Talk about a win-win – by finding things to sell around the house to make money, you will not only be decluttering and refreshing your space, but you will also have extra money to spend on memorable travel experiences!
Where to Sell Your Stuff
- Facebook Marketplace – I sell bigger items like furniture, baby products, and bulk clothing lots (it saves tons of time to sell clothes in bulk!) through Marketplace so that I don’t have to deal with shipping. Although Facebook Marketplace does offer shipping now, so that opens you up to a LOT more potential buyers – just make sure you will be able to ship the items that you are selling if you don’t stick to the local pick up option.
- Craigslist – Similar to Facebook Marketplace, I only list big items like furniture on Craigslist.
- Mercari & Poshmark – I have sold shoes, kids’ room decor, and higher end clothing through Mercari and Poshmark. Both apps have you create your own “store front” where you list all of the items you want to sell. Buyers can look at your items and ask you to bundle things together if they want to buy more than one thing from you. The platforms take a percentage of the sale, and you are responsible for shipping items to buyers.
- ThredUp – I haven’t tried ThredUp, but I have a friend who has made decent money off of higher end women’s clothing and handbags. The nice thing about this platform is that they send you a kit to put your items in, and once they recieve them they list everything for you and give you a percentage of the sale.
- Kidizen – great for selling higher end kids’ clothes/toys/decor and maternity clothes – you must list and ship the items yourself
- eBay – I sell higher priced items that won’t cost an arm and a leg to ship, like baby carriers or specialty items on eBay. Do a quick search to see if the items you want to post are selling well on eBay before you list anything. eBay is a lot of work, so I would only sell items you think you will get higher prices for through that platform.
- OfferUp – I haven’t tried OfferUp yet, but definitely want to in the future now that I know more about it. You can type in your zip code and sell locally or offer shipping if you want to sell nationwide.
- Sideline Swap – sell and ship sports and fitness apparel and equiptment online
- Play It Again Sports – sell your sporting goods and exercise equiptment locally in store and get paid on the spot
- Gazelle & Decluttr – sell your old cell phones through Gazelle and your other electronics and DVDs/CDs through Decluttr.
- Amazon Trade-In – By trading in your old cell phones and qualifying electronic devices, you can get Amazon gift cards and discounts off of new devices bought through Amazon.
- Once Upon a Child – I have had good luck selling kids’ clothes, shoes, and toys here. They pay you right away after going through your items.
- Local consignment shops – I sell many things through our local consignment and thrift shops. Many communities have local consignment shops with different specialties. Search for some that would be a good fit near you.
- Host a garage sale – you can sell all of the things at a garage sale! Just make sure not to price things too high because that can be a big turnoff to people – I have found that I sell and make a lot more money when I price things low. You can advertise your garage sale through Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist to get more people to show up. Make sure to post signs directing people from main roads to your sale.
Decluttering Process
I truly enjoy decluttering and organizing. It is so satisfying to have neat and organized spaces.
It can feel really good to get rid of things that we don’t need, especially if we can make some extra money in the process!
There are many different decluttering strategies out there.
My top 3 decluttering tips:
- Break the decluttering process up into small, manageable chunks
- go room by room
- break it down even further within each room – give yourself 10 minutes to do that one junk drawer, your office desk, bathroom vanity, etc.
- A few questions to ask yourself as you go through your items
- Do I even like this item?
- When was the last time I used this/do I need it?
- Can I easily replace this item if I need to?
- Would I buy this item if I saw it in a store today?
- Would I feel relieved if I no longer had to see/deal with this item?
- How will I feel once my space is truly decluttered?
- Think about the memories + experiences you can gain if you sell some of your material items!
- Consider whether someone would want to buy your item or if it would be best to throw it in the trash or donate it
Things to Sell to Make Money for Travel: Room-by-Room Checklist
Kitchen
- Kitchen appliances you thought were a good idea but never use (i.e. veggie spiralizer, KitchenAid mixer, etc.)
- Decorative plates or trays or china that you hardly ever use
- Kitchen tools and gadgets that you haven’t used in the past 6 months
- Cups, mugs, dishes that you don’t like or have too many of
- Duplicate cookware, bakeware, or utensils
- Kids cups/bottles/dishes/pump parts/etc. that you don’t need anymore
Bedroom/Closet
- Clothes and shoes that don’t fit
- Clothes and shoes that you haven’t worn in the past year
- Purses and bags that you don’t use
- Belts, ties, scarves, and other accessories that don’t fit or get worn
- Hats that don’t get worn
- Jewelry that you don’t wear, is out of style, or isn’t meaningful to you
Kids’ Rooms
Have your kids help declutter and consider letting them keep any money that they make from selling the things they don’t use anymore for a special treat or excursion on your next family vacation!
- Kid’s toys that don’t get played with or that are no longer age-appropriate
- Kid’s books that you don’t read (don’t like them or not age-appropriate anymore)
- Clothing that doesn’t fit anymore or that doesn’t get worn
- Shoes that don’t fit or get worn
- Puzzles and games that never get played with
- Craft tools and materials
- Leftover school supplies
- Furniture that has been outgrown
- Baby items – bouncers, pack n’ plays, swings, changing tables, diapers, carriers, etc.
Laundry/linen closets
- Sheet sets you never use or don’t like
- Extra pillows, comforters, blankets that you haven’t used in the past year
- Extra towels that never get used
- Cleaning products that have been sitting on the shelf unused
bathrooms
- Make-up, perfume, products that you don’t use – if they are in good condition and there is still quite a bit left, you can definitely sell these things. Otherwise just throw them out or donate.
- Towels that you don’t use
Living areas
- Decor and lighting/lamps that you are tired of or don’t have a place for
- Artwork and prints that you don’t love anymore
- Throw blankets
- Candles that you never use because you have about 50 others
Garage/Outdoor
- Sporting goods/equiptment that you don’t use
- Fitness gear that you bought to get motivated but don’t use (we’ve all been there)
- Lawn equiptment that are duplicates or are not needed
- Tools and hardware – we probably don’t use 80% of the tools that are stored in our garage
- Outdoor furniture that you are tired of or don’t have a place for
- Pots and gardening tools that haven’t been used in the past year
- Pet leashes, feeding bowls, toys, etc. that you don’t use
- Outdoor gear like tents, lawn chairs, sleeping bags, pocket knives, trekking poles, etc.
- Cars/motorcycles/vehicles that you don’t use as much as you should (i.e. my husband’s college moped that sits in our garage until he gets it out for a joyride once per year)
- Bottles and cans – sure you only get 5 cents, but it adds up!
Storage/Seasonal
- Holiday decor you don’t love anymore
- Furniture you don’t have a place for
- Home decor that is not your style anymore or that you don’t have a place for
- Frames that you aren’t using (i.e. you still have the stock photo inside years after buying it)
- Antiques that you don’t want to hold onto anymore
- Memorabilia that has been sitting in storage
- Collectibles – stamps, coins, dolls, figurines, baseball cards, etc.
Office/Electronics
Many of us switch out our electronics often to get newer and better models. Consider selling all of the older models that you don’t use anymore – many of them still hold a lot of value.
- Gaming systems and games
- Cell Phones
- Laptops/computers
- Ipads
- Cameras
- TVs
- Electronic accessories/cases/chargers
- Office supplies/materials you have duplicates of (do we really need 4 staplers and 3 TI calculators?)
- Musical instruments
- Textbooks
- Books and comic books
- Savings Bonds – billions of dollars in savings bonds have never been cashed in
- Gift cards you know you won’t use – click here to learn more about where to sell gift cards
I hope this list of 55 things to sell around the house to make money for travel has you inspired to start decluttering your home and planning your upcoming adventures!
