Round Up!

 

Old Navy size 16 Brown Corduroy Skirt = 7.39

 

You really never know with Ebay. I’ve had this  Ann Taylor Silk Cream Top on for several weeks with no bids. Then this week I started it at $3 and it bid up to $7, which is about the price I posted for it 3 weeks ago! Guess it is more fun to be in a bid war! LOL!

Woman's Ann Taylor Silk cream top size 2 with V-Neck =$7.00

 

These pants are only the 2nd item I’ve found in this brand, which I hear does really well. I’m not so lucky with it and almost didn’t buy these pants because I couldn’t tell if the brown was worn or just a lighter brown. I risked and and described it as worn. It sold for $4

FRESH PRODUCE Spring/Summer Patterned Crop Pants size 6 =$4

 

I knew it was a risk to buy Walmart brand. But I also knew the patchwork style sells well so I risked it…all .99 cents of it that is. I was impressed when I came home and found out that pregnant ol’ me fits size 9 junior! I wore them for a day after posting them (they are preowned anyway) and my husband commented how he liked them. I said if they didn’t sell I’d keep them, but, with Ebay’s handy reposting I didn’t realize I had reposted them for $2 until they sold. Goodbye shorts. Sorry hubby =)

NOBO 9 JR WOMENS PLAID PATCHWORK BERMUDA SHORTS =$2

Woman's Gap Black and white stripped T-shirt size XS =$4.50

Women's Old Navy size 4 cotton green skirt =$ 1.99

 

I thought that the combination of Silk and J Crew would go like crazy. I was disappointed that my $.99 investment didn’t pay off as well as I hoped. But, I didn’t loose money and that is ALWAYs my goal so yay! And someone got a great deal. Win, win!

Woman's J Crew Silk Red cargo skirt size 6 = $ 1.99

Women's Pink Old Navy xs Wakeboard/ swim Shorts = $ 1.99

 

This wonderful skirt finally got noticed at $1.99. It went up to $4.25 after having on there for weeks! Go figure…

Women's Old Navy size 10 Gray skirt with pocket in back= $ 4.25

 No huge money maker this week but little by little it all adds up. This is a glimpse at the spreadsheet I use to calculate everything. I’m making.

As you can see the “Total in Sales” is very encouraging where the “Total Profit” isn’t as exciting! LOL! But it is constant money. Someone asked me how much I make a month. I had to look it up. For the 3 weeks last month I made : $89 +$32+ $54=$175.

Not bad for a stay at home mom! Plus that is with ALL expenses taken out. That includes shopping for the next week, shipping, relisting & posting fees…etc..

 

Great idea for clothes that don’t sell!

So we had another garage sale this weekend. Last week we had one then they scheduled the neighborhood garage sale for this week! Go figure. That’s ok, we made about $100 each time. Not too bad for getting rid of junk!

Last night I went through and did “Inventory” on all my Ebay items. Anything that I had posted at 99 cents plus shipping I pulled and put in the garage sale pile to sell for $1 each. I made about $15 on items sold, but more important I got my money back for each of those items.

And I got an ingenious idea.

Yes. It is rare that this happens to me, but last night was one of those few times in my life.

I was tossing all the 99 cent items into a pile and thinking, “There has to be a way to make money on these awesome name brand things!” Most don’t sell on eBay for no reason at all. Now I know that sounds like I’m defending my stuff, but I’m not. I mean. I get some ugly things to sell.  Like these:

Ok, maybe you think they are adorable, I think they were a wild card. Even though they are Tommy Hilfiger. Or these:

Ok, so maybe I just don’t like patterns! (Both of those sold at a profit, by the way)

People have gone crazy over these:

They sold for $10! And these:

Sold for $10.99. Ok, so non-prints but bright colors must do really well! Then I posted these:

Old Navy Swim shorts, size 16. Don’t know what was so magical about these, maybe the size? They sold for over $10 as well.

I usually post things for $7-8 to start. Some things get priced all the way down to .99 cents and then bid up to $5 or 6! Makes no sense but I’m not complaining!

Ok, back to my great idea.

I buy things that are name brand, right?

And I only buy for .99 cents (or $1 at garage sales)

Now, other than the internet where can you resell used name brand clothing?

Consignment stores! Yes!

 

But I still sold them for $1 at my garage sale. And then took what didn’t sell to a consignment store name Daja Vu…you just know that is going to be a great store with that creative of a name. I’ve never shopped there because it is more upscale then what I used to buy. I mean, I can’t consign my clothing I wear anywhere her because it is not name brand and most of it has been purchased at consignment stores and is too worn by the time I’m done with it! (But this was all before the wonderful world of Thrift Stores and 99 cent days was opened up to me!)

What didn’t sell I took in this afternoon. I guess I walked in right before closing because one sign said the were closed and the other said they were open. =) They went ahead and looked at my bag of close taking half and saying they would take the other half if I cleaned it up a little ( the garage sale table MAY have been made out of cement board…we do what we can) I think only two items were winter and they couldn’t take them.

SWEET! I didn’t look at their prices on the clothing there but I get 40 % of what they sell it for, and I betcha that is going to be more than .99 cents each!

Yes, I am doing the happy dance. I will letcha know how this turns out!!!

Making your own Clorox Disinfecting wipes

For all the recycling I do on this site, I really am not that much into recycling. Let me put it this way. I checked into getting one of those green recycling bins to try to recycle and as soon as I found out it cost extra to have them pick it up I chickened out. Yep, that is about how dedicated I am. Now I do recycle about 80% of the paper that comes though our house, but only because our church does fundraisers through paper recycling and it is a bin we pass every Sunday.

I can’t say I’m hardcore.

But I love saving money! I mean…we are talking true love here!

So when I saw a way to make Clorox wipes without paying for them I was on board! But the recipe called for a bunch of stuff I don’t have on hand. No Bueno. That means spending money. Which is why I don’t buy Clorox Wipes in the first place. Or any other brand since even the off brand is pricey! Here is the recipe:

Homemade Disinfecting Wipes

• Squares of cloth
• water
• castile soap
• Tea Tree Oil
• white vinegar
• some kind of container

well, I have water and I have White Vinegar…yep, that is it. Unless I can get some tea and mix it with a tree the others just aren’t going to happen. So this is what I did!

First I cut up a college shirt that was WAY too big.

I cut them in different sized but next time I think I might try to stick with the same size. Just about what the wipes are but even a bit smaller since it is cotton and is sturdier.

Then I got an old wipes container, a plastic Glad or Tupperware with a lid would work fine too.

Then I pulled what cleaners I had and included Vinegar, since that is what it called for!

I stared with 1 1/4 cup of water and added Pine Cleaner (to cover up the smell of the Vinegar) and Vinegar. Just dumped them in and added more as was needed. Start small, you can always add too it.

Then I poured it over the cloths. You can fold them like your baby wipes or just throw them in there. I folded them so that when I pull one out the next comes up.

After pouring the mixture on it I thought I had too much but I think for the cloth I had 2ish cups was perfect.

I pulled one out and the other popped right up! I set to work cleaning up the counter and it worked fabulously! You can even rewash them. I threw mine away because I forgot but I will try to rewash the next one. For my t-shirts sake!

I love them because you can do so much more with them then with the disposable wipes. They last longer. I can clean all my countertops instead of just one!

I now make it with Vinegar and water only, cuz my daughter likes to suck on them. Ukk! But they still clean just as well. And she LOVES to help me!

Trying to find something at a thrift store/garage sale

Ever tried to find something at a garage sale or a thrift store? I did this last week. Something specific. Down to the wire. Something very needed. Yea, DON’T try to find something like that at a thrift store.

Usually when I look for something specific I look for a “large basket” Or a “brownish blanket” Not a certain type of charge that goes to a certain thing that needs charged with a certain plug!

This is what I had to look through:

And I did. See that large black thing on the upper right of the photo. That is a CB. Haven’t seen one of those in years. Lots of cords/wires/ printer cables. But not the one I was looking for.

And you know what I realized? That is what Ebay is for. For people who want cheap things but don’t want to look through theses or, like me can’t find it. I know that cord is out there somewhere but for a few bucks I can get if off Ebay. (and from Asia, of all places, though how they ship it for $2 is beyond me!)

Ahh, always good to stop buy and shop where you sell. Ebay. Thank you for being there for me.

Unexpected Organizers for your home

I saw these unexpected organizers from Right@Home and thought I would pass them on. Never know when they might spur an awesome idea!

*An acrylic makeup organizer is a great way for the junior Picassos in your household to organize their art supplies. Damp paintbrushes stay neat in dividers meant for lipsticks, and the other small compartments can keep crayons, chalk and watercolor sets nice and neat.

* Foldout fishing tackle boxes make great jewelry boxes or storage boxes for crafts projects. Art students and makeup artists have relied on them for years for easy accessibility to their brushes and supplies.

* Hangers with bars meant for hanging several pairs of pants are great for keeping your winter scarves and shawls visible and wrinkle-free in your coat closet. Use the multiple-skirt hangers with clips to hang your silk scarves. Or loop scarves over the crossbar of a wooden hanger—the result may be attractive enough to display!

* Tiered hanging wire baskets (intended for storing fruits and vegetables) have another use in your kids’ rooms. Use them to organize toys or stuffed animals or in the closet for socks, belts and underwear.

* Styrofoam egg cartons work great for storing extra golf balls. Just don’t get confused and put them in the refrigerator!)

* Cassette tapes may be practically obsolete but their plastic cases are still good. In fact, they’re ideal for keeping headphone cords for your cell phone or MP3 players safe and tangle-free.

* Old album covers are perfect for storing 8-by-10 photos (like class photos), certificates or your children’s artwork—items you want to keep, just not keep on display. Slip your more valuable documents and photos between two sheets of archival quality acid-free paper first.

* Lucite recipe boxes are just the right size for storing and displaying photographs. You can even open the box and choose to spotlight a favorite photo in the recipe holder.

* Canvas shoe bags designed to hang on the back of a closet door are ideal for storing mittens and knit hats in the front hall or mudroom.

Plastic hanging shoe bags are also great organizers for your kitchen. Hang one inside your pantry door for all those small kitchen items—from corkscrews and tea strainers to corn-on-the-cob holders and measuring spoons. They’re just the right size for cake decorating tools too!

* Silver flatware chests lined with tarnish-resistant fabric are great for organizing and storing your silver jewelry. They’re usually attractive enough to display and most have dividers that can be used for necklaces, bracelets, and rings. Look for these handsome boxes at garage sales and online auctions.

* Little metal candy tins make terrific emergency mini-sewing kits. Fill them with needles, spare buttons, hooks-and-eyes, snaps and a few yards of white and black thread wrapped around a small piece of cardboard. Toss one in your handbag and another in your office desk drawer.

* Empty Saran paper rolls are stronger than paper-towel rolls and can take on a second life as portable storage. Ball up empty plastic grocery bags and stuff them into a roll. Then toss a full roll of bags into your glove compartment, beach bag or gym bag so you’ll have a supply of bags whenever you need them.

Feel free to stick any other ideas on here! We all love a little organizing!

My weekend activities. Hosting my own garage sale!

I can’t decide if this was a great weekend to have garage sale or a bummer weekend, since I miss out on all the other garage sales going on!

I’m going to say great weekend because we had a rather steady stream of people.

Remember the new Chicco stroller set I got here for $95 and was a steal of a deal? Well, time to sell the old one! This one had gone through 2 kids before my two kids and is old faithful. I priced it at $25 hoping it would help someone out like it did us. A lady bought it for a colege who came to work crying because she didn’t have a stroller for her baby, $25 to help her friend sounded good to her!

The bike sold for $10 and was one a neighbor brought over to get rid of. The trike for $3 and the slide, which was a gift my daughter outgrew sold for $12 to a lady having a b-day party for her 2 year old and had no toys for the other kids! LOL! The tunnel sold for $2.

This was my 3 year-old’s contribution! It was a back hoe I bought him for his birthday in October. He played with it but in purging the back yard of all the large toys this one didn’t make the cut. I got it for $.99 at a thrift store and sold it for $2. Then we went to a $1 store and he bought a bug catcher for himself and a ball for his sister. Got to love the lessons that thrifting and reselling is teaching him!

Hubby got rid of a bunch of tools

See that gum ball machine. That was a neighbors. He priced it at $30 and some lady knocked it over, broke the glass, then complained about the “dangerous stuff” we had at our garage sale, and she wasn’t talking about the saws/tools/leaf blower/paintsprayer. Nope. Just the gumball machine. She very nicely gave us $15 for the breaking it. I’m trying to sell the stand for $5 to make some money off it.

Sold the leaf blower for $75 for a neighbor.

The wrapping paper and the tree skirts were things I found where someone threw them away. Can you believe it? The wrapping paper is complete with tags and still unused and in its own wrap! Sold each for $. 50. Made a nice little profit just for rescuing some items! Still have more wrapping paper.

Very happy with all the stuff we got ride of. Ours and friend’s and neighbors. It was the best garage sell we’ve ever had!

Round up!

I think anyone who has sold on Ebay knows that it is full of surprises, so is thrifting. Here are a few of mine from last week!

I was so excited about this new with tags NY size 16 skirt until I brought it home and found a small tear in the back. It would be covered up by the folds of the skirt but I still had to start it low. I think I said $4.99. It had a lot of interest but still sold low. Oh, well, at least I didn’t get stuck with it!

Jones New York Signature Size 16W Yellow Skirt lined: $6.32

These crocs I bought on 1/2 off day, they cost me $2.50 and I was disappointed to get home and look them up and find they don’t sell too well on ebay. But I stuck them on anyway, knowing that they would be a nice buy. I ended up making $11 on them! VERY HAPPY with that when I thought they might put me in the hole! Guess you never know!

Crocs Womens "Mary Janes" Size seven (7) Black: $11

Old Navy Brown slacks, size 16= $6.98

Couldn’t believe these nice shorts went for so low! If I wasn’t pregnant and they fit I would have kept them!

Women's Old Navy Low waist Brown stretch Shorts size 1 = $3

Dresses seem a great place to make some good money, when you can find them. This one didn’t look in style to me, but it sold right away. I think the silk helped, but then again I have a silk skirt that will not sell so I’m not sure anymore…lol

Women's Ann Taylor Dress size 4 Silk dress= $8.85

These were my huge sellers 2 weeks ago! Any size 18 swim short snatch up! They are magical apparently! They had about 7 or 8 bids on them, usually I sell with one maybe two bids.

Old Navy Swim shorts. Blue with print size 18

= $13.24

I always hear that Chico does well, specially at www.mydeartrash.blogspot.com, but have never had too much luck with it. I mean they sell but not for a ton. I picked these up and was worried because as you can tell they are a bit worn. They sold like hotcakes in the old days!

Chico's Platinum Jean Capris/Cropped pants size 2.5=$12

I always got to Chico’s website to remember what to put for sizes, 2.5 is size 14.

Here is their size chart

Made: $72 after fees and shipping and all. Not a bad week, mostly I got a lot of stuff out of my closet. Very happy!