Budgeting – Page 34 – The LadyPrefers2Save

February No Spend Month Challenge: Day 18 (How to Sell on eBay)

Hello again, savvy savers! A new day, a new daily challenge, as part of our No-Spend Month Challenge!

So as this week we will be focusing on selling the items we cleared out of our home last week, today I want to focus on eBay sales!

So why eBay?

eBay is a popular shopping website where individuals and businesses can buy and sell new and second-hand items.

You’ll need:

a computer with an internet connection
a credit or debit card.

Here’s how to start selling on eBay:

Go to the eBay website.
You can only buy or sell on eBay if you’re registered, so if you don’t have an account, now is the time to create one. If you’re new to eBay, click register above the eBay logo.
If you’re already registered, click Sign in, enter your user ID, then your password, and you will be logged in; you can then skip to Step 5.
To register, you’ll need to fill out details such as your name, email address and chosen password.
Click the blue Submit button at the bottom of the screen.
A confirmation email will be mailed to you.
Check for this email.
Click Continue if you are happy to proceed, within the email prompts.
You will be taken back to the eBay homepage.
Click on Sell at the top of the screen, and a ‘Update your information’ page will open.
Complete your address information and click Continue.
You will now be taken to a new page where you can start to list your item for sale.
Type the name of the item you want to sell in the box provided and click Get started.
A new page will open with step-by-step instructions on how to create your listing, including how to give your item a clear, specific title and how to upload a photo.
It will also show you how much money it will cost to list your item; these fees will be added to your sellers account, payable monthly.
Once you’ve filled in all the details for your listing, click List with displayed fees at the bottom of the screen.
A new page will open. Here you’ll see how your listing will look before it’s posted on eBay.
Click Continue if you’re happy with the way it looks.
Click Edit listing if you want to make any changes.
A new page will open asking you for extra information. Click Continue.
Review your account information, check the box and click Continue if it is correct.
eBay will then verify your information.
You will then be asked to verify your phone number. Click the Call me now button and an automated service will call to give you your PIN. Once you have this, enter it into the PIN field and click Continue.
You will then need to log back in.
When you sell items on eBay, the website charges a small fee. You now need to choose how you will pay any fees. Select the payment type you wish to use; credit card or paypal, and continue.
If you chose to pay via PayPal, you will now need to agree to the PayPal user agreement. When you have read it, click I agree.
A new page will open giving you the chance to review your listing again.
Your item is now posted!

A few tips:

Start with no more than 10 items; this will lessen your chance of any listings being reviewed by bots.
Click Track your listing in My eBay to see if anyone is bidding for or buying your item.
You can also click My eBay at the top of the screen at any time to look at these details.
Potential buyers may ask you questions about your item via email, so answer them promptly to ensure you get good feedback later.
You may receive haggle offers, but you are not forced to accept any offer.

When an item sells:

When your item is sold, you’ll receive an email from eBay.
Go back to ‘My eBay’ and click Sold.
There you’ll see the name of your item as well as the price it sold for.
Click Send payment details to send your buyer an invoice, which PayPal prepares automatically if you’re using that method of payment.
Once the payment has been received, you’ll receive an email from PayPal.
Go to the PayPal website and enter your email address and password to log in to your PayPal account.
Always promptly mail parcels, as soon as possible.
Always mail items with SIGNATURE CONFIRMATION delivery options; this avoid people charging back offers for non-receipt of items, once you’ve mailed a parcel.
Always offer a “no-refund” policy, except if an item is grossly misrepresented, and list items as no-shipping refunds, no return refunds, too; this prevents mailing scam issues.
Always list shipping tracking numbers on both eBay and Paypay.

So, that’s it. That’s how to successfully sell on eBay! So, naturally… today I challenge you to:

Crate an eBay/Paypal account.
List 10 items.
Have fun selling!

So, be sure to check back tonight for a recap of today’s challenge!

Here’s to saving,

Challenge Links:

4 Comments

February No Spend Month Challenge: Day 17 Recap

Hello again, savvy savers! I hope your day was as productive as it was peaceful! So, today I challenged you all to create a Craigslist account, and sell your items laying around your house.

My Selling Goals Were:

I am going to list 10 household items; bedding sets, lamps, chair, desk, book sets, and small kitchen appliances.
I hope to make $100.00 in profit.
All items that do not sell will be donated to charity.
All items will be listed for one week.

How did I do today? I created my new account, photographed my items, constructed my listing, and posted my ads. All items are online and ready! Thus far I’ve had several responses, and have a pending sale for later this week, so as of right now my Craigslist selling is so far so good!

Here are today’s details:

Overall, I set a goal to sell $100.00 on Facebook.
I listed ten clothing items, several new with tags (NWT).
I have also already made arrangement for pick-up, and so my items are now listed as pending pick-up (PPU).
I made sure to set my Facebook setting to notify me of all new messages, so that I can quickly check messages on my pc, laptop, iPad, and iPhone quickly. I am a third done selling, and have thus far potentially earned $78.00!
I feel that I am quickly going to make my selling goal!
I also cross listed items into several other local groups, and a local vintage group, too!

As well yesterday I was also able to accomplish:

As part of my #Choose30 Daily Challenge, I woke up at 7:25, walked my fur babies, showered, & dressed to my shoes. (Thanks, Flylady!)
Worked on my daily Motivated Moms Planner.
I finished a day’s worth of clerking assignments ahead of schedule!
I cooked from my pantry for each meal.
Read my daily devotional.
I waked two miles.

Today I saved:

I eat at home this evening for dinner, saving our family $6.95.
I recycled, upcycled, and composted one bins of deluge, and saved $0.25, the cost of 1 trash bag.
I cooked three meals from my home pantry, saving $6.81 in the process.
My family drank water today, and saved $0.69, the cost of a 2-liter of soda.
I also did not watch cable tv, and saved $3.68 by doing so.

Total amount I saved my family: $21.38

This months savings goal remaining: $103.10

Please be sure to check back tomorrow for another way to save for this months No=Spend Challenge!

Here’s to saving,

Challenge Links:

3 Comments

February No Spend Month Challenge: Day 17 (How To Make Money Selling Your Stuff On Craigslist)

Hello again, savvy savers! Happy Mardi Gras! So this past week you’ve shown you know to kick your clutter habit, but now what can you do with all your discarded, yet viable items? Sell them of course! And this is what this weeks challenges will be focused on.

So, yesterday we focused on Facebook Local Group selling, and so for today we will laissez bon ton roulette, as we tackle today’s No-Spend Month daily challenge, selling on Craigslist!

So, why Craigslist?

If you’re looking for an easy and rewarding “in” to buying and selling online, there is no better option than Craigslist.
Craigslist takes the old-school idea of selling in the newspaper, and applies this model to a larger scale, community-specific format.
Selling is free to list, sell, or trade.

What’s even better? It’s super simple to sell your unwanted stuff on Craigslist groups. So, today I am challenging you to look for Facebook sale groups in your area to post, sell, and profit from your household items, clothing, sporting goods, and baby items.

Here’s how to sell on Craigslist:

Go to Craigslist.org.
Choose the state where you live: You can go right to your city by entering your cityname.craigslist.org.
Click on the post to classifieds button. It’s on the left side, under the Craigslist logotype. That will bring you to a page that says: ‘”What type of posting is this?”‘ It gives you a list of posting type.
Click the for sale button, will bring you to another category page. It features a list of about 100 categories. You can choose one. Click on the category that is most appropriate for what you’re selling. If you don’t know what category your item belongs in, click on the category general for sale.
Enter the posting information. This is the title and copy and other information potential buyers will see when they are searching for what you’re selling.
These fields are as follows:

-Posting Title: This is what people will see as the heading in their search results.

-Price: Obviously, how much you’re selling the item for.

-Specific location: Enter your county, part of town, or other general information. Do not enter your address!

-Reply to: Put your email address here. You can choose to either display it as is, or to make it anonymous so that your name is not attached to it. This is good to do, especially if you have a unique last name and are selling something valuable.

-Posting Description. This where you do your selling. Make it interesting, make it catchy. If you don’t know what or how to write sales copy, take a look at a catalog or newspaper ad you might have, and see how they do it.

-Be truthful here. If there are flaws that damage the value of the item, or there’s a piece missing, or that your ex will be knocking on the door of whoever buys it—let them know in advance.

-Check “ok for others to contact you…” if it’s fine with you to get unsolicited emails from strangers.

-Check your form. The fields in green must be filled in.

-Submit pictures of what you’re selling.

7. Check your listing for accuracy. You want to make sure your listing will get the attention it deserves. You’ll also receive an email, which will need to be confirmed, and then the posting will be officially posted to the site. That’s it! You’re just made an ad on Craigslist!

Here are a few selling tips:

You need great photos: A great photo, will make for an easy sale. A fuzzy photo makes people wonder what you are trying to hide, even if you’re not trying to hide anything! Be sure to take photos from multiple angles. List the best photo possible!
Write an accurate description and price accordingly; think actuality and not sentimental worth.
Note what area of town you are in.
Be ready to respond to inquiries.
Don’t settle on the first offer. If someone is already trying to ask for a lower price, or wants to know a hundred things more about it, I don’t waste time on them unless they are the only inquiry. Although it is considered courteous to offer the item on a first-come, first-served basis, if there are more than a few responses I usually skip over anyone who gives any indication they will be difficult to work with, such as wanting a discount before seeing the item, difficulty in arranging a time to pick up the item, or asking a myriad of questions that are irrelevant for a used item that’s being sold for a fair price.
Specify when the item needs to be sold. The first person who’s able to come get it by tonight gets dibs!” on the ad to prevent something like that from happening again.
Save your “back-up buyers” emails. Sometimes you will have someone not show up, or cancel, or decide they don’t want it. In that case, you could post it again, or if you’ve saved the emails other people sent, you can just email them all directly and and re-offer it to them; just be polite and do not let them know they were your second choice person!
Always meet in public. Be sure to pick a place that is convenient for you, that’s in public, during daylight hours, never in a secluded place, and always take someone reliable with you.
Be courteous. If your item doesn’t sell, re-post it according to the guidelines. If you’ve posted it twice with no response, it probably means no one wants it or you are asking too much. As a buyer, it gets really annoying to see the same exact postings get posted every couple of days with no change–no new pictures, same description, no price adjustments. I have seem people post the same thing every day for a month. Be consciousness of others.
Once items/listings sell, promptly remove listings. It goes without saying that as a buyer, it’s highly frustrating to respond to listings, only to find out items have already sold. Treat buyers as you would wish others to treat you!

My Selling Goals:

I am going to list 10 household items; bedding sets, lamps, chair, desk, book sets, and small kitchen appliances.
I hope to make $100.00 in profit.
All items that do not sell will be donated to charity.
All items will be listed for one week.

So, that’s it, folks! So everyone, today I also challenge you to create a Craigslist account, and sell your items laying around your house, too! Please be sure to check back this evening for my daily recap!

Here’s to saving,

Challenge Links:

0 Comments

February No Spend Month Challenge: Day 16 Recap

Hello again, savvy savers! So today’s challenge was to tackle selling on local Facebook groups.

So, why Facebook? Well, it’s super simple to sell your unwanted stuff on Facebook local Buy, Sell, or Trade groups. So, today I am challenging you to look for Facebook sale groups in your area to post, sell, and profit from your household items, clothing, sporting goods, and baby items. So, how did you all do?

Here are today’s details:

Overall, I set a goal to sell $100.00 on Facebook.
I listed ten clothing items, several new with tags (NWT).
I have also already made arrangement for pick-up, and so my items are now listed as pending pick-up (PPU).
I made sure to set my Facebook setting to notify me of all new messages, so that I can quickly check messages on my pc, laptop, iPad, and iPhone quickly. I am a third done selling, and have thus far potentially earned $78.00!
I feel that I am quickly going to make my selling goal!
I also cross listed items into several other local groups, and a local vintage group, too!

As well yesterday I was also able to accomplish:

As part of my #Choose30 Daily Challenge, I woke up at 7:25, walked my fur babies, showered, & dressed to my shoes. (Thanks, Flylady!)
Worked on my daily Motivated Moms Planner.
I finished a day’s worth of clerking assignments ahead of schedule!
I cooked from my pantry for each meal.
Read my daily devotional.
I waked two miles.

Yesterday I saved:

I eat at home this evening for dinner, saving our family $6.95.
I recycled, upcycled, and composted one bins of deluge, and saved $0.25, the cost of 1 trash bag.
I cooked three meals from my home pantry, saving $6.81 in the process.
My family drank water today, and saved $0.69, the cost of a 2-liter of soda.
I also did not watch cable tv, and saved $3.68 by doing so.
I lost a half day’s worth of electricity costs, and saved $3.00!
I earned a $200.00 tax receipt from donating goods to local charities.

Total amount I saved my family: $21.38

This months savings goal remaining: $123.48

Here’s to saving,

Challenge Links:

6 Comments

February No Spend Month Challenge: Day 15 Recap & Day 16 ( Selling Your Stuff, Part 1: Facebook Local Groups)

Good morning, savvy savers! Yesterday we focused on one of the most neglected areas in my home, and perhaps yours, my couponed stockpile. I challenge you all to clean up your stockpile! So, how did you all do? I fared well; cleaning, dusting, sorting, organizing, donating!

This project took three hours, I was able to clean out three shelves of goods, and the best part… I assembled sixteen boxes worth of goods which are being donated today to a local women’s shelter and homeless pantry! Woohoo!

As well yesterday I was also able to accomplish:

As part of my #Choose30 Daily Challenge, I woke up at 7:25, walked my fur babies, showered, & dressed to my shoes. (Thanks, Flylady!)
Worked on my daily Motivated Moms Planner, before heading out this morning.
Read my daily devotional.

Yesterday I saved:

I received a $200.00 tax receipt for donating goods to charity.
I also did not watch cable tv, and saved $3.68 by doing so.
Ate from my weekly menu, three times, and saved $8.91.

Total amount I saved my family: $212.59

This months savings goal remaining: $0.00! ($1,079.75 saved thus far)

Now onto today’s challenge:

So this past week you’ve shown you know to kick your clutter habit, but now what can you do with all your discarded, yet viable items? Sell them of course! And this is what this weeks challegnes will be focused on. So, for today we will tackle Facebook.

Here are a few tips:

Search for your state or region and the word “sell” or “buy” to find local buy/sell/trade groups.
If there are none, you can always start one and get the word out in your community!
Many of the groups are closed, so you’ll have to ask permission to join, and others only accept certain types of listings.
Many have strict listing requirements and limits on how many items you can try to sell per day in order to stave off spammers and scam artists.
From there you can shop from people in your area, list your own items for sale, and set your own prices.
Be sure to check out each group/administration rules prior to joining.
Be sure to note whether you’re willing to ship something, or—in the case of furniture or large electronics or appliances—whether you’d rather the buyer come pick it up.
Be specific in your pricing and listings; do not use vague terminology, such as “make me an offer.”
Be prompt in answering questions, commenting on posts, as well as taking down notices for sold items.
Always check your “other” folder in Facebook messenger; those whom you are not friends with, will have messages posted to this folder, so be sure to check it often to not miss out on any awesome offers of sale!
Each 24 hours you can “bump” a listing, an action which will automatically move a listing to the top of the groups wall by typing “bump” in the comment section under your listing; this can be done once per item, per group, per 24-hour period.
Be courteous. Allow users to ask questions, and then try and sell to the first inquiry before continuing down your list.
Don’t be afraid of offers or hagglers. Know your items worth, not it’s sentimental value, it’s actual worth. In order to make a sale, you must be willing to negotiate on price; this doesn’t mean accepting insulting, low-ball offers, but reasonable offers.
When scheduling a pick-up time, schedule your drop offs in a well lit, public place, and bring a friend or family member with you. Also, if selling multiple items, have your buyers come in 15 minute increments to avoid wasting gas and time waiting on buyers who may be no-shows!
Have fun! This goes without saying you should have fun, even when selling goods!

Beyond the above listed basics, there are great benefits to selling locally on Facebook:

The big benefit of using Facebook like this is that you set your price and there’s no one taking a cut of your sale price or charging you to host your listing.
You can set your own preferred method of payment.
You also have the opportunity to become part of a community where people are looking for bargains as much as others are looking to declutter their homes.

So today, I challenge you to start selling your items on Facebook!

Here’s what to do today:

Set a small goal, say $100.00 in value, or ten items to sell.
Find a local Facebook Group.
Join your group.
Prep your items for sale; make sure items are clean, ready for pick-up, sorted, and photographed.
Be patient! Sales take time.
Get ready to sell!

So stop checking your Facebook wall, and start raking in that cash today! Good luck! Be sure to check back tomorrow morning to see today’s recap, and for tomorrow’s challenge, too!

Here’s to saving,

Challenge Links:

6 Comments

February No Spend Month Challenge: Day 15 ( Cleaning Out Your Stockpile)

Good morning, savvy savers! Can you believe we are almost half-way finished with this No-Spend Month! WooHoo! So, today will be the final day of this months No-Spend Challenge Cleaning projects!

Today I want to focus on one of the most neglected areas in my home, and perhaps yours, my couponed stockpile. Yes, the cave of Frugal Wonders! My stockpile, housed in my homes basement, though it’s well lit, houses many built-in shelving features, the area still seems to always be in need of rearranging, sorting, and cleaning! The one saving grace of this area, the exhilarating feeling I get each time I am able to gaze over my shelves, from the shampoo to the paper products, and then proceed to “shop from my home!”

My stockpile, though hard earned, is an immense blessing to my home. And as they say, to whom much is given, much is asked, and this rule equally applies to my stockpile! My stockpile saves my family thousands of dollars a year, but I must honestly admit is the most neglected area in my home. But no more! So today, I challenge you all to clean up your stockpile!

Here are a few tips to get you started:

Rotate your stockpile. “Rotating your stockpile” means rotating your stockpile per season. You will need to place goods in order of expiration date, my seasonal usage, as well as keeping climate into consideration; you may need to start storing it in one location for summer and another location for winter, in terms of baking tools, cans, chemicals, etc..
Long Term Storage: If you plan to store any item for longer than a week or two, you need to know its long-term storage requirements. Some items will only last months or longer if stored in a cool, dry place. Some items must be stored in a refrigerated or frozen environment in order to last longer. Make lists, and create sub-areas in your stockpile; examples are canned goods, cosmetics, paper products, etc.
Take Note of Patterns: Start a list of your product usage, this will allow you to see what you need, will use in a years time, and what should be donated accordingly. Unused goods are cash wasted.
Last Forever Items: Nothing lasts forever. Even goods such as bottled water, start to have an altered taste after a decade, so keep this in mind.
Canned and Preserved Goods: Keep inventory and note the dates of home-preserved items; a rule of thumbs is to only keep items no longer than two years.
Pests: Pests love your stockpile, almost as much as you do! Be sure to check goods monthly, especially in Summer, and any goods that look altered, chuck immediately!
Dehumidifier: Humidity can alter and mold many goods, so consider running a dehumidifier twice weekly.

So, today I challenge you to check your shelves, inventory your goods, and make a point of donating all goods that you will not be able to consume, as a family, within one year! For as any couponer knows, cyclical sales, like the tides of the shore, just keep on a comin’!

Be sure to check back tomorrow for today’s recap, and tomorrow’s new challenge!

Here’s to saving,

Challenge Links:

0 Comments

February No Spend Month Challenge: Day 13 Recap & Day 14 Challenge (No-Spend Valentine’s Day Ideas)

Good morning, savvy savers! Can you believe we are almost half-way finished with this month! So, yesterday was another organization day, focused on our home offices, bookshelves, craft areas, and/or home libraries. This was a very important challenge for me as I work from home, and so I spend an inordinate amount of time at my desk. You would think that would mean I automatically have the motivation to keep that area neat and tidy at all times. And while generally speaking my desk is clutter-free, my drawers, rolling cabinets, and shelves are not! My inbox/outbox too, was a mess, and my vertical files were full of unneeded papers, review guides, and coupons I hadn’t looked in several months. I firmly believe that home are our most important investments, and therefore our most important business. Keeping this space organized is essential to keeping our homes running more smoothly.

I’m really excited about yesterday’s progress.

So, I was able to:

I cleared off my desk.
I organized my dining room bookshelves, putting like groups together, and placing non re-reads to a bin for a later book swap weekend.
I took the binders and manuals I previously housed in on my dining room shelves, and placed them on an upcycled shelf in my office.
I turned my former dining room buffet station into an office credenza to hold my craft room staples.
I sorted through my personal files, and established a personal box for my husband and I both, as well as created a new lock box system for credit cards, cash, gift cards, etc.
I cleaned out my coupon binder.

I felt completely overwhelmed when I started, and utterly victorious when I stopped! Woohoo!

As well yesterday I was also able to accomplish:

As part of my #Choose30 Daily Challenge, I woke up at 7:25, walked my fur babies, showered, & dressed to my shoes. (Thanks, Flylady!)
Worked on my daily Motivated Moms Planner.
I finished a day’s worth of clerking assignments ahead of schedule!
I cooked from my pantry for each meal.
Read my daily devotional.
I waked two miles.

Yesterday I saved:

I eat at home this evening for dinner, saving our family $6.95.
I recycled, upcycled, and composted one bins of deluge, and saved $0.25, the cost of 1 trash bag.
My family drank water today, and saved $0.69, the cost of a 2-liter of soda.
I also did not watch cable tv, and saved $3.68 by doing so.
I lost a half day’s worth of electricity costs, and saved $3.00!

Total amount I saved my family: $14.57

This months savings goal remaining: $344.86

Now for today’s challenge:

So, with Valentine’s Day in mind, I challenge you to all find ways to make the most of your Valentine’s Day, without having to spend a dime!

A few ideas:

Tour a local brewery or winery–most breweries and wineries offer free tours and tastings!
Have a picnic in the park–Pack a few treats, a bottle of wine, a blanket, and your love to keep you warm!
Cook or bake together–What’s more romantic than preparing a meal together, in-kitchen… matching aprons anyone?
Attend a book reading– Check your bookseller or commerce to see what is going on.
Attend a free art show–As it’s President’s Day Weekend, many public museums will be open this weekend, and offer free admission!
Play a game–Board games can be easily made into a couples activity.
Have a movie night at home–Check your mobile phones as Redbox will be texting all subscribers with free Valentine’s Day codes!
Stroll the beach–What’s more romantic than a shoreline stroll, while holding hands, while watching the waves crash onto shore. I’m a Jersey Shore Girl at heart, so this rocks to me!
Visit a farmer’s market–-Spend a morning checking out the work of local artisans, many of whom offer free samples and will barter! Sing for your supper, if you will.
Go for a drive–Take a ride along a historic parkway, take the scenic mountain pass trail, or follow a Native American path. The options are endless.
Have a spa day–Enjoy a romantic candlelit bath together, make DIY, organic products at home, give one another foot rubs or back massages.
Explore a nearby tourist attraction– Stop by the visitor’s bureau or chamber of commerce in your own backyard, and see the local sights in a new, romantic light!
Paint– Draw a portrait of your loved on, no experience necessary. Sometimes seeing yourself, through someone that loves you, is all the perspective you need to value today!

So, savvy savers, I challenge you today to plan a No-Spend Day with the one you love today! If your life doesn’t include a significant other, no problem! Plan a day with your family, your parents, your friends, or for yourself! Be creative. Be spontaneous! Be inspired!

Be sure to check back tonight for today’s recap!

Here’s to saving,

Challenge Links:

3 Comments

Older Posts

Newer Posts