The Great Yard Sale Dilemma

Every summer, yard sale signs sprout like flowers in suburban yards. There’s something appealing about the idea of gaining some space and some money by selling your unwanted stuff to people.

The reality is that yard sales take a lot of work and generally don’t yield great profits.

I recently worked with a client who was setting things aside for a yard sale. When I asked about her plans, she said that she was participating in a community yard sale at a friend’s house and that she had a charity pickup scheduled for the day after.

Participating in a neighborhood-wide event saves you the trouble (and expense) of advertising, and brings the potential of more customers than a single-family yard sale.

My sister recently put out a table during her community’s yard sale and made about $30. Considering the time it took to gather and price items, in addition to the hours spent at the table, the payoff was minimal.

If you enjoy meeting with your neighbors and haggling over prices, then you can count it as a fun way to make a few bucks. If, however, the thought of all the effort it takes to put together a yard sale overwhelms you, call a charity and make an appointment for a pickup.

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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The Great Yard Sale Dilemma

Every summer, yard sale signs sprout like flowers in suburban yards. There’s something appealing about the idea of gaining some space and some money by selling your unwanted stuff to people.

The reality is that yard sales take a lot of work and generally don’t yield great profits.

I recently worked with a client who was setting things aside for a yard sale. When I asked about her plans, she said that she was participating in a community yard sale at a friend’s house and that she had a charity pickup scheduled for the day after.

Participating in a neighborhood-wide event saves you the trouble (and expense) of advertising, and brings the potential of more customers than a single-family yard sale.

My sister recently put out a table during her community’s yard sale and made about $30. Considering the time it took to gather and price items, in addition to the hours spent at the table, the payoff was minimal.

If you enjoy meeting with your neighbors and haggling over prices, then you can count it as a fun way to make a few bucks. If, however, the thought of all the effort it takes to put together a yard sale overwhelms you, call a charity and make an appointment for a pickup.

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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Stop Wasting Money

Photo by winnond

Disorganization costs you money -

·  every time you overbuy and throw away food that goes bad

·  every timeyou buy duplicates of things you already have

·  every timeyou buy things you never use

Do you have multiple bottles of the same books or spices or craft supplies or office tools or files?

Do you own clothes that you haven’t worn that still have price tags hanging on them?

 

Is it hard to find what you’re looking for because you have to sift through clutter first?

Being organized just means having habits and systems in place so that you can find things and put them back quickly and easily. You don’t need expensive containers or elaborate methods; you just need to make some decisions about your stuff.

Before you buy anything, take a look around and see if you already own something that could fill the purpose. And when you do go shopping, take a list with you and stick to it. Keep your hard-earned cash, let go of the clutter.

Are you throwing money down the drain?

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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Stop Wasting Money

Photo by winnond

Disorganization costs you money -

·  every time you overbuy and throw away food that goes bad

·  every time you buy duplicates of things you already have

·  every time you buy things you never use

Do you have multiple bottles of the same books or spices or craft supplies or office tools or files?

Do you own clothes that you haven’t worn that still have price tags hanging on them?

 

Is it hard to find what you’re looking for because you have to sift through clutter first?

Being organized just means having habits and systems in place so that you can find things and put them back quickly and easily. You don’t need expensive containers or elaborate methods; you just need to make some decisions about your stuff.

Before you buy anything, take a look around and see if you already own something that could fill the purpose. And when you do go shopping, take a list with you and stick to it. Keep your hard-earned cash, let go of the clutter.

Are you throwing money down the drain?

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
Follow me on twitter, facebook and pinterest

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Shopping Tips

Photo by adamr

No, I am not caving to retail pressure. I still contend that experiences and consumable gifts are best.

I do know, however, that a lot of you are going to be shopping next week, hoping to find great bargains.

Consumer Reports provides some tips to help you navigate the Thanksgiving shopping madness. (This is an article from 2013, so disregard the dates and listed “bargains.”)

Here are my favorite suggestions:

·       Not all Black Friday advertised items are great deals.

·       A low price on a lousy product is no bargain.

·       Before buying, find out the store’s return policy.

·       Make returns easier for recipients by including a gift receipt with gifts.

While you’re making your shopping lists, consider how you want to begin the season: fighting crowds for stuff or relaxing with a cup of coffee and a slice of pie?

Organized by Marcie TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
Follow me on twitter , facebook and pinterest
And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Shopping Tips

Photo by adamr

No, I am not caving to retail pressure. I still contend that experiences and consumable gifts are best.

I do know, however, that a lot of you are going to be shopping next week, hoping to find great bargains.

Consumer Reports provides some tips to help you navigate the Thanksgiving shopping madness. (This is an article from 2013, so disregard the dates and listed “bargains.”)

Here are my favorite suggestions:

·       Not all Black Friday advertised items are great deals.

·       A low price on a lousy product is no bargain.

·       Before buying, find out the store’s return policy.

·       Make returns easier for recipients by including a gift receipt with gifts.

While you’re making your shopping lists, consider how you want to begin the season: fighting crowds for stuff or relaxing with a cup of coffee and a slice of pie?

Organized by Marcie TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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When Can You Retire?

It’s Labor Day in the United States, a day we celebrate workers.

If you are working currently, you may be looking forward to the day when you can retire. Do you know how much money you’ll need to save to retire comfortably?

 

Take a look at the interactive worksheetoffered by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

 

Are you on track or do you need to adjust your saving goals?

 

Organized by Marcie TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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When Can You Retire?

It’s Labor Day in the United States, a day we celebrate workers.

If you are working currently, you may be looking forward to the day when you can retire. Do you know how much money you’ll need to save to retire comfortably?

 

Take a look at the interactive worksheet offered by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

 

Are you on track or do you need to adjust your saving goals?

 

Organized by Marcie TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

 

Meditations on stuff

Photo by foto76

I’m reading Stuff, by Randy Frost and Gail Steketee, a book about hoarding.

People have different feelings about their belongings. Those who hoard usually have difficulty with decision making and may feel compelled to keep things that the rest of us could easily let go.

Not everyone who has clutter, however, is a hoarder. In fact, just about everyone has some clutter in their lives.

Two articles I recently read, both of which are marginally about clutter and really have more to do with finances, also made me think about how people relate to their stuff.

In the Get Rich Slowly post In Defense of Clutter, the author says of minimalism

"We can all agree that our belongings or the desire for more of them shouldn’t control us. But neither should we hold ourselves to an ideal that might not be practical or sustainable for us personally.”

There seems to be a backlash against the simple-living philosophy by people who say the lifestyle isn’t warm or welcoming or congenial. Those people would never be able to live without the things they feel define them.

In the New York Times article, The Case for Spending a Little More Sometimes, the author encourages readers to live with less by buying fewer, better things. He says this

“Here is the issue: when we settle for stuff that we don’t really want, and instead buy [cheap] stuff that will be fine for a [short] while, it often costs more in the long run.”

 

What about you? Do you prefer to live in a minimal environment or do you like to be surrounded by stuff?

 

Organized by Marcie TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Meditations on stuff

Photo by foto76

I’m reading Stuff, by Randy Frost and Gail Steketee, a book about hoarding.

People have different feelings about their belongings. Those who hoard usually have difficulty with decision making and may feel compelled to keep things that the rest of us could easily let go.

Not everyone who has clutter, however, is a hoarder. In fact, just about everyone has some clutter in their lives.

Two articles I recently read, both of which are marginally about clutter and really have more to do with finances, also made me think about how people relate to their stuff.

In the Get Rich Slowly post In Defense of Clutter, the author says of minimalism

"We can all agree that our belongings or the desire for more of them shouldn’t control us. But neither should we hold ourselves to an ideal that might not be practical or sustainable for us personally.”

There seems to be a backlash against the simple-living philosophy by people who say the lifestyle isn’t warm or welcoming or congenial. Those people would never be able to live without the things they feel define them.

In the New York Times article, The Case for Spending a Little More Sometimes, the author encourages readers to live with less by buying fewer, better things. He says this

“Here is the issue: when we settle for stuff that we don’t really want, and instead buy [cheap] stuff that will be fine for a [short] while, it often costs more in the long run.”

 

What about you? Do you prefer to live in a minimal environment or do you like to be surrounded by stuff?

 

Organized by Marcie TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Small Business Week

Photo by Stuart Miles

Think of all the companies you do business with on a regular basis. When you shop at independent stores and eat at local restaurants, you keep money in your community. You also save time when you spend locally.

 

More than half of Americans own or work for a small business and most new jobs in the U.S. are created by small businesses. Since 1963, the second week of May has been designated National Small Business Week, to highlight the contributions of entrepreneurs. Cosponsored by the Small Business Administration, events are planned across the U.S. next week.

 

Support your local small businesses to keep them as a dynamic aspect of your area.

Organized by Marcie TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value

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Small Business Week

Photo by Stuart Miles

Think of all the companies you do business with on a regular basis. When you shop at independent stores and eat at local restaurants, you keep money in your community. You also save time when you spend locally.

 

More than half of Americans own or work for a small business and most new jobs in the U.S. are created by small businesses. Since 1963, the second week of May has been designated National Small Business Week, to highlight the contributions of entrepreneurs. Cosponsored by the Small Business Administration, events are planned across the U.S. next week.

 

Support your local small businesses to keep them as a dynamic aspect of your area.

Organized by Marcie TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value

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And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Financial Literacy Month

Financial Literacy Month was established in 2004 to encourage Americans to establish and maintain healthy financial habits. Income taxes are due in April, making it a good time to look at your overall finances.

There are lots of resources available that claim to help you clean up your credit or reduce your debt. Be careful; you don’t want to pay for something that will cause you more trouble. Instead, take a look at some of the free information available, most of which is provided by non-profit organizations.

The National Foundation forCredit Counseling (NFCC) and Money Management Internationalare two sites that provide free financial management counseling and education.

Taking a serious look at your finances can be scary. Start small: get a free copy of your credit report  from one of the three credit-reporting agencies this week.

 

Next week, look at your charge card statements to ensure all of the charges are legitimate.

 

The following week, choose one thing you can stop buying for the rest of the month (coffee, soft drinks, gum, etc.).

 

The fourth week in April, open a savings account with the minimum required. Many credit unions allow you to start with a $5 deposit.

 

Finally, in the last week of April, ask your employer about joining the company 401(k) plan or talk to your bank about starting an IRA.

How do you feel about your money management skills?

Organized by Marcie TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!