Welcome to Saving Money with Andrew!
Decluttering is one of my favorite activities. It gives me a sense of control in a world full of chaos,[1] makes me feel like I’m accomplishing something, and often saves money. Marie Kondo managed to turn getting rid of stuff into an empire spanning books and Netflix, and there are plenty of reasons the message resonates. Most of us have too much stuff.
Here’s my list of steps for decluttering profitably:
Like Marie Kondo, start by thinking about whether the item is something you love, truly need, or are ever likely to use. Probably 90% of things flunk this simple test. Admit It: You Have a Box of Cords You’ll Never, Ever Use Again.
Next, assess its value. The best way to value your items is to look at completed eBay auctions. Simply search for an item on eBay and then click on “Completed Items” on the left side of the page. This will show you what people paid for the item, rather than asking prices.[2]
Then, decide whether the item is worth selling on eBay. Keep in mind that eBay charges fees (generally 10-12% of the sale price plus shipping), and shipping takes time and a little effort. For me, the threshold is usually about $10-20. Anything less I donate or throw away.
For certain items, such as electronics, selling directly to Gazelle or Amazon’s trade-in program (for Amazon items) can be an easier experience, though you’ll usually net a bit less, even after taking eBay’s fees into account. These programs don’t charge fees, they pay shipping, and you don’t have to deal with buyers.
If selling the item isn’t worthwhile, set it aside for charity. Goodwill and Big Brothers Big Sisters are great options. If you itemize deductions on your taxes (less common after recent tax law changes, but fairly likely if you have a large mortgage), TurboTax and other tax-prep software can help you claim a deduction, provided that you keep good records of what you donated, the date, and the recipient organization. This can be particularly lucrative for secondhand but high-quality clothing donations.
Then, finally, recycle or throw away anything that remains of the unnecessary items, which is hopefully not that much. Certain hazardous materials or medications may need to be specially disposed, so check if your county has special disposal rules. Where we live, there’s a monthly dropoff for these items.
And now, Andrew’s pick(s) of the week:
Where Did People From the Great Resignation Go? Back to Work.
Also, as a robot vacuum evangelist, I found this video particularly poignant:
And, a great Tiny Desk concert from the cast of the latest revival of The Little Shop of Horrors:
I hope this has been helpful. If you liked it, please share it on social media! Also, please send me your feedback, requests, and success stories.
[1] Credit to Dionne in Clueless (1995)
[2] You might be surprised at the value of some random items. I found that some old Apple chargers I had sitting my closet had some real value.
Spring Cleaning For Savings
Another great way to get rid of random items you might want to get rid of but can't sell is Buy Nothing groups! You can google to find the group in your area. Sometimes the things people are happy to take actually really surprise me.