$500 Isn't Bad!

$500 Isn't Bad!

Some of the treasures for sale!

This past weekend was a busy one for sure! Our town had garage sales going on all over since it was the Michigan Sugar Festival weekend here.

We had our garage sale Thursday Friday, and for a couple of hours on Saturday and Sunday. Thursday and Friday were very busy with people coming from all over. It was good weather, except Friday it turned out to be pretty cold and we couldn't stand to sit out in the garage. I think it was 60 degrees and cloudy. We ended up closing the sale at 2:30.

It is a lot of work getting ready for a garage sale but we always have an annual sale. We started cleaning the garage about a week before the sale and setting up tables. I priced everything which doesn't really take long since I buy the stickers with the prices on them.

I made four signs and put them on different streets.You sure see a lot of people and it's fun to visit with some of them. Every one has a different item they are interested in and lots of people want to bargain with you for a lower price. I always give them a bargain just to get rid of the stuff.

We had a lot of cookbooks, glassware, knick knacks, a few antiques and you name it. We did good I would say and made around $500 altogether which is great to me! The biggest selling item was a chair that was priced at $45 but I took $35. Other than that it was mostly smaller items, so it takes quite a lot to make it add up. But you would be surprised at how those 50 cents items and 25 cent items add up.

We didn't have a whole lot of stuff left, it was fun and I made some money on top of it!

What Do You Do With Your Stuff (Junk)?

What Do You Do With Your Stuff (Junk)?

It's that time of year when I start thinking about getting ready for a garage sale. It's been a long boring winter! All you could do is stay in the house and look outside, unless you like being in the frigid temperatures. 

For entertainment I look in thrift stores when I go to the city. There are about 4 different stores I go to when I go to the city. The reason I go is to look for some antique, collectible or the like that I can sell on eBay. It's kind of like a treasure hunt! 

Sometimes you get lucky and find a treasure that sells for a lot more than you bought it for. Sometimes you buy something and it's nothing. Just a piece of "stuff". So when it's nothing I keep it for the Spring when we have a garage sale.

Recently I found a little vintage Christmas angel ornament that I bought for 59 cents. I put it on eBay and was shocked to sell it for $41.00! That was a good deal! Lots of times I can't even sell what I buy, but it's fun to try.

Last year it was a cooler Spring so we didn't have a sale till about the end of May or beginning of June. I can't wait to sell of my "stuff" and make a little extra money. 

Do you have garage sales or what do you do with your "stuff"?

Getting Rid of Clutter

Getting Rid of Clutter

I'm starting to think of Spring these cold winter days. I have been looking around my house think it's not too soon to start on decluttering.

But where to start? That's a great question! I'm not really a neat freak but do like a clean house. I can't stand to look at clutter in every corner.  With a small house and five in the family it's hard to keep things in order and not looking overcrowded.

We don't have a basement or any storage space at all in our house. We do have a garage that I have tons of stuff stored that we really want to keep. Lots of the items are my kids' treasures that they want to keep. Other things are items that I want to keep.

That being said, I've been listing things I don't need or want on eBay since October. I figured people would want to buy Christmas gifts so I started early listing items. Since October I've sold 74 things on eBay. I kept a list in a notebook so I could keep record of everything.

Next on my list is going to be looking through my closet and drawers. I do wear most of my clothes but there are some sweaters that I don't especially like anymore. Also I have a couple of coats and jackets that have had their share of wear. My plan is to take everything out of my closet and dresser drawers and get a plastic tub and put the clothes I don't want in it. 

I'm going to have a yearly garage sale so I will put the tub in the garage till it gets warmer out. I rarely throw anything out unless it's very worn or ripped. It's fun to have a garage sale and I always make a few hundred dollars.

After my garage sale(s) I put what I don't want to keep until the next year in a box and donate it to a thrift shop. I can't wait till it gets warmer. I've got a lot of stuff ready for a garage sale again!

What do you do with your clutter?