Making Money Monday: Selling on FB yard sale groups

Prepare to have your mind blown. Facebook Yard Sales are the best things ever. Basically, it's like the same thing as craigslist but easier and more visual.

All you have to do is search and see if your neighborhood or city already has some kind of yard sale group. I am a member of 4. The one shown below is the biggest one in my city, but I am also a member of specific area yard sales that are in my general vicinity.

I had to request membership, but other groups may be different. If your city or town doesn't have a yard sale group, maybe you could make one! It's run by normal people and there are usually some rules.

So here is what the screen looks like from my phone. People are posting a listing like every 10 seconds on here and you just scroll.
The ettiquette for this particular yard sale group is that you write "interested" if you wish to buy the item and then arrange meeting details with the seller.


Here is an example of something I would list. I post a picture (always) on the group wall. I state what the item is, the size if its clothing, price and I state where I meet. I will meet people at 2 different places within a few miles from my home. As the seller I get to mandate that.

A few pointers...
Unless you need to pick a large item up, meet the buyer/seller in a PUBLIC place. I meet people in Target/Wal-Mart/Kroger parking lots.

Similar to eBay, post your items when people are more likely to be on facebook. In the evenings or on weekends.



When someone write they are interested on my listing, I tag them in a comment telling them when I am available to meet in the next few days. You can also PM (private message) them meetup details. Facebook will typically send the conversation to the OTHER folder in your inbox since you are not friends with this person. Weird, I know. I didn't even know I had an OTHER folder until I started selling on here. You may not be able to access the other folder from your iPhone FB app, I usually have to pull up the full site version in Safari or use a computer version. 
Be careful about:
-Meeting strangers, I always let someone know (my husband, mom, sister) that I am meeting someone - Going to someone's house, I went with my mom one time to pick something up she bought, there is safety in numbers - BE ready for DRAMA! You can read about one of my first drama experiences here. 
Happy Shopping & Selling! If you have any questions I will be more than happy to answer or give advice!

That time I got called out on a face book yard sale group...

Story Friday!

So... my mom/sister introduced me to the world of Facebook virtual yard sales. Basically, people create groups for their area for people to sell stuff. I joined Wednesday night and posted a bunch of baby clothes and toys I don't want to keep.

And then this happened.

Seriously, E??? Let it go!

Was I in the wrong here? I mean, if I was using the wrong "protocol" I will be a big girl and admit that (even though I am not sure I am in the wrong here) BUT she would not let it go. I have already made a deal. I'm sorry it did not work out for you and I promise to do better next time BUT get over it!

And shortly after I copied this conversation she had the nerve to ask me when she would know if she could get it, since I let D have it first and she wanted to have it for her daughter's birthday party Sunday. I did not answer. 

AND THEN I am told to tag the group "administrator"...  To what? Make an executive decision? Put someone in time out? WTF?... 

OH GIRL writes this...

Well SNAP! You told me girl. You are so above wanting my Disney Princess Ball Pit now because you can go buy one for the same price!Shame on me!

All I have to say is BLESS YOUR HEART with the full intention behind that meaning!

Side note - my participation in the group is at the mercy of the administrator. My virtual yard sale days could be over before they even began.

Side note 2 - I don't care if I was wrong or not I am NOT meeting some mean crazy lady who starts crap on a facebook yard sale wall. That's how people get murdered. 

Yard Sale Bargains and Baseball

Happy Monday! We had a GREAT weekend!

Friday night Kendall and I had a little impromptu girls night with my friend/neighbor Heather and her daughter Emmakate. Nice, sit down restaurants are few and far between by our house so we ate at Frisch’s Big Boy! They have a salad bar so it was perfect to find finger foods for the babies. Of course I failed to take a picture of our cute baby girls. Boo! :(

Saturday I dropped Kendall off at my mom’s for a few hours and went yard sale-ing(not sure if I can use this as a verb…whatev) with my sister!! We found so many bargains. I only spent about $35 and got about 20 outfits, two pairs of nice shoes, 3 blankets, 4 hooded towels, a baby doll carrier & stroller for when Kendall plays dolls and several toys and books.

One of my favorite purchases was this little puppy.

I had been eyeing it at Target but didn’t want to pay $17! Well low and behold I found it in GREAT condition at a yard sale for $2! Winning!!!

We are going to try and go yard sale-ing again next week with Tara and baby Caleb!!

After our shopping adventures we waited out a few thunderstorms then headed to the baseball field to see Daddy’s team!

They lost… boo! We cheered Daddy up with our visit and took him for pizza though… I’m pretty sure all 3 of us were in bed at 9pm Saturday night! Ha!

Sunday consisted of a lot of relaxing… my kind of weekend! We went out to eat and to the grocery as a family and enjoyed spending time together at home.

Daddy took this adorable picture of you while I was getting ready. I think you look like him here. I’ve started putting a headband in your hair to keep your bangs out of your eyes. Ha!

32 Weeks!

32 weeks and I feel every bit (if not more) pregnant. Not trying to have a Shelli pity party but yesterday and today have been the most uncomfortable I have been this whole pregnancy!

Enough about me...
Heather had her baby Friday and we visited her Saturday.Emmakate is so precious and mommy is doing well. I believe they are coming home today so I plan on making them dinner (or getting takeout) for them sometime this week.

Our yard sale was very disappointing Saturday. I think my yard sale career is over for now. There were like 20 sales in our neighborhood it just seemed like traffic was down. I guess it was a combination of poor advertising and the heat??? We made enough cash to go out to eat but the time and effort we put into it was not worth it!

My cousin Rebecca & Aunt Laura had a shower for their future SIL/DIL on Sunday. It was a lovely girly afternoon. I love showers! The bride got some great gifts and everyone had a good time. Of course I took no pictures. :(

I was pretty much spent when I got home yesterday from the shower. My hips felt achy all day and some of that 1st trimester nausea started to creep in. I pray that it was a one time event... I really enjoy food and don't want to be nauseous!

Enough debbie downer-ism - let me tell you some positive things about today!

1. 32 Belly Picture

2. Lunch is soon - yay!

3. Our appointment is at 2:50. I get to hear baby girl's heartbeat.

4. Shopping - I have to return a few things at Target and I need to get groceries for the week.

5. Go home and watch yesterday's episode of True Blood with my lover C. Ryan!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Are you wearing green? If not, I just pinched you!

I don't really do anything to celebrate this day. Maybe I will do something fun when I have a little munchkin at home? Clearly there will be no green beer for me today... I don't drink anyway but I'm just saying!

So I have not really touched on a lot of topics that I formed this blog around lately because of my big news. But I think at anytime in your life regardless of what life events are surrounding you - you can live a healthier life, SHOP and save money!

Over the next 7 months - money - will play a big role in my life. We are working monthly to save and pay off some small debts in preparation to purchase a new family vehicle and prepare for the costs of having a baby!

You may remember (if you've followed my blog for a while) that I attempted a yard sale back in October. Read here if you're interested.

Well I had been planning on having another one sometime this spring anyway but then I read today's guest blog entry at Get Rich Slowly.

I am planning to have our yard sale sometime in April. That will give me enough time to prepare and get things together.

I know I will fit in my clothes once again after baby but there are some items of clothing that I just think I won't wear when I have a new role as MOM. So I plan on going through my entire, ridiculously large wardrobe of many clothes I don't even wear. Plus we have 2 spare bedrooms (one of which will be the nursery) to go through all the crap we have accumulated in 1.5+ years of marriage.

Hopefully some good spring weather will come my way sometime in late April/Early May and I can make some $$$ for the nursery fund!

Regardless if I make $$$ or not - we have got to get rid of some things.

Doesn't it feel so good to get rid of stuff? I mean we think we need all this stuff but we don't. I hate to be wasteful but I have no problem throwing stuff away. I try to think about what I would save from my house if it was burning and there are only a few things I would want.

Chris (husband) and Wilson (furbaby).

And maybe our wedding pictures - but even those I could get copies from the photographer. Anything can be replaced.

What would you save from your house if it was burning down?