Tips to Hosting the BEST Yard Sale!
It’s that time of year where yard sales start popping up everywhere! We’ve been spring cleaning and finding lots of stuff we don’t need any more so it had me thinking it’s time to do a yard sale! After lots of research (and some experience) I’ve put together some tips you can use to having the best yard sale!
Make sure you’re watching the weather. Here in Utah it’s hit and miss on when it’s going to rain this time of year but I’m seeing lots of good weekends that will be perfect to host a yard sale. And right now it’s not too hot so I won’t mind sitting out there!
Bigger is usually better! You’ll get more traffic if you have more stuff. That doesn’t mean it has to be all of your stuff. If you have a close friend you could easily have all your stuff in the same area so you get more interest. Or get your neighbors on board and have a whole block yard sale party – now that’s something to attract a lot of people.
Get your whole family involved! I mean this especially for your kids! It’s a great way for them to earn money by selling their toys, clothes and other things they may not play with anymore. You could either let them keep the money that comes from selling these items or offer to pay them a percentage of the profit you make all together. They could even have a bake sale during your yard sale to earn more! (Sell to the season, so soda/water in the warmer months, baked goods in spring, cotton candy, icees and more)
Make sure you advertise well. Make fun bright signs (lots of ideas online) to hang up around the area and on main roads. Then make sure you post like crazy on Facebook. There’s tons of Facebook yard sale groups that let you advertise on their page. Put it on your personal page and share with all your friends and neighbors as well.
Price your items to sell. We are all deal hunters so we know what a good deal is. That includes used items so make sure you’re pricing well. You can also do a deal for other deal hunters! Maybe towards the end of your sale you post on Facebook a 1 hour 50% off sale before close when you mention this post! That will get people coming and you won’t have to offer the sale to everyone that comes, only those who saw the post.
Use what you have to display your items. From tables, ladders, chairs and more you can get creative. It’s best to hang your clothing when you’re selling clothing but you can even put blankets out on the grass or driveway to lay other items on like toys and books. Make your yard sale pleasing to the eye.
Then don’t forget your essentials. You’ll want to make sure you have change for those paying with larger bills. LOTS of 1’s and a roll of quarters is a must. I’d have a few 5’s on hand too. Have a calculator (or phone) handy to add purchases up. If you’re selling fragile items, have some newspaper handy or grocery bags. Then play some music and put up your sign and you’ll be good to go!
I hope these tips help you earn some money for the stuff you have and don’t need. And remember you can donate what’s left over to write it off on your taxes or save it for another yard sale date!
Decorate Your Home on the Cheap with These Tips
Spring has arrived my friends! For me, the change of season often comes with doing some redecorating in my home. It’s like a fresh start 4 times per year! Besides, it’s nice to flow with the seasons with your decor. During spring and summer for example, I often decorate with brighter colors and switch out my drapes to something lighter in weight. I’m not trying to keep the heat in after all.
Anyway…if you are wanting to redecorate your home, but you are worried about the money that is required, not to worry! You can decorate your home on the cheap with these tips:
- Reuse. I always rotate my decor and store it when not in use. Even if I hang up an item that I had up last year, it’s still different than the decor I have been looking at for the last several months, so I still enjoy it. Buying brand new each season isn’t required.
- Shop Amazon. Amazon is great isn’t it? I have always shopped Amazon for specific items, but two of my favorite deals on Amazon have been for decor. I bought new sheets to brighten my room and new sheer panels to add as accents for my window coverings. Both of these purchases were super cheap ($12 for a set of Queen Sheets and $6 for a pair of sheer window panels).
- Thrift shopping and yard sales. One man’s trash is not always another person’s trash. Check out your local thrift shop and see what kind of wonderful finds you can spot. Last year I bought a beautiful oblong mirror that looks fabulous in my living room and it cost me just $7! This would have easily cost me $50+ retail.
- Clearance racks. Check clearance racks for awesome deals on home decor items, curtains, etc. Another thing to scout clearance racks for is pre-mixed paint. You can find some awesome deals on this paint and then create an accent wall which is a super quick way to completely change the look of a room.
5 Things You Should Spend More Money On, That Will Save You Money in the Long Run
I wholeheartedly believe that in some instances it takes money to save money. Yes, you read that right. The fact of the matter is that there are some occasions where you need to spend more money now to avoid spending even more later on.
Here are 5 things you should spend more money on, that will save you money in the long run:
- Good quality shoes. I would like to tell you a true story. I have a 10 year old son. Two years ago at the beginning of summer we were on our way to an event when I realized he was wearing 2 different slide-type sandals (he really, really doesn’t care about the things he wears so he saw no problem with this). Anyway…I made a quick stop at Walmart to grab him some decent looking slide on shoes for him to wear for the evening, I spent maybe $12-$15. I am not kidding when I tell you that these shoes last just 3 weeks before they began to fall apart. Yes, he is a rambunctious boy, but I expect more than 3 weeks out of a pair of shoes. Since buying that pair, I have never since bought him a pair of non-name brand shoes. He is currently wearing a pair of Nikes that are still in great shape after 6 months. I will be replacing them soon, but only because his feet are growing too fast. This story is why I am a big believer in buying name brand shoes only.
- A good jump box and tool kit for your car. You do not want to be in the middle of nowhere with a dead battery, believe me. Additionally, you do not want to be at the mercy of someone who can charge an arm and a leg just to give your car a jump start. A good jump box and tool kit can help to prevent these situations.
- Bulk foods. This is not always true, of course, but you should look into bulk shopping for foods that you use often, or foods that can be frozen for storage because you can often save money this way.
- Name brand appliances. This one is no joke. I recently bought a personal blender and despite the fact that I knew better, I bought the generic version so I could save $10. I didn’t even get to use it for a month before it caught on fire. Yes, it caught on fire! I will now go back to only buying name brand appliances.
- Good quality clothing. Similar to the shoe story that I told you earlier, good quality clothing will last much, much longer than their cheaper counterparts. Luckily though, you can shop clearance and consignment shops to get good quality clothing for very good prices.
6 Ways to Earn $100 This Week
Need some fast cash? It is nearing the end of the month after all. Maybe you need help paying some bills or buying groceries, or maybe you just really want to earn extra money to add a little more cushion to your money pillow.
If any of these things sound familiar, here are 6 ways to earn $100 this week outside of your typical job.
- Clean out your closet. I am willing to bet you have something hiding out in your closet that you no longer use and that someone would pay you for. Most of us do. Spend a couple of hours going through stuff that you no longer use and you might be surprised at the amount of money you can get.
- Rice and Beans. Don’t go grocery shopping this week, instead eat what you have. If that means that you will be eating rice and beans for the week then so be it. You can do it!
- Sell your plasma. If you aren’t too afraid of needles, head on in and sell your plasma. You often get a bonus for being a first time donor. Most plasma centers pay $20 to $50 per donation.
- Sell your sperm. Okay, a weird topic I know, but did you know that you can earn up to $1,000 per month donating sperm? No joke.
- Have a yard sale. Throw together a quick yard sale over the weekend. This is especially true in the spring which tends to be at the beginning of yard sale season when the hunt for the best deals is on.
- Check ISO posts or bulletin boards. Go online to your local Craigslist and check the help wanted listings. Oftentimes people need help for a single project such as helping them move or doing yard work. Alternatively, check bulletin boards in your local stores or gathering places where people often post the same type of notices.
8 Things You Should Stop Buying Now
Are you tired of running out of money before you run out of the month? It is so easy to blow right past your budget with the things we think we need on a day to day basis. So, how can you do better? How can you make your budget work better for you? First and foremost you need to stop spending money unnecessarily. To help with that, I have come up with a list of 8 things you should stop buying now:
- K-Cups. Alright, I get it. They are convenient, easy and quick, but they aren’t cheap and they are not good for the environment. Okay, yes, they are cheaper than a coffee shop cup of joe, but the cost of home brew is just $0.15 which is about ⅓ of the price of kcup coffee.
- Soda. It’s bad for you and it’s expensive. Enough said.
- Movie Theater Snacks. I’m all for going to the $1 movies during the Summer or hitting up a second run theater, but I always avoid buying concessions at the movie theater. $7 for a soda? NO THANK YOU!
- Brand Name Medication. This is not always true for all of us, so take it with a grain of salt, but we always buy the generic versions of over the counter medicine and it has always worked just as well as the name brand and we sometimes save as much as 50%.
- Greeting cards. Unless you are buying from the dollar store, skip these. They seriously cost so much these days that they could take the place of the gift itself.
- Pre-Cut fruit. We are all friends here, right? You can cut your own fruit! Plus, you will save yourself a lot of money doing so.
- Bottled water. Buy a filter and a stainless steel, reusable water bottle and save yourself a ton of money and a lot of recycling.
- New Diamond Jewelry. Diamonds have a tremendous markup and a sketchy reputation. Look for used diamonds that you can put into your own set. My husband and I recently bought me a “new” diamond wedding set from a couple that never got married. It had a $2300 price tag and I got it for $175. I feel much better knowing that we weren’t paying a huge price on it and I don’t have any superstitions about the fact that it was from a failed relationship. I’ve been married for 20+ years…I think we are good. 🙂
5 Tips on Making Your Spring Family Pictures Perfect
Spring time is a popular time for family pictures. Flowers are in full bloom and the sun is shining. However, it could get tricky to figure out what everyone in your family should wear. Especially if you’re spending money to get your family pictures taken, you want to make sure you’re ready! Here are 5 tips to help your spring family pictures turn out perfect.
- Find a pastel color pattern you like. This is the first step. Once you find the colors you are going for, look in your closets first. See what everyone has on hand that would work for the color scheme you chose. It’s often said, choose what you like to wear first and then choose everyone’s clothes around you. If you’re happy with what you wear then it will go a lot smoother.
- Layer. If you have a lot of kids find ways to mix and match outfits. Add in jackets, sweaters, cardigans. This adds some dimension and styles with not a lot of effort.
- Pull out small details of color. One fun thing to do for spring pictures is to choose a few colors you love and then have accessories or clothing with just small amounts of that color to help coordinate everyone. For example, you could have a necklace that matches the color of your daughters dress or skirt. You could also have a son wear cute colored shoes that match the color of your husband. Just small details like the shoes and necklace will help tie in the color without making it super matchy matchy.
- Use Natural Landscapes in Full Bloom. Spring is such a great time for pictures because there are flowers and blossoms everywhere. Find a location that has these natural flowers and trees in bloom. You might even see your neighbors yard has a great backdrop. You could also look up tulip festivals and use those places that make it easy for pictures.
- Be Prepared for Picture Day. If your family is like mine, I have kids that don’t like to sit still. It’s hard for them to smile for an hour straight. I’ve found that if I’m prepared with small snacks- non sticky items, then they are more likely to cooperate. You can also bring small toys for when they are waiting for their turn for pictures. I would also bring baby wipes, because you just never know what might happen!
FREE Spring Cleaning Checklist + My Trick To Getting That Oven Clean!
I don’t know if you’re like me but I’m so ready and excited to finally have spring here! The weather is warming up and the sun is coming up earlier which gets me up and going for the day. But with spring comes the sometimes dreaded, SPRING CLEANING! What’s something you hate thinking about having to clean when you hear spring cleaning?? For me it’s the dreaded garbage cans…my mom used to make us take every garbage can outside and scrub them down every spring. Now my kids get to the do the same 🙂
Instead of taking a whole day and trying to get it all down I’ve broken it down into different sections with this fun printout! It will make it easier to just check one off the list each day after I’ve take the kids to school. I’ll probably add a few extra to my list (like the dreaded garbage cans and wipe down the walls) but this hits all the major areas in my house.
Don’t forget there are tons of tricks out there to making cleaning easier or teach you how to get those tough stains out. One I want to make sure you guys know about has to do with the kitchen stove! I cook A LOT at home when we’re trying to pinch our pennies so the stove and oven get pretty gross. But I’ve found that if I sprinkle some baking soda in the oven and on the stove top, then pour a little bit of vinegar on top – let it set for a few minutes (usually while I’m cleaning something else) they it wipes up clean (sometimes I use one of those stainless steel sponges for the tough spots)!
So share with us your favorite, swear by it, cleaning tips below so we can all make this cleaning adventure easier! Happy Cleaning!
5 Tips for Being More Productive Throughout the Day
How do you keep yourself busy and productive throughout the day? Like everyone else, I have good days and bad days, but I work hard to make sure that the days that I spend at home are as productive as possible. So, how do I do that? Well first and foremost, lots of coffee! I kid, but seriously, sometimes it seems like I probably drink too much coffee throughout a day, but I have several steps that I follow to get more done. If you could use more tips on keeping your days productive, here are 5 tips for being more productive throughout the day:
- Get to bed earlier. Be sure to get a good night’s sleep, which often means you need to try and go to bed earlier in the evening. When you sleep well you will wake up feeling better and with more energy.
- Wake up earlier than everyone else. I wake up an hour earlier than anyone else in my family and it helps me to get a lot more done throughout the day. You can use that hour to sit and enjoy your coffee, to read your emails or do to housework. It’s your choice, but know that you can accomplish a lot in this sixty minute of quiet and alone time.
- Create a to-do list. Make a list of the things that you need to do throughout the day and follow it. Doing this keeps you on track with your duties.
- Exercise. Start your day with exercise. Research has shown that exercising to start the day can keep you feeling more energetic. In addition, studies have shown that exercise helps you to keep a more positive and optimistic outlook and moodset, which in itself can help you accomplish more throughout your day.
- Eat a healthy breakfast. Eating a healthy breakfast has been shown to give you more energy as well as strengthening your memory and concentration.
5 Tips for Being More Productive Throughout the Day
How do you keep yourself busy and productive throughout the day? Like everyone else, I have good days and bad days, but I work hard to make sure that the days that I spend at home are as productive as possible. So, how do I do that? Well first and foremost, lots of coffee! I kid, but seriously, sometimes it seems like I probably drink too much coffee throughout a day, but I have several steps that I follow to get more done. If you could use more tips on keeping your days productive, here are 5 tips for being more productive throughout the day:
- Get to bed earlier. Be sure to get a good night’s sleep, which often means you need to try and go to bed earlier in the evening. When you sleep well you will wake up feeling better and with more energy.
- Wake up earlier than everyone else. I wake up an hour earlier than anyone else in my family and it helps me to get a lot more done throughout the day. You can use that hour to sit and enjoy your coffee, to read your emails or do to housework. It’s your choice, but know that you can accomplish a lot in this sixty minute of quiet and alone time.
- Create a to-do list. Make a list of the things that you need to do throughout the day and follow it. Doing this keeps you on track with your duties.
- Exercise. Start your day with exercise. Research has shown that exercising to start the day can keep you feeling more energetic. In addition, studies have shown that exercise helps you to keep a more positive and optimistic outlook and moodset, which in itself can help you accomplish more throughout your day.
- Eat a healthy breakfast. Eating a healthy breakfast has been shown to give you more energy as well as strengthening your memory and concentration.
5 Tips for Being More Productive Throughout the Day
How do you keep yourself busy and productive throughout the day? Like everyone else, I have good days and bad days, but I work hard to make sure that the days that I spend at home are as productive as possible. So, how do I do that? Well first and foremost, lots of coffee! I kid, but seriously, sometimes it seems like I probably drink too much coffee throughout a day, but I have several steps that I follow to get more done. If you could use more tips on keeping your days productive, here are 5 tips for being more productive throughout the day:
- Get to bed earlier. Be sure to get a good night’s sleep, which often means you need to try and go to bed earlier in the evening. When you sleep well you will wake up feeling better and with more energy.
- Wake up earlier than everyone else. I wake up an hour earlier than anyone else in my family and it helps me to get a lot more done throughout the day. You can use that hour to sit and enjoy your coffee, to read your emails or do to housework. It’s your choice, but know that you can accomplish a lot in this sixty minute of quiet and alone time.
- Create a to-do list. Make a list of the things that you need to do throughout the day and follow it. Doing this keeps you on track with your duties.
- Exercise. Start your day with exercise. Research has shown that exercising to start the day can keep you feeling more energetic. In addition, studies have shown that exercise helps you to keep a more positive and optimistic outlook and moodset, which in itself can help you accomplish more throughout your day.
- Eat a healthy breakfast. Eating a healthy breakfast has been shown to give you more energy as well as strengthening your memory and concentration.
5 Tips for Being More Productive Throughout the Day
How do you keep yourself busy and productive throughout the day? Like everyone else, I have good days and bad days, but I work hard to make sure that the days that I spend at home are as productive as possible. So, how do I do that? Well first and foremost, lots of coffee! I kid, but seriously, sometimes it seems like I probably drink too much coffee throughout a day, but I have several steps that I follow to get more done. If you could use more tips on keeping your days productive, here are 5 tips for being more productive throughout the day:
- Get to bed earlier. Be sure to get a good night’s sleep, which often means you need to try and go to bed earlier in the evening. When you sleep well you will wake up feeling better and with more energy.
- Wake up earlier than everyone else. I wake up an hour earlier than anyone else in my family and it helps me to get a lot more done throughout the day. You can use that hour to sit and enjoy your coffee, to read your emails or do to housework. It’s your choice, but know that you can accomplish a lot in this sixty minute of quiet and alone time.
- Create a to-do list. Make a list of the things that you need to do throughout the day and follow it. Doing this keeps you on track with your duties.
- Exercise. Start your day with exercise. Research has shown that exercising to start the day can keep you feeling more energetic. In addition, studies have shown that exercise helps you to keep a more positive and optimistic outlook and moodset, which in itself can help you accomplish more throughout your day.
- Eat a healthy breakfast. Eating a healthy breakfast has been shown to give you more energy as well as strengthening your memory and concentration.
5 Tips to Follow When Shopping for a Used Car
Are you on the hunt for a new-to-you car? We talked a little bit yesterday about the reasons that I prefer to not shop for a brand new car, but we need cars, right? That means that sometimes we need to shop for one. So, what tips do you follow when you are shopping for a new-to-you car?
Here are 5 tips to follow when shopping for a used car:
- Set your budget. Whether you are paying in cash or financing it, you need to know exactly how much you can afford. Set these parameters when you are doing your shopping online. This will help you to not fall in love with a car that you can’t really afford.
- Get pre-approved. If you are planning to finance the vehicle, be sure to get pre-approved before you do your shopping. This makes it so much easier and much quicker if you are buying from a car lot.
- Research values. While you already know what you can afford, you still don’t want to overpay for the specific car that you are buying. Be sure to go on to Kelly Blue Book, Edmunds or another car value website to learn what the value of the vehicle actually is.
- Get a carfax report. Carfax is a great way to learn whether or not your prospective vehicle has ever been in an accident.
- Have a mechanic inspect it. For a nominal fee, you can hire a mechanic to inspect the vehicle before you buy it. I highly recommend doing this as you don’t want to buy a piece of junk car that you are going to need to work on right away.
What tips do you follow when you are shopping for a new-to-you car?
5 Tips to Follow When Shopping for a Used Car
Are you on the hunt for a new-to-you car? We talked a little bit yesterday about the reasons that I prefer to not shop for a brand new car, but we need cars, right? That means that sometimes we need to shop for one. So, what tips do you follow when you are shopping for a new-to-you car?
Here are 5 tips to follow when shopping for a used car:
- Set your budget. Whether you are paying in cash or financing it, you need to know exactly how much you can afford. Set these parameters when you are doing your shopping online. This will help you to not fall in love with a car that you can’t really afford.
- Get pre-approved. If you are planning to finance the vehicle, be sure to get pre-approved before you do your shopping. This makes it so much easier and much quicker if you are buying from a car lot.
- Research values. While you already know what you can afford, you still don’t want to overpay for the specific car that you are buying. Be sure to go on to Kelly Blue Book, Edmunds or another car value website to learn what the value of the vehicle actually is.
- Get a carfax report. Carfax is a great way to learn whether or not your prospective vehicle has ever been in an accident.
- Have a mechanic inspect it. For a nominal fee, you can hire a mechanic to inspect the vehicle before you buy it. I highly recommend doing this as you don’t want to buy a piece of junk car that you are going to need to work on right away.
What tips do you follow when you are shopping for a new-to-you car?
5 Tips to Follow When Shopping for a Used Car
Are you on the hunt for a new-to-you car? We talked a little bit yesterday about the reasons that I prefer to not shop for a brand new car, but we need cars, right? That means that sometimes we need to shop for one. So, what tips do you follow when you are shopping for a new-to-you car?
Here are 5 tips to follow when shopping for a used car:
- Set your budget. Whether you are paying in cash or financing it, you need to know exactly how much you can afford. Set these parameters when you are doing your shopping online. This will help you to not fall in love with a car that you can’t really afford.
- Get pre-approved. If you are planning to finance the vehicle, be sure to get pre-approved before you do your shopping. This makes it so much easier and much quicker if you are buying from a car lot.
- Research values. While you already know what you can afford, you still don’t want to overpay for the specific car that you are buying. Be sure to go on to Kelly Blue Book, Edmunds or another car value website to learn what the value of the vehicle actually is.
- Get a carfax report. Carfax is a great way to learn whether or not your prospective vehicle has ever been in an accident.
- Have a mechanic inspect it. For a nominal fee, you can hire a mechanic to inspect the vehicle before you buy it. I highly recommend doing this as you don’t want to buy a piece of junk car that you are going to need to work on right away.
What tips do you follow when you are shopping for a new-to-you car?
5 Reasons You Should Never Buy a Brand New Car
Are you contemplating the purchase of a vehicle? I know that all of the bells and whistles of a new car sound like it would be so great, but there are some pretty solid reasons why you should stick to buying just used cars.
Here are 5 reasons you should never buy a brand new car:
- They are expensive. Yeah, that’s obvious, but brand new cars are expensive. Did you know that the average new car loan is $30,000? That is a lot of money. You are going to save a significant amount of money if you buy a used version of the car you are looking for.
- Depreciation. New cars lose a lot of their value once you drive it off of that lot. Like a lot. The average new car loses 20% of its value in the first year, some cars can lose up to half of their value! This is a great reason to reconsider your idea to buy a new car.
- Interest payment. This goes along with how expensive they are, but the more expensive a car is, the more interest you will be paying on it.
- Higher insurance rates. New cars will cost you more to insure it. Because they have a higher payout, the insurance companies will charge you more. A leading insurance company has released the numbers and have acknowledged that you will save, on average, over $700 per year when you buy a new car.
- Door dings happen a lot. I know that this one is a materialistic view, but it is worth considering. When you drive around and park in busy parking lot, you are likely to get door dings a lot. This is far more frustrating when you have a beautiful, shiny new car. If you buy a used car, you still don’t want to get dents and dings of course, but it’s less stressful.