Clearing the clutter and organizing your space is a great way to kick off the spring season. Whether you’re cleaning out closets or reorganizing an entire room, don’t overlook the chance to earn some extra cash from your efforts.
Outside of listing your items in the local classifieds, there are several ways to recover some of the costs of those purchases — an easy way to give your savings account a boost, pay off some credit card debt or splurge on something that you couldn’t fit into your budget. Here are five ways to turn those spring cleaning tasks into a profitable venture.
1. Recycle electronics. There’s no use keeping that cellphone, printer or digital camera that you will never use again. If those electronics are still in relatively good condition, but you don’t have the patience or means to sell them, consider recycling them at an electronics store and earning a gift card you can use toward a future electronics purchase. Best Buy runs a retail-collection program to responsibly dispose of electronics at certified recycling locations. You can earn a Best Buy gift card when recycling certain items and save money on your next purchase.
2. Organize or participate in a neighborhood garage sale. If you haven’t seen your neighbors much after the long winter or just need an excuse to participate in a community event, reach out to some friends in the area to coordinate a neighborhood garage sale. Organize it on a warmer weekend to get everyone out and encourage participants to promote the event to locals for a successful sale. This can be the perfect place to sell old gadgets, furniture, books and collectibles while socializing with people in the neighborhood.
3. Trade phones and electronics for cash. Sites like Gazelle.com make it simple to sell high-value items such as iPhones, Android phones and Apple computers for fair prices through an online cash trade-in program. You answer a few questions about your item and get an offer. Shipping your items to Gazelle is free and once the item has been logged by the company, you get a payment via check, PayPal or a gift card. If you don’t have time to list your item on eBay or don’t want to deal with Craigslist buyers, sites like this might be the best way to get cash for your electronics fast.
4. Cash out at the consignment store. If cleaning out your clothes closets is high on the to-do list this spring, make sure you know where to sell those items for the right price. Drop off a bag of items at a local consignment store like Plato’s Closet that specializes in teen and 20-something brand clothing, or Clothes Mentor that buys and sells designer clothing for all ages. ThredUP is one of the largest fashion resale outlets on the Web and makes it easy to list and sell brand-name items with minimal effort. With ThredUP, you can skip the trip to the consignment store and ship off a postage-paid bag of items you don’t need.
5. Donate to charity. You won’t earn cash on the spot for donations to Goodwill or The Salvation Army but you could be eligible for an itemized deduction on your tax return when donating items valued at more than $500. If you have a significant amount of closet cleaning to do this season, this may be a great way to “earn” a higher tax refund or reduce your tax liability. These organizations will determine the value of your items using various methods so it’s in your best interest to make sure clothes, accessories, furniture and anything else you are ready to part with are in relatively good condition and are easy to sell. Keep your donation receipt to include on next year’s tax return to cash in on your efforts.
From selling items at an online consignment store to trading in electronics for cash, there are several ways to make some extra money during spring cleaning season. Try any of these tips and strategies for a quick cash boost this spring.
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5 Ways to Make Money off Your Spring Cleaning originally appeared on usnews.com
