First Steps to Solvency

shoppingobsessed2020

@alt80 i get the selling, it’s time consuming and here people want it for literally nothing and you to deliver so it costs you. The bits I have sold when I worked it out after all my costs I was making approx 50p an item, l wouldn’t bother again unless it was a a big ticket item as unless it’s skincare and makeup I don’t have stuff lying around.

ladyholly

I did point out the watches were bought as a joke and yes you are right the feel is totally different but I think the 2 cost about 50p at the time and it was the in thing to buy in the markets in China at the time. Every second stall were selling "Rolex".  We do both have a quality watch  but as neither of us really wear watches since we retired they tend to sit in the drawer. Both were wedding presents to each other nearly 50years ago so wouldnt part with them.

alt80

Re the selling I can’t be bothered for £10 - post office not far here but still need to wrap the item, fire the car up, drive there, or walk there, stand in a queue and mark as dispatched just not worth it for me imo. I do think people need to consider the opportunity cost of doing these things.

@ladyholly not really sure what the ‘joke’ was so maybe that’s what I don’t get. If you don’t wear a watch you don’t wear a watch I do, my choice. 

alt80

Swapped my broadband (at home but through business so a business plan) - not worked but old connection lost now been on the phone for 1.5hours no work done apart from answering some emails. Did this to save a personal bill for internet every month now I wished I hadn’t and not done myself any favours losing it with one of the call centre staff I spoke to lol. Sometimes it just doesn’t seem worth it - had I just stuck with the old internet I would have been ahead with work now I’m going to working late.

alt80

So the provider thinks it’s acceptable to cut a business line for 2 days? Great. Looks like I’ll be going into the office for the rest of the week but for coffee first to calm down a bit haha. And they say working from home is the future... 🤣 hope Boris doesn’t fine me for trying to get on with my life well if he does I can’t afford it.

What else can go wrong this week?!

strawb_shortcake

alt80 said:

Re the selling I can’t be bothered for £10 - post office not far here but still need to wrap the item, fire the car up, drive there, or walk there, stand in a queue and mark as dispatched just not worth it for me imo. I do think people need to consider the opportunity cost of doing these things.

@ladyholly not really sure what the ‘joke’ was so maybe that’s what I don’t get. If you don’t wear a watch you don’t wear a watch I do, my choice. 

You deal in bigger numbers than a lot of us, but I don't think the "look after the pennies" doesn't apply to people such as yourself. 
It isn't about selling one item for £10 it's about selling multiple items for £10. 
3 or 4 items would have bought your scarf, and not been added to credit cards or however you paid for it and freeing up money to pay off your debt. 
One of the local shops where we used to live, you'd see secondary school children coming out and throwing their change away, always coins upto 5p, not much admittedly but seemed sheer stupidity to me. 
And yes, I was the Mum that told her children collect the coins up for their money box.

ryanm8655

Yes - can see your point re: opportunity cost but your wife doesn’t work so could be a good task for her once the bags are done? Likewise there are economies of scale, spend an hour listing 30 things, 30 mins packaging them, 30 mins to post (do a bulk trip). After fees and postage you’re looking at £240 for a couple of hours work. You have other quicker wins at the moment though, I agree.

ladyholly

Have you really never bought anything as a bit of nonsense just for the fun of it?
I agree with annabanana82. I have done OK with selling stuff mostly under £10.00 which I have inherited and yes my daughter collected the odd change others had thrown away.
In case you wonder yes I do have debts partly due to overspending when both my husband and I lost our last few working years due to poor health and we needed some urgent house renovation earlier this year but despite being on a fairly low fixed income I have overpaid the credit cards every month and after 10 months our 60month loan is down to under 44months. With your income you should be able to do better than that. 

monetxchange

I agree with the look after the pennies thing. I had a friend who would walk around the shops scoffing "it's only a pound extra" on every single thing, then end up with a bill four times mine. He laughed when I signed up for Barclays Blue Rewards that gives me £4 a month bonus saying it was a waste of my time for such a small amount. Took one click and I've had hundreds out of it over the years. He's on a six figure salary, still has zero savings, debt on credit cards and can't afford to get out of renting. So it's not only applicable to people on lower figures!

£10 per item times ten is that £100 you'd be happy with. You can now buy postage easily online, stick it on and then take it to one of those drop off boxes. No need to queue or go in anywhere. But if you think it's not worth your time, I get it, but I don't think you can then be sore about other non essential spends that go out of the household (ie could cover one of those monthly bottles of champers/a phone accessory!). I think we all have our non negotiables. Really do believe pennies make pounds.

getmore4less

What about adding value to the time to get rid of stuff, do it as a family, that way you get more from it than the net £ in pocket.
Have some let's sell stuff time, work as a team picking the next batch to go doing the adds and packing, include the kid they probably have stuff they no longer use they can put some work in to selling and they get to use that cash to support their next purchase.

Get rid of enough stuff you won't need a bigger  🏡