7 Ways to Spring for Extra Cash

When that first delightful spring breeze starts blowing, you know it’s time to get your house in shape. The warmer weather and the brilliant sunshine pouring through your windows can fill you with boundless energy. You’re going to banish those dust bunnies! Every piece of useless clutter must go! You are on a mission to turn your home into a sparkling palace that is completely free of junk.

But there’s more than just a neat house awaiting you at the end of all that hard work. Here’s how you can spring clean your way to riches – well, almost. You won’t become a millionaire from your junk, but you’ll put some spare cash in your pocket just by taking a few extra steps while clearing out the clutter. And that’s always a good thing!

1.) Trade in your electronics
Gather all those old gadgets and devices you no longer use and bring them to your local electronics store. They’ll likely offer you a gift card for your treasures. Some larger chains, like Best Buy, run a retail-collection program to help you responsibly dispose of old electronics, giving you the chance to earn a gift card.

2.) Get cash at the consignment store
Your outdated clothing might be someone else’s idea of high fashion. Bring your old clothing to a consignment shop to see what they’re willing to buy from you. You can also search for consignment chains, like Plato’s Closet or Clothes Mentor, or look up online consignment shops like ThredUp or Tradesy.

3.) Trade in your video games
If you’ve got a serious gamer at home, consider trading in your old games at GameStop. You’ll get store credit while getting rid of that huge pile of video games!

4.) Sell old books
Look up your closest Half Price Books location and bring your collection of old books to them in exchange for a tidy sum. If you’ve got a stack of textbooks lying around, sell them online on at a site like eCampus.com.

5.) Sell your expensive electronics
If you’ve got older smartphones or laptops that are in decent condition, they should be able to fetch you a pretty penny. Try selling your stuff online at a site like Gazelle.com. They offer free shipping, and once your item is officially logged by the company, you’ll get paid via check, gift card, or PayPal.

6.) Get cash for unused gift cards
Do you have a pile of gift cards you’ll never use? There are loads of sites that offer a gift-card exchange. Though you may not make back the full amount, you’ll usually score a decent offer. Try your luck at giftcards.com or giftcardgranny.com and fatten up your wallet with greenbacks instead of useless cards.

7.) Donate to charity
Donating unused clothing, toys or electronics to charity might be the most worthwhile way to get rid of clutter. As an added bonus, donating goods to charity will earn you a tax deduction, so long as you keep your receipt. With a bit of extra planning, you can earn a nice amount of cash while cleaning out the house.

Your Turn: Have you spring-cleaned your way towards extra cash? Tell us what worked for you in the comments!

*Community Financial does not endorse the information, content, presentation or accuracy, nor make any warranty, expressed or implied, regarding the websites and/or apps mentioned above.