How I learned to declutter my space and get paid!
Living life in quarantine has taught me a lot over the past several weeks. If you missed all the lessons I learned while in quarantine, be sure to check out that post here. Aside from improving my remote skills online, I’ve discovered new ways to add income to the household by doing some cleaning. Are you serious Kamira? Yes. You read that correctly! Today, I’ll share with you what I learned when I decided to declutter my space and get paid.
Seasonal cleanup
If you are like me then every year you find time to make that extra effort to deep clean and declutter your space. Seeing how this year has been extraordinary in so many ways, we all found ourselves spending a lot more time at home. It was during this time that I had the chance to asses what things I actually needed and those I had no more use for.
What better way to start the declutter process than by starting with my bookcase! I have so many old books including college textbooks, tourist books and much more collecting dust on the shelf. Just like buying clothes, you have the best intentions of using them but sometimes they just collect dust on the shelf. Well, I decided it was time to do something about it.
Decluttr.com
While making use of the extra time in quarantine I discovered a website called Decluttr.com. This website allows you to sell your used books, CDs, DVDs, games and more online for cash.
How does it work?
It’s very easy. You can do it one of two ways. You can use the downloadable app on your phone or you can enter information manually on your laptop.
First, you will need to sign up for a free account and set up your profile.
Next, you can either download the Decluttr app on your phone OR you can manually input the ISBN information on your computer to compile a list of sellable items.
Decluttr’s app is the easier option for me. It’s available in Google Play or the Apple Store.
After downloading the app on your phone, you can use the app to “scan” the ISBN bar code of your used and unused media/books and see the value. If Decluttr “accepts” the book you’ll see the value offered and if not the app will indicate so.
Once you are done scanning your items you can complete your list for a total value.
Once you accept the value they are willing to pay, you will receive a free UPS label for shipping. Print the label and packing list (included).
Find a sturdy cardboard box and pack your scanned media/books accepted in the box along with packing slip. Seal, post the label and ship! That’s it!
How do I get paid?
For payment you’ll need to be sure your profile is set up with your correct PayPal or direct deposit information. If you prefer snail mail, they pay by check too.
That’s it. Once your package has been received by Decluttr, you’ll received notification of payment in a few days.
You can see a screenshot proof of my recent payment below.
For my small box of a dozen unused books I earned $10.02!
Normally, I would have donated for them for free or recycled them. However, using this app is so much more convenient. Did I mention I also got paid?
What are the pros/cons?
Pros
- Decluttr is user friendly.
- They provide a free shipping label. There is no need for me to pay shipping or go to the post office. You can arrange for your package to be picked up by calling UPS OR drop off at any UPS drop off location.
- Declutter has a BBB (Better Business Bureau) accreditation.
- Easy payment for your media via check, direct deposit or PayPal with notification emails.
- Decluttr also has expanded to buying back phones and other tech items.
- This site has very good reviews!
- Easy money, seriously!
Cons
- There is no guarantee they will accept all your books/media.
- Pay out offered may be a lot lower than you expect. For example, you may get $3 dollars offerd for one book and $.25 cents for the next. Either way it all adds up!
- Don’t expect this to be part time income. This is extra cash.
What should I know?
There is one caveat you should be aware of. Take heed that any item you wish to sell needs to be in good condition. What does that mean?
I can attest that you want to make sure the books (or whatever you are selling) has no writing inside on the pages. This includes no pencil marks , underlines, highlighting, etc. You want to make sure the CD cover or book jackets are intact, not torn up and clean.
Essentially, make sure the stuff your selling is presentable enough for resell to someone else. Ask yourself, “Would I buy this in the condition it’s in?”
When you create your list of items for Declutter and confirm you are ready to accept and ship, all these details and terms are explained at checkout too.
Conclusion
Making some extra cash is always a bonus! I hope sharing my personal experience with Decluttr was helpful. In these times where some of us are trying to downsize or simplify our lives, it’s always nice to not only have a decluttered space but also have extra cash.
You can use the extra cash to add to your savings, start a holiday fund or just splurge on a stay-cation experience for you and your furry friend.
Do you have a few books or other items you can get rid of? If you are interested in earning cash for those unwanted books/CDs/DVDs/Games visit DeCluttr.com and see if it’s something that will work for you.
I had a great experience using this site. I give it two thumbs up!
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to read about 11 Websites I used to make money from home.
Pin Me!
