I recently got to thinking about some of the items I don’t mind paying more for if it means better quality. Outerwear and most footwear would be on my list. I would consider those investments that I can make use of for several seasons. But, even then, I try to get a deal! So….
I’m Wondering: What are some items you don’t mind paying more for? Would you ever pay full price?
Something I like to do on a semi regular basis, is to declutter the stuff in our home that is not needed anymore. Although there always seems to be some sort of mess around these parts, extra clutter drives me crazy. But before I haul everything off to the thrift store, I set aside anything I think I could sell online; it's always nice to earn bit of extra spending money!
While I'm a fan of the traditional garage sale, selling some of our old things online is really gaining popularity in my books. I've found it to be less work and I tend to make more money than if I were to sell the items in a garage sale.
I've been dabbling a fair bit with some local Facebook Buy & Sell sites, so that's where I have most of my experience. But Craigslist and Kijiji are also great free options for selling your stuff online. Although, I've found that small items typically don't sell well with Craigslist and Kijiji so that's why I've been sticking with these Buy & Sell Facebook groups. Ebay is also a great option is you have brand name items and collector items to sell.
Here are some tips on how to sell unwanted items online through Craigslist/Kijiji, Facebook and eBay:
Spend some time taking a look at items similar to what you want to sell to get an idea of what you should price your item at. It might also be a good idea to research some of the details you think buyers might want to know. (ie: dimensions, special features...etc.)
If you simply want to get rid of stuff quickly, price your stuff quite low. If earning a bit of money is your goal, price your items by what you see similar items selling for. Quite often I'll price something a bit higher then what I'm willing to take because it'll be a bonus if someone does purchase it at my asking price. But I know people like to barter to get a lower price. They'll feel like they're getting a deal and I'm happy I was able to earn some decent spending money!
Having good, clear photos with your item is fairly crucial if you want to sell it quickly. Here are some basic tips for taking a good picture:
To make your item easy to find, you'll want to make sure you choose the right category to list your item under. After all, no one is going to look for a car in the Housing category!
In the headline, I like to include what it is and the price. For example: Fisher Price Jumparoo, $40. Having a good headline is important because it’s the first thing people see about your ad and it’s how buyers search for items they want.
In your description, you'll want to include:
Once you have your ad up and running, and you have your buyer, you'll want to meet in a safe place. If I'm home alone, I like to arrange a public place for item pick-up. I try to plan it with an errand I'm already running to save running around all over town. (This one doesn't really apply to items you sell though eBay since you're shipping the items to the mailing address your buyer provided.)
Craigslist/Kijiji
Craigslist and Kijiji are great options for selling furniture, toys, vehicles and household items. My husband has had great success selling a couple of vehicles. I have had success with selling some furniture we no longer need. It's free to list your items, so there really isn't any reason not to try a handful of items!
eBay
eBay is the best option for selling popular brand name items such as Coach, Kate Spade and the like that are in excellent condition. High value collector items or hard to find items are also a great match for eBay. It's free to list items on eBay but you are required to pay a commission if your item sells.
Facebook Buy & Sell Groups
It's no secret that I'm a fan of the Facebook buy & sell groups. After all, these Facebook groups are easy to use and are free to join and list. I've had great success selling baby items, household stuff, outerwear and books. Search for a local buy & sell group, then ask to join. I'm fairly certain that these groups are in almost every city these days. You'll want to be sure to read the rules of each group so you don't end up with your listings being deleted by the administrators. (They set rules to cut down on some of the clutter that posting many items by so many people can cause.)
I've created, what I hope will be useful, a Stuff For Sale printable that you can use to keep track of your items as you sell them. Because I use Facebook groups mostly, that's how I structured this printable:
{Get your Stuff for Sale Printable here}
Have you ever sold anything online? Will you be giving it a try? What are your tips for selling, or even buying online?
Who doesn’t love to save money and time over the holiday season? Each year, the holidays can quickly become all consuming. They can quickly rob us of our hard earn money and precious, limited time. Below, I’ve listed some of my favorite, simple ideas to help you save your hard earned dollars and precious time!
Online shopping is great this time of year. Especially if you want to avoid crowds and if you know what you need to purchase. Online shopping is also great for those who find it difficult to find time to get to the stores. Here at Simply Frugal, I try my best to list the best holiday deals from retailers across Canada.
This goes together with the shopping online tip. Often, retail stores have discount codes available. They can range anywhere from dollars off to percentages off to free shipping. To find these discount codes, do a simple search here on Simply Frugal, Retail Me Not or google “‘business name’ coupon code”.
Stores quite often have a 30 day price guarantee. So if something goes on sale within 30 days of you buying it, you can come in with your original receipt and receive the difference back! Each store is different, but it’s definitely worth checking out if you could save a pretty penny by doing it!
Use social media to your advantage. By following your favourite businesses on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, you’ll be one of the first ones to know when they have a special promotion going on! On a related note, sign up to their email lists. I often find small businesses have special discounts or secret sales for subscribers.
Sometimes handmade gifts are the ones that are loved the most. I’ve seen some pretty amazing gifts during my travels through the web! Pinterest is a gold mine of ideas. I even have a whole category of homemade gift ideas on Simply Frugal! I’ve often sewn my husband hooded sweat shirts to give as gifts because the store bought ones usually end up fitting him weirdly after a short amount of time. He loves them and loves the thought I put into making them for him!
If you’ve got a holiday party or two to attend this year, why not pull out one of your favourite outfits you already own and simply purchase new accessories to create a new look? Way less expensive than buying a whole new outfit!
Who says you have to spend all the money and time to put together a gathering? Make others bring along their favourites, and you’ll have a great selection of food! Or an appetizer party could be fun too! (Don’t we usually fill up on appetizers first anyways?)
Wander around your neighborhood and collect all the great looking sticks, cedar boughs, and pine cones. Then use your findings to create your own unique mantel displays, railing decor and wreaths! Use some metallic spray paint to inject a bit of shimmer.
Tired of putting up the same decorations year after year? Get together with some friends who are feeling the same way, and swap your goods! This also works with wrapping paper, if you’re thinking you’ll never get to the end of a roll!
I don’t suppose this need to be said, but this is how I get all my holiday bags, wrapping paper, ribbon and bows! Usually for a whopping 50% off or more. Holiday greeting cards are usually deeply discounted as well.
May you have fun, be frugal and enjoy the pleasures of the Christmas season! What are some of your best money and time saving tips for the holidays?
The dollar store is a great place to get many practical, quirky and fun things. Household goods, decorations, gifts, you name it, you can probably find it at a dollar store!
Because there is so much to find at dollar stores, it only makes sense that you can find some pretty great stocking stuffers too! Best of all, most things cost only $1.00!
What are some other dollar store stocking stuffer ideas? Share them in the comments!
Sometimes, you CAN take money out of your RRSP without penalty. But you have to pay your RRSP back – or pay the tax.
This post is a sponsored post written by Sun Life Financial. See my disclosure policy here.
Are you looking at a major expense you didn’t see coming? Short of available cash? Perhaps you’re thinking about tapping your registered retirement savings plan (RRSP). It’s your money, after all, so why not?
Here are three good reasons why not.
The first is the tax bill. Since you used pre-tax income when you put money in your RRSP, you’ll have to pay tax when you take it out. And while there’s no tax on investment growth inside your RRSP, you’re taxed when it comes out. RRSPs make sense because you’ll typically cash them in after you retire. That’s when your income and your tax bracket will likely be lower. You’ll still pay tax, but you’ll pay less. If you take the money now, while you’re working, you’ll face more in taxes.
The second reason is lost investment growth. Every dollar you take from your RRSP is a dollar less to build up through compounding. So that little nibble from your plan today could mean a big bite missing from your savings come retirement.
And the third reason: When you take money from your RRSP, putting it back generally uses up your contribution room. What’s contribution room? Each year you can put as much as 18% of your earned income from the previous year into your RRSP, up to an annual maximum. The difference between your limit and what you actually put in your RRSP is the unused contribution room. You can carry that forward to use another year. Unused contribution room plus your annual maximum becomes your total contribution room. But whatever you put in your RRSP – replacing a temporary withdrawal or making a brand-new contribution – can use up contribution room. Let’s say you take $5,000 out of your RRSP this year and plan to pay your RRSP back next year. That repayment will reduce your contribution room by $5,000.
There are two ways to avoid paying tax on RRSP withdrawals, without using up contribution room:
Are you a first-time homebuyer living in Canada? If so, you can borrow up to $35,000 from your RRSP to put towards a down payment. If you and your spouse are buying together, that’s $70,000 you could use for your home.
The HBP lets you take out the money tax-free. But there’s a catch: You have to pay it back in equal installments over 15 years. Any year you don’t pay the full installment, you have to pay income tax on the outstanding balance. You’ll also lose the chance for that money to grow within your RRSP.
Thinking of using the HBP? When you’re crunching the numbers, be sure to include the RRSP repayments along with your mortgage payments.
This is another way to take tax-free money from your RRSP:
You might need money for anything at all – not only buying a home or going to school. An option is your TFSA. You don’t pay tax on TFSA withdrawals for any purpose. You’ll still lose potential investment growth while your money is out of the account. But your contribution limit will grow back. Whatever you take out gets added to what you can put in the following year. You can pay your TFSA back according to your own schedule.
I’ve got something fun planned for you all. I’d love for you to join me in the 10 Ways in 10 Days to Earn Money for the Holidays email series!
This time of year should be a time of celebration and happiness, not one that is dreaded! Trying to figure out how to come up with extra ways to earn money for this season can be difficult. Luckily, we can do it together!
Instead of blowing your budget or going into debt, 10 Ways in 10 Days will help you find new ways to stash away cash for your upcoming expenses.
You will receive 1 email per day for 10 days with a new idea each day, starting the day after you sign up.
If you know anyone else who could use help saving money for the holidays then share this page with them so they can join the challenge with you!
