The use it or lose it challenge - please join in

jeanieh_2

Hi
good luck but dont buy books, borrow them from your public library, it is possible to borrow newly published ones.

rubiesr4eva

Hi, can i join please.

Have added 20 items to ebay over last 2 days and determined to use it or lose it - apart from books, sorry but wouldn't be able to get rid of those, but will with toiletries, clothes etc........ will try to put 10 items on a day until everything has gone.

loose_sheckles

Really inspired by this all - can I join too?

One thing about ebay - before you spend time and effort listing think through these things:

1) Would I buy this and for how much - if you're not sure you would don't bother listing it - you waste time and insertion fees (unless of course you wait til a free listing day)

2) How much will I make after insertion fees and ebay taking its selling cut. I know this sounds obvious but I have been caught out a few times where the cost of insertion and payoff has acutally meant I didn't make any money. Unbelievable but true!!!

When you are using up your smellies (shower gel in particular) use a sponge or body mitt - it makes the gel go MUCH further.

Write down everything you spend EVERY day. It helps work out where the money is going and in some cases I've even avoided buying things because I didn't want the hassel of filling in the spreadsheet later - guess I didn't need it that much.

If you eat porridge for breakfast (good idea as it fills you up and I've stopped buying or having htat mid morning snack) mix half water and half milk - you'll hardly notice the difference!

Some odd ones in there I know but let's keep all ideas flowing! Good luck!:j

ThinkingOfLinking

Great thread.

I've been busy decluttering all month already and am also not buying new things unless I really need them, and selling those things which I don't need but which can be sold.

mavvysmum

loose_sheckles wrote: »

Really inspired by this all - can I join too?

One thing about ebay - before you spend time and effort listing think through these things:

1) Would I buy this and for how much - if you're not sure you would don't bother listing it - you waste time and insertion fees (unless of course you wait til a free listing day)

2) How much will I make after insertion fees and ebay taking its selling cut. I know this sounds obvious but I have been caught out a few times where the cost of insertion and payoff has acutally meant I didn't make any money. Unbelievable but true!!!
:j

This is very true. I've sold a few things & made a loss on ebay - some were DVD's - back when they first said you couldnt charge for P&P and i thought it would be a great idea to start listings at 99p so i didnt have to pay an insertion fee - a couple ended up selling for 99p - stupid me :mad:
However it is amazing that things you wouldnt think people will buy can go really well, my advice would be to do some research and search on completed listings to see if the item you want to sell has sold well in the past.

Fours

Have you considered this organisation. It exists in many areas. It's object is to keep things out of landfill. It is amazing what goes - from a couple of tins of cat food to electrical items (working or not).

It is NOt for selling or buying but rather reusing.

May be worth a look.

Dinah93

Snow_White wrote: »

Yay, more people! I didn't notice we were in the weekly email.

Dinah - wow, that's some library. Have you tried selling books on Green Metropolis? You get a set price for them then. I don't think they sell that quickly though. Otherwise, is there any way you could swap them for something you need? I'm going to a swapping event soon where you can trade books, clothes and accessories, so I'm hoping to get rid and my books and get something I need instead e.g. a new bag. I keep seeing online swapping sites mentioned - might be worth looking into them.

I had a few hundred up on Green Met for nearly a year, none of them sold! So in the end I put them on read it swap it, and got ones I actually want to read.

I listed a load of stuff on Amazons free listing day 10 days ago, and they finished last night. Made £138, which I'm pleased with. Going to have a good tidyout over the weekend and see if I can't find a few more boxes of stuff to list next week.

Jacey53

I would like to join too. I have so much stuff I can't find the things I love.

I hadn't thought about all my cleaning products - my undersink cupboard is such a mess that I buy new rather than rummage through.
This will be my January project, along with clearing my old video collection.

February: books and CDs - buy no more and get rid of the ones i won't use again. (Greenmet, read&swap, musicmagpie, charity shop). I use the library but still buy books with my grocery shop - shop online?

March: DIY - will complete all half-finished jobs and freecycle the leftover stuff.

I think I could keep going all year. I've already committed to the no toiletries challenge and to the £100 on clothes challenge. I am hoping that going public might make me stick to it.

Best wishes to all

Jacey

Dinah93

Has anyone found anything to do with old videos? We have millions!

Hime

Serendipity!
I had a similar soul searching moment last weekend. Time to GET RID OF the clothes that I cannot wear anymore, even though I would love to. So I went through my wardrobe and did exactly that. Then I did the one item on one hanger, skirts together, shirts together etc bit, and it looks a lot more empty! But the charity shop did well and everything hanging there is stuff I wear.
Books come from the library. They can be ordered there if they are new releases. No trips to Waterstones.
Veg from the farmers market, meat from the butcher, things have to be used up in the fridge...no food waste, so lots of new recipes and experiments.
We grow some fruit and veg so all that starts soon.
I am just sick of waste and not planning properly. OH and I have a dream and we sat down last night with an outline of the plan and looked at possibilities. It will be a lot easier to do if we stop wasting money!