Some of you know that we made a radical decision to move to another town to save money, be closer to Fred’s job, and sell a car. (You can read all about it here if you missed that post)
As promised in my previous blog about our moving day, I wanted to share a few things we learned about moving expenses and selling things, and encourage any of you who want to make a change!
When we decided to move, we knew we would need to downsize, going from a 2 bedroom to a 1 bedroom, so we made a list of things we could sell to make space and get a bit of cash to cover moving expenses. That’s when things got crazy.
Once I realized how easy it was to sell things on Craigslist and how much stuff we could part with, it became like a part-time job. I started combing through our stuff, managed my ads, listed things on eBay, and arranged for pick-ups.
Many of the things we sold we got for free or paid very little for, but they were worth something to someone else. As I was parting with the items, I was so grateful that I could give someone else a good deal and have less to move to our smaller home.
Here are some of our best sales:
Piano
We wanted to keep this but realized it would cost too much to move and we weren’t that attached to it. We received it as a gift and sold it for $300. I’ve never regretted this, and the piano has a new happy home with a family of 4 kids who will use it well.
Graphing Calculator
I found one in our desk drawer and figured it could be worth something to someone. Sold it for $50, and we never even used it!
Our Table
We found this table on the side of the road and realized its beauty and potential right away. In addition to having lovely chairs, it has a leaf to expand the table. We realized this wouldn’t fit in our new home, so we sold it for $75, then bought a smaller one for $35. It was sad to see it go, but the new owner was happy and now that we’re in our new home, I know we made the right decision.
Lawn chairs
I found these on the side of the road (you can find the best things for free on the side of the road!) and didn’t really use them too much. I spent a few minutes scrubbing off the dirt and mold (because it rains so much here, mold is common for anything you leave outside) and then sold them to a friend for $10. I know she’ll use them, and I didn’t have room for them in our new house anyways!
In total I’ve sold 27 items and reached $898 in total sales – I was surprised at the amount of things that I was able to part with and how much I could make in about a month!
I have a few more items to sell, but I’m happy that this “project” not only allowed us to get a few things out of the house and a bit of extra cash, but also helped us pay for the inevitable moving expenses (moving truck, pizza for our friends, extra rent money for staying in our place a few days past the first of the month, and meals on moving day).
So here’s my encouragement to you: even if you feel like you don’t have anything of value, try finding a few things you’d be okay to part with, and get started selling them! It’s not too late to get organized and make some extra cash.
Leave me a comment below to let me know what your best sale has been! I’d love to hear from you.
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