  #majorwin 

5. Buy Back Sites

FOR BOOKS:
If you have unwanted books lying around, it might be worth checking with some book buyback sites, such as World of Books, to see if they are worth anything. Textbooks and books by popular authors often sell well. And I love that most sites will pay for the shipping costs too!

Another option would be to sell them on Amazon.   We have a friend that has done quite well using this method and actually, you can sell lots of things besides books too.

FOR CELLPHONES:
Have an old cellphone that you are done with but not sure where to get the best price? SellCell.com is a great option! They guarantee that they’ll get you the best price available and they’re super easy to use too.

6. Consignments Sales/Stores

It was super easy because I would just stop by with the clothes, wait as they looked them over and took my info and then when I sold $10 worth, they would contact me and I would get the money. I always made out better than I would have had I tried selling those items at a yard sale and I loved that I could keep “cleaning house” all year round.

Also, many areas have kid’s consignment sales and while I have never tried selling at these, I have friends who have and loved it!

7. ThredUp

Basically, you request a bag, put your women’s and/or kid’s clothing in it, mail it (postage is pre-paid) and then once your items sell, you get paid! You can then use your payment to buy clothing from ThredUp, or simply cash out via PayPal.

YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY:

• 4 Helpful Questions that Make Decluttering Your Home Easy
• 7 Reasons to Declutter and Live with Less
• 4 Everyday Items That Will Help Organize Your Home on a Budget
• A Frugal Mom’s Favorite Ways to Save Money