5 Hidden Gems To Cash In On During A Clear Out

When finances are tight, you can often feel like they’re always going to be that way. Whether you always seem to be hit with a bunch of unexpected bills or your monthly income just doesn’t quite stretch, life can get tough. My current (as in right now this very minute) challenge is that Aaron's dance class performance got chosen to go through to the Gala, so now I have to shout 2 unexpected tickets for me and Lottie to go see it (Daddy will be at work) so that is BOOM £24 I hadn't budgeted for, but of course there is no way I would miss it. Mummy needs to be in the audience.

Money not growing on trees doesn’t always have to mean that your family finances always seem strapped. In fact, this can be a great motivation for you to turn things around. Even if right now you feel like you don’t have any options, you do. And, you’ve guessed it, the first involves having a bit of a clear out. Wow I am a clutter bug and always have been so a clear out is actually much needed even if I have missed the start of Spring. Because you may not realize it, but there could be a range of options around the home that you have to cash in on. If you have any of these items lying around, it’s time to see how much you can get for them.

1. Books

First of all, if you have any books lying around the house, there’s a lot that you can do with them. You may not realize it, but used books can often make a lot of money. It’s often tempting to take them to the local charity shop when you’re done with them, but you could get a little bit back for each that you sell. And if you’ve got hundreds of books lying around the house, putting them online to sell is a great way to get yourself hundreds back! So cash in on this area first of all. Yes, there are books where sites will only give you a penny for them and you only make money on the postage you charge BUT there are books for whatever reason, i.e. limited supply, out of stock, limited edition or completely out of print, that you can make a tidy sum on so it is worth checking.

2. Toys & Games

From here, you’ve then got toys and games. First off, if your kids have far too many toys that they don’t use or get tired of regularly and they’re not sentimental, then you can sell them to get a bit of money back too. But that’s not all. If you have any 90s kids toys lying around, cash in on those too. They could be worth significantly more than they were then! Think collector's items. Maybe you have a room full of Sylvanian Families? Alas we don't. There are certain things that really hold their value and bidding sees their price go up and up, like for example the Fisherprice (baby sitter - quite literally) Jumperoo we all own until they grow out of it that is. Thankfully, given it cost £90, I kept Aaron's for Lottie to use! I know Bumbo seats really hold a good resale value too (we've never owned one but both mine loved sitting in them at baby groups and other people's houses). If you get talking to other Mums you'll soon find out what they've done well selling (everyone is at it except me it seems, I really need to make a start). Buying and selling pre-loved stuff has never been so popular as it is now. All the shame seems to have gone out of it too.

3. Clothing

Another key area to cash in on is your clothing. If you know that you have bags and bags worth of old clothes that you just don’t wear anymore, don’t leave them hanging in your closet. Instead, think about listing them up for sale. Selling old clothes for cash can be quite simple. And as long as you aim to sell them in their best light, you will often get a good amount back for them in total too.

4. Antiques

If you do have any antiques, then these are the next to sell. Maybe you don’t have anything overly worth a lot of money, but any kind of trinket, crockery, and even artwork could be worth something. You won’t know until you try to sell it!

5. Jewellery

Finally, there’s jewellery too. Whether you have fine jewellery or costume jewellery, you’ll often get a good amount back by selling these bits and pieces to jewellers, online, or at sales. So think about items that you don’t wear and no longer want and see how much you could get for them.

Christin Hume