Spring Clean for Extra Green

There's no shortage of television programs featuring people turning household antiques into piles of money. Even if your basement is not lined with hugely expensive keepsakes, you can still turn your spring cleaning efforts into a few extra dollars in your pocket. 

Hold a Power Yard Sale
Yard sales can be a great way to turn your clutter into cash. But there’s no reason to limit it to one yard. To attract lots of buyers, team up with other people in your neighborhood to have a multi-family sale. The shoppers who regularly visit garage sales love the idea of having lots of items to peruse in one small area. 

Un-store
Spring cleaning shouldn't be limited to your dwelling. If you're currently paying to store items - like in a storage locker - it makes sense to review at least once a year what you are paying to hold onto. Think hard about your financial goals and if having items in storage is helping you get there. If you can eliminate your storage, you not only save money but also put yourself ahead by selling your newly freed goods. 

Learn and Earn
Online marketplaces like eBay aren't just great for buying and selling, they are also amazing repositories of information. If you're currently sitting on a stash of old records, vintage kids toys, or other potentially valuable items, use these sites to research the value of your treasures. While it may not make sense to use a lot of your home space to warehouse items you will sell on eBay, you can pluck out some of the most desirable items to sell online.  

Have a Clothes Out Event
The website Etsy.com has become the eBay of vintage and handmade products. If your closet is bulging with vintage threads, you might be able to unload many of your unused items on Etsy for enough money to cover your future clothing budgets for several months. 

Think Expansively
There's a tendency when decluttering to think in terms of unburdening yourself of knick-knacks, old magazines and other smaller items. However, it makes sense to also use this opportunity to think of turning that unused treadmill or jet ski into cold hard cash. Craigslist is a great place to offer these types of goods. 

The Big Downsize
Many folks of a certain age who complete a major cleanout realize they are paying for much more home space than they need. If you are at a stage in your life where you don't need to have a lot of belongings, you could pocket a lot of dough by not only selling your unwanted possessions, but also downsizing your domicile. 

Studies have shown that more clutter can lead to more stress in the household. Because of this, performing a comprehensive spring cleaning can actually brighten your mood substantially. The fact that you can also use the process to put yourself on better financial footing doesn’t hurt either.