3 Ways to Profit from Spring Cleaning

It’s an American tradition; every year as the weather warms back up, we get restless and start opening windows, cleaning out the house, and setting things aside we no longer want/need. While it’s always a shame to just throw out the things we once held dear to us, many people opt for this action since it is both the quickest and easiest thing to do with all of this “stuff.” Well before you load up the car or your curb, experts suggest weighing a few other options that can actually net you and your family some extra cash. Here are three ways to turn this year’s Spring Cleaning into a profitable ordeal:

1. It’s Time to Sell!--Ever hear the old adage that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure?” Well, in today’s digital world, there are tons of ways to capitalize on this fact and sell your old valuables. Long gone are the days where a family had to rely on a neighborhood wide garage sale or a local flea market to reach potential “customers.” Now, we’ve got eBay, Craigslist, and Etsy; there are even Facebook Garage Sale Groups you can join! While it may cost money in certain situations to post your goods, you should absolutely leverage these vendors to extend your reach, especially on larger or harder to sell items. People often foolishly think that selling items in this manner will just provide you with a “few extra drops in the bucket,” as opposed to a nice flow of cash; while you certainly shouldn’t rely on these sales as solid income, you also should not underestimate the nice chunk of change they can often provide.

2. Donating Helps Everyone--Not only does it feel great to help those in need; donating your old clothes, electronics, and other goods can actually provide you with excellent write-offs come tax season. So when it comes to ridding your home of your past valuables, make sure you reach out to both your local and national charities of choice to coordinate a pick up/drop off. Big Brothers Big Sisters, Lupus, and many others do full neighborhood sweeps where all you have to do is leave your donation clearly marked outside your door on the pre-set date; just make sure you follow through in collecting the necessary receipt documentation that can serve as proof of your donation if you are ever audited. Your tax specialist should be able to not only find you valuable deductions for tangible goods you’ve provided to others, but monetary donations too!

3. Trade and Upgrade--If you don’t have the time to sell your old goodies, and want a little more in return than tax incentives, you should look into what trade-in options you may have available to you. Did you know that major retailers like Best Buy actually have retail-collection programs that offer gift cards for trade-in’s on electronics and appliances? Additionally, sites like Gazelle.com offer Paypal and Amazon gift cards when you trade in your outdated cell phone or tablet. See which retailers/vendors offer you the best trade options, and leverage these scenarios to upgrade your home through new items purchased with these rewards certificates, gift cards, and credits. Remember, your flip phone from college might seem useless to you now that you have an iPhone 6, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get something out of it towards a future purchase.