Here are 25 Ways to Take Action TODAY To Make Extra Money
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At one time or another, we have all experienced a cash flow “pinch.” Perhaps you need some extra spending cash after all the bills are paid. Statistics show that 50% of Americans have $250 or less left each month after bills are paid. Regardless of where your household falls on this study, don't worry! I’ve covered you in today’s article: “25 Ways to Take Action TODAY to Make Extra Money.”
Some people have time but no money. Others have money but no time. Some folks are positioned with both time and money as resources. In today’s article, we will look at all three situations. Here, I provide situations so surely you will find something that works for your current situation. In this blog post, I aim to give you ideas on what to sell, where to find it/them, and how to connect with a larger local audience so you can find the items, putting you on a path to faster cash!
Part 1: What to Sell?
Before we dig into the juicy parts about HOW to sell, we need to step back for a minute and think about WHAT we can sell. For some, this can seem overwhelming… but don’t let it! It’s easier than you may think. The first decision is: Are you going to BAKE/MAKE the items, or will you find the inventory elsewhere? Here, we will explore items within your home that can help you with cash flow.
Our first category is items from your home. Remember, further down, I’ll show you.
WHERE to sell them and HOW to sell them.
1. Cookies, cupcakes, pastries, breads, sweets, canned jellies, enchiladas: If you can bake or cook, I’ve seen them being sold!
2. Eggs: Do you raise chickens? With a worldwide shortage, you will be popular! Eggs sell for about $4-$5 per dozen in the local economy.
3. Candles: Do you make scented candles? You are sitting in a 12-billion-dollar industry! https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/candles-market
4. Jewelry: Are you a jewelry aficionado? Double down on your earrings, necklaces, etc.!
5. Blankets/Quilts: Do you love the hum of your sewing machine? Do you find peace in crocheting? Perhaps handmade yarn art, quilts, baby blankets, etc., are for you!
6. Pet Supplies: Do you love animals, dogs and cats? The pet industry is worth 7.57 BILLION! https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/pet-toys-market-106259
Part II: Finding Inventory Outside of Your Home
Our second category is selling items you can find for FREE and re-selling them for money. That’s right! Did you know you can make an entire side hustle (or full-time if you really wanted!), gathering items free to you and re-selling them? Here are six item examples where you can look at Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist:
7. Pallets:
Do you love DIY projects? Companies are giving away pallets if you look closely. These pallets can be made into deck furniture that retails anywhere from $350 to $997.
8. Bikes:
It’s amazing how many people are giving away bicycles for free! If you know your way around a bicycle, you could start a side hustle by collecting, restoring, and reselling these bicycles.
9. Couches:
People often give away couches for free, as they don’t have the means to move the furniture themselves. Although you will likely need a storage unit to store them, you can collect the couches, restore them, and resell them. For the DIY’ers, you can get the couches and use the fabric to create custom pillows, wall art, etc to sell.
10. Furniture:
Like the couches, you can find people wanting to get rid of end tables, coffee tables, and such for free or next to nothing. If you are set with storage, you can acquire these items for next to nothing and resell them for $15-$65+. Easy money!
11. Books:
Who doesn’t love a good mystery or a rainy day with a good book? If you are bold enough to ask, people will give you their books for free. You can get them in lots at the thrift stores. While not every book will be a “winner,” the ones worth money can profit from $5-$20 per book. Get creative and bundle books from the same genre and re-sell them. People love a good deal!
12. Plates, knives, spoons, forks:
There are so many uses for plates, knives, and forks! You can find highly valued limited editions of plates, and specialty silverware worth money, or simply turn the wares into garden art and indoor wall art.
13. Pianos:
People are always giving away pianos because they are heavy and take up space. Perhaps consider refurbishing them or repurposing their pieces into art.
Also, in the FREE category, we can collect free items and take them to be recycled in exchange for money. Contact your local recycling companies and find out how much the items are worth per pound and their operation hours. The top 2 categories of items I see for free that you can collect in exchange for money are:
14. Cardboard boxes:
Recycling centers are still accepting “clean” cardboard for recycling. Please find a way to collect the cardboard and take it to your local recycling center for money.
15. Tires:
Although you will need to check with your local recycling center, tires usually have a trade-in value at the recycling center. If you have your “DIY” hat on, you can paint tires, make them into yard art, and sell them.
Next, we have items you can usually find easily at the local Goodwill-type thrift stores for “cheap,” with items often ranging from $0.50 to under $10. An example of these hi-demand items include:
16. Men’s ties
17. Women’s scarves
18. Coffee cups
19. Stuffed animals
20. Clothes (women’s, babies, toddlers, men’s)
21. Wedding dresses
22. Shoes
23. Books
24. Electronic devices
25. Jackets
Part 3: How to Advertise so People Will Buy
The final section of our selling puzzle is WHERE to sell the items we have made or gathered. Remember: the goal should be to create a “one-to-many” environment! Ask yourself: How can you get your products in front of as many people as possible? For this, we also break it down into two categories. In the first category, you are selling to people in person; the other is using social media. Be sure to use good photos for your listings. Actively Sell In Person
1. Host a garage sale from your home.
2. Organize a multi-family garage sale.
3. Organize a church sale.
4. Start an estate sale business! Earn a flat rate plus a percentage of everything you sell.
5. Sign up for local Saturday markets; become a vendor.
6. Sign up for the local craft fairs. They often have a local circuit of events.
Sell Using Social Media – The “big three.”
1. Create a listing on Craigslist.
2. Create a listing on Facebook Marketplace.
3. Create a listing on “Nextdoor” in the app.
Leverage one to many: live selling on social media!
1. Go live and sell on Facebook.
2. Go live and sell on Instagram.
3. Go live and sell on TikTok.
4. Go live and sell on YouTube.
5. Go live and sell on Pinterest.
6. Sell on Etsy.
7. Sell on Poshmark.
8. Sell on Amazon.
9. Sell on websites such as Wix, WordPress, etc.
I hope this blog post gave you some ideas to get the “creative hustle juices” flowing. We are all surrounded by physical products that others want; we have to be open to new ways of finding products, offering them to the public, and creating cash flow. So, be bold! Try something new and different, and watch your slush fund grow!
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