Trade With Me!

The rise of internet shopping over the years has proven to be both a positive and a negative for both myself and consumers in general.

The upside is that I have been able to purchase things from overseas that I wouldn't normally be able to access and some years I have chosen to do all of my Christmas shopping from home and avoid the crowded malls. People have still be able to buy things they need while in lockdown with COVID and businesses have been able to continue in business.  I can shop in my pyjamas if I want to and I can visit a wide number of "secondhand stores" around the country all in one night without leaving home saving petrol and allowing me to find things I want that I didn't even know I wanted until I started browsing...

The downside is obvious! I (and many others) have been able to spend money easily. I can shop in my pyjamas  or at any time of day and therefore buy things I might not have necessarily have bought. I have found things I want that I didn't know I wanted at the time and made them mine... Too easy!

Now it isn't all bad as I have been able to save some money on purchases I had to make by being able to compare prices online. I have also bought some items that I absolutely cherish and would never have got if I hadn't been able to find them online. But what I need to do is use online trading to make me some money back rather than let me spend money and I need to be disciplined.

After the Christmas period the VISA bill is looking rather large and as I am taking a leave of absence from my job and not earning any money it is even more imperative that I stay away from the online stores. When I am relaxing and checking my social media and finding myself avoiding doing other things I have to be disciplined and put my phone down before I find myself drifting to Trademe. This is the online trading site we have in New Zealand (akin to Ebay). It is a treasure trove of things to look at and purchase and I have to stop looking!

Instead I have taken time over the last couple of days to list items I want to sell to clear out the items that have been cluttering my study floor and my hallway and allow someone else to get a bargain. The ultimate in recycling! It will not make a large amount of money but every little bit helps and that money takes up a lot less room in my house than the items I am clearing! These beds in my hallway are a case in point!

The other benefit of doing this is it is teaching my kids about selling things they no longer want or need rather than having those items sit around in their rooms doing nothing and devaluing. We have done this over the years with purchases of new phones - they have been able to accept buying a reconditioned phone as it is more cost effective and better for the environment - and they have always helped finance this by selling an old device which nets some money towards the next item. Toys are the other thing that they have been able to get some money back on and my cash strapped university aged daughter is discovering the joy of getting some money back from things she no longer wants. The idea that someone else will get some joy from something they no longer use is a bonus!

Have you ever tried selling online to turn your unwanted items into some hard earned cash to use elsewhere? If not give it a go as you might find you get hooked!