How To Make Extra Cash

I think probably everyone makes lists from time to time of things they want to purchase. Maybe that list is on paper or perhaps it's in your head. I know that I do this and I want to share some of my tips with you for how to make extra money to buy things you want.

Many of you know that I love Ebay for both buying and selling. It's an excellent resource, but it can sometimes be confusing if you don't know what you are doing. Below I will share with you just how I use Ebay and Paypal in order to maximize the cash I receive.

I love to keep my house and my things organized and I find it very essential to go through my closets mutiple times each year and get rid of things. I don't like for things to accumulate or pile up and I don't enjoy having too much of something or for things to be cluttered. So I go through and give a lot of things to Goodwill. Occasionally an item/s will stand out to me that I know I can actually sell to make money. And here is where Ebay comes into the picture.

For me personally, I find that only name brand items are usually worth selling. Items such as shoes, purses, jackets, etc. are all good examples. As long as the item is either brand new or in gently used condition you are good to go.

My Tips For Listing Items On Ebay:
1. Timing is everything - I always list my auctions on either a Wednesday or Thursday. If you choose to do a 3 day auction this will make your auction end on either a Saturday or Sunday. Customers typically remember to check their Ebay auctions and watch lists during the weekend, but may forget during the week.
2. 3 Day Only - From personal experience I find it pointless to use the 1 day and the extended day auction features. I have the best experience using the 3 day auction format.
3. Buy It Now - This type of listing is only beneficial if you are selling something very expensive for way under cost.
4. Be Clear - Make it extremely obvious to your customer what you are selling and all of the details. Remember more is better when describing an item on Ebay. People want as much info as possible about the item, shipping details, etc.
5. Good Communication - Make sure you are constantly checking Ebay and your email if you have an auction/s listed. Customers may ask you questions and it's also good to see how many bidders/watchers you have.
6. Be Honest - Describe the item you are selling in every way possible. People want to know the details. I always find it important to list if the item does or doesn't come from a smoke and pet free home. Many people have allergies to both.
7. Be Punctual - If the customer has done their part and paid in a quick or timely manner do your part and get their package shipped to them just as quick. You will be sure to be a great seller in no time!
8. Feedback - It's very important to give as well as receive feedback. This lets others know that you are a good seller and it also let's you know if you want to purchase an item from a seller if you are the one shopping.
9. Paypal - I personally only take Paypal as payment when selling on Ebay. To me it's the most easy way to get things done and it's the safest too.
10. Hunt For Similar Items - Take a look around on Ebay and see who is selling the exact same item you are selling. See how many bids the item has and what the price is. You can use this as a guide to setting up your auction if you aren't sure what price point would be appropriate or you just don't know where to start.
11. Other Things - Here are a few more details that I add to all my auctions in order to be a successful seller on Ebay: I do not accept returns, all items are sold as is, I take Paypal only, I ship USPS Priority Mail only, I require payment to be made no later than 2 days after auction close, I only ship to US bidders (this will vary depending on where you live obviously), I always leave feedback, I stay in constant communication with my bidders/buyers, I make sure to ship items that are clean and packed neatly and I always think of the customers expectations.

Okay so now lets talk about Paypal. Having an Ebay account goes hand in hand with having a Paypal account. It's really convenient too because once a customer has paid you, you have the option to just shop online using your available Paypal funds OR you can have the money transferred in your bank account which takes a couple of days. Paypal will even mail you a check if you would prefer.

Lots of websites take Paypal now which is really nice. Some examples are Etsy, Ulta, Ebay, and the list goes on. CLICK HERE for a full guide to websites that take Paypal.
I have recently purchased items on thecurrentcustom.com and iviscents.com and both of these sites take Paypal.

I will not provide a full tutorial today on how to use Ebay or Paypal. They are both very easy to use and both have online features to fully guide you through your experience.

So the next time you want some extra cash, consider selling some of your things on Ebay. It's a lot of fun and you will be surprised what others will pay for your stuff. Good luck!

CLICK HERE to start selling or shopping on Ebay
now!

CLICK HERE to sign up for a Paypal Account.

The siren call of bargain-shopaholism

Websites like Groupon.com, Ideeli.com and Hautelook.com have offered consumers access to flash deals that must be purchased without much time to mull over their usefulness. And now we're all addicted to bargains.

The Boston Globe reports that "flash sales" are attractive to both stores and consumers because they enable people to buy crap that they might need and they gives stores the opportunity to force consumers to make decisions quickly, before they realize that most of the stuff they'd buy from flash sales is actually crap that they don't need.

I too have been tempted by these flash-sales. Every day, I check out the deals available on Ideel, Hautelook, and RueLaRue.com. These sites, also known as private-sale sites, bill themselves as offering exclusive deals to members, but really anyone can be a member just by signing up. Their business model is simple: the sites buy mostly overstocked clothing and accessories from brand-name designers, then discount them deeply. Adrenaline-pumped shoppers rush to get the deals because the items are often gone in a few hours. Madison Riley, a retail analyst with Kurt Salmon Associates, said flash sales tap into consumers’ psyches in several key ways: the joy of treasure hunting, the desire for impulse shopping, the love of the deal, and the fear of missing out.

The sites try to recreate the rush of a warehouse sample sale, minus the trampling and shoving, but they borrow as much from the Home Shopping Network as they do from Saks Fifth Avenue. After shoppers add an item to their cart at Gilt, for example, they get a 10-minute countdown before they lose the item.

More mainstream retailers are also adopting the idea. Saks Fifth Avenue, for example, has held 24-hour half-price sales on brands like Hervé Léger. And recently J Crew created a site for their warehouse division, offering items to consumers on weekends only.

Items with a countdown clock certainly put on the pressure to buy. There's the not-so subtle message that YOU MAY NEVER SEE SUCH A GREAT DEAL AGAIN. Joe's Jeans at less that $100 a pair is a once in a lifetime opportunity, people. Do you really, really want to turn down such a bargain? Some kind of brain mania washes over you, leading you to believe that yes, you NEED those jeans and you NEED to save $100 and thus you NEED to buy them oh my God hurry before the time runs out.

Then you buy those jeans, and immediately realize what a stupid decision that was because hello, you already have twenty pairs of jeans in your closet, but by now it's too late. You've fallen victim to the manipulation these sites are so adept in. There's no second guessing, because all of these flash-sale sites have a no-return policy. All sales are final.

The concept of these sites seems tailored to our post-recessionary times. Any guilt that people might feel after spending hundreds of dollars on unnecessary items is assuaged by the knowledge they've gotten a great deal, and thus bragging rights for finding such a killer bargain, like a $4,500 diamond necklace that was recently on sale for $2,250 at Gilt.

According to the article, the best way to treat bargainaholism is to simply, painfully, click way through to the "unsubscribe" page on these flash-sale websites. That is, if you can resist the siren call of discounted jeans.