If you are anything like me, you sure have accumulated a lot of things for someone on a budget. It is surprisingly easy to do. Budgeteers also tend to be pack rats. We seem to have a bit of the starvation syndrome. That is when a starving person only eats a bit of whatever food she gets, and saves the rest for when all other sources of food are gone. A broke person tends to be reluctant to let go of what they have because they never know when or if they will be able to replace it with something newer.
But there are some very good reasons why you would do better to sell what you have. On more than one occasion, the Bible has Jesus telling his followers to sell what they have and give the money to the poor. Then they would have treasure in Heaven.
I don’t think it is a good idea to sell everything. Nor do I think giving all the money to the poor is a particularly good idea. I also can’t promise you treasure in Heaven. But I can offer other compelling reasons why selling off your excess stuff is a good idea:
Because it will help finance the purchase of more stuff
Don’t mistake me for a person preaching against the evils of materialism. Madonna was neither the first or only material girl who found herself living in a material world. But it is tough to keep that material up to date when you are on a budget. That is why you have to know the best places to unload your gently used items when it is time to upgrade.
If you are selling expensive, personal electronics such as iPhones and iPads, Gazelle.com is an excellent place to start. If you have items like luxury watches, you will need to find a used watch buyer like San Diego Jewelry Buyers. It is just a matter of finding the place that specializes in the items you have to sell. They will know how to evaluate what you have, and give you the best price. You don’t want to trust your treasures to just any old pawn shop.
Once you have made the sale, you have most of what you need to upgrade to the latest, greatest, and even more fashionable bit of material.
Because it helps you reclaim your space
If you are living on a budget, you are probably not living in a 4,000 sf. house. That means that you don’t have enough closet space. You have a bunch of things in boxes and storage bins. And at times, your lack of space makes you want to pull out your hair.
Don’t worry. You are not alone. The good news is that you can reclaim all, or at least, much of that space just by selling off the items that are now cluttering your life. One of the reasons we put off decluttering is that we don’t have the heart to throw away perfectly good items. Well, you don’t have to. Sell it instead.
It is good for the environment and humanity
The world is full of land-fills. Sometimes it seems like the earth is becoming one, big garbage dump. We throw out so many nice and functional items that our garbage dumps are starting to look like shopping malls.
Here’s a thought: let’s skip the dump and go straight to the mall. You were in love with that blouse just a year ago. I promise you that there are plenty of people who would be in love with it right now if they had the chance. It also means that there will be less waste of resources the longer someone is wearing that blouse.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if you sell it to gain otherworldly treasure, or to save the planet. It is a rare thing when religion and materialism comes up with the same answer. In the case of having too many possessions, both sides agree. Sell it!
Want to sell your clothes? Here a few places you should look into. Especially if you need extra money around the holidays!
- Buffalo Exchange
- Plato’s Closet
- Beacon’s Closet
- Crossroads Trading Co.
