October is the start to my favorite season…the holidays.
Each month is like a one-act play that’s finale is an awesome holiday…Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
(Seriously, we have an awesome party every month from now till the end of the year!)
And if your family is like mine, in addition to the awesome gatherings and parties…comes stuff. Halloween candy and costumes, new fall school clothes, fall decorations, Christmas decorations, new toys, new electronics, NEW STUFF.
Every year before the holidays I FORCE my kids to go through their rooms, closets, and other “spaces” in the house and “declutter” them of items they no longer use, wear, or need. But this year, after reading Marie Kondo’s book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, I’m looking at decluttering a different way.
This fall, eBay partnered with Marie Marie Kondo to create 15 new decluttering tips (click on the link to download them) specifically focused on children and families. So now everyone in the household is in on decluttering and my kids can quit saying things like “watch out, mom is gonna KonMari that.”
So, we will all be looking at all our possessions and asking ourselves…
“Does it bring me joy or serve a purpose?”
(Because honestly, when you deal with kids…a winter coat doesn’t bring joy, but it definitely serves a purpose.)
And ANY items that doesn’t either bring joy or serve a purchase will get put into three piles:
- Resell. This is only the cream of the crop. It includes items that are still in boxes, clothes that were worn once or twice (hello, family pictures), second generation electronics, or brand name items in great condition.
- Donate. Items that don’t fall into the “resell” category then get placed in a pile for donation. This includes good condition clothes from big box stores like Target or JCPenney or toys and books that have been lovingly used, but still have some life left.
- Throw away. These are items that are past their prime…either stained, broke, too worn, or have holes or damage.
There are many options for resell…online consignment, garage sales, or children’s resell events.
And I’ve done them all! However, for the biggest return, you can’t beat selling your items on eBay.
While I’m very familiar with eBay (I’ve sold off and on for a number of years), it had been awhile since I checked out their website and services and A LOT OF THINGS HAVE CHANGED.
- eBay Valet – A simple way to sell on eBay. Go to eBay Valet and request a free postage-paid label, fill up your box with items you want to sell, and eBay will photography, price, and ship all the items for you. And they send a check at the end.
- The market for second-generation electronics and video games is hot. One of the top sellers on eBay is previous generations iPads, iPhones, and video games and consoles. It makes sense. You have a Playstation that works…it’s just hard to find games.
When you consider the average household has 52 extra or unused items worth over $4,000 in the home, why wouldn’t you KonMari that and turn into income on eBay? And as someone that has KonMari’d her house and sold her items…it is truly a win-win. Peace and enjoyment in a clean, clutter-free home, plus a little extra money in the bank.
Remember, the easiest way to do this is to make it a family affair. So rally the troops and get started, after that…it’s all about enjoying the results.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored conversation on RedefinedMom.com on behalf of eBay and The Motherhood. However, the written remarks, opinions, and my kids saying “watch out, mom is gonna KonMari that” are entirely my own. Want more information – check out my full disclosure statement.
