Adding a little bit more to your budget doesn’t have to be a big challenge. It’s possible to make some extra cash without putting in a lot of effort. How? You can recycle or sell your old, unwanted items.That’s right—your trash could secretly be treasure.
Scrap Metal
It’s true that selling old valuables is one of the easiest ways to make fast cash without investing a ton of effort. Butyou can make a profit off of your junk, too. You don’t have to go through your jewelry box and get rid of precious family heirlooms. You can empty out the mess in your garage or basement instead.
One of the first things that you can sell for a profit is scrap metal. You can collect the old appliances and parts sitting in your home. Then, you can take your collection and head to the nearest scrap yard to recycle metal for cash. The more you bring, the more you’ll make.
You can bring ferrous metal. This is metal that contains iron. How can you tell? Stick a refrigerator magnet against the surface. If the magnet sticks, then there’s iron in the metal. Here are some ferrous items that you can bring in:
- House radiators
- File cabinets
- Microwaves
- Appliances (refrigerators, freezers, etc.)
- Cars
You can also bring items made with non-ferrous metals like zinc, copper, brass and aluminum to the scrap yard. If you’ve recently gone through some home improvements or an in-depth renovation, you will probably have a lot of materials that you can hand over for a profit. If you’re not using them, why are you letting them collect dust?Doing this lets you kill two birds with one stone. You can de-clutter your home and boost your budget at the same time.
Old Electronics
You know that you shouldn’t throw your old electronics in the garbage or recycling bin. E-waste isn’t supposed to go to a landfill or a standard recycling facility. What can you do with it? Bring it to a scrap metal facility that has an e-waste recycling program. They will dispose of your devices in a safe and environmentally friendly way, all while giving you a financial reward for the goods.
Here are some of the electronic items that you can bring:
- Computers
- Smartphones
- Keyboards
- Cameras
- Printers
- Speakers
- Video game systems
- Cable boxes
- Televisions
Old Furniture
It’s time to purge your garage of all that furniture that you don’t use anymore. Old chairs, tables, bookcases, stools and other pieces can easily make you some money, especially when they’re in good condition.
Consignment stores will also take your furniture, offering cash or store credit as a reward.Or, you can sell your furniture online by posting descriptive listings on websites like Craigslist, Kijiji and eBay. You can determine the price and even allow people to make higher bids, giving you more bang for your buck. It will be much easier than setting up a yard sale every weekend.
If you’re sitting at home and wishing that you had a little more money in your bank account, the answer to your problem could be right in front of your face. Take some of the old, unwanted items around your place and sell them.
