Spring is almost here and I’m rounding up some quick ways to clear the clutter and make some fast cash this week. Read on to discover how you can make money selling your stuff, how to use price checkers to sell and save, and how to avoid typical money-sapping activities. The results will surprise you and bring you happiness in the form of extra cash. Yay!

Some ways to lose money

There are plenty of ways to lose money everyday. Here are some examples:

1. You could throw the cash in your wallet out the window the minute you get caught by a speed camera.
2. You could screw up a $50 note in the simple act of ‘popping up the shops’ and throwing random items into a supermarket trolley.
3. You could throw some more money into the wind by leaving lights on around the house, having long showers and turning up your ducted heating.
4. You could then burn any extra spare cash you had by then paying those utility bills too late.

I’m sure you get my drift.

People throw money away everyday and they do it randomly, happily and without thinking about it. We are all way too busy.

Reasons you might need extra money

Perhaps you need more of the green stuff for reasons other than living costs.

Here are a few reasons I need some extra money right now:

1. I need to get to my brothers wedding in NZ in peak season, just before New Year’s Eve and with the whole family.
2. I’d love to buy the latest iPhone (the screen on my iPhone 5 is too small), so I can read text messages without having to find my glasses!
3. My kids want to buy their daddy a really awesome Father’s Day gift this year, rather than socks and jocks.
4. I’d like to buy a PS4 for my 10 year old for Christmas and they cost a more than pretty penny.
5. We need to finish our renovation project by Christmas.
6. Hubby and I both need new computers. Ours are getting on in life.

There are plenty more reasons for needing extra money but believe me, but I’d take up too much time listing them.

In summary

1. People throw money away daily without noticing. So, we need to find ways to save more and spend less. Period.
2. We could all do with more money for the extras in life. So, we need to find ways to make extra money. Period.

How to make $400 without working

To get started on this week’s quick moneymaking venture, watch my video on how to make up to $400 this week without working. Trust me. I do this exercise every six months and the tips here will transform your finances overnight.

Here’s the big tip

It’s not what you’re making. It’s how you are saving and not spending it.

7 fast and practical ways to make quick cash this week

1. Spare Change

This is how my kids currently make money, but truthfully – this works for anyone and you can do this right now. Become a scavenger in your own house and peck around like a little pigeon for all that lose change.

Here are some great spots to look:

1. Under the bed
2. Inside the washing machine (the rubber insert inside the door)
3. The junk drawer
4. In desk drawers and bedside tables
5. Pockets of jackets and pants (Raid the wardrobe!)
6. Behind the couch
7. In the car between and under the seats
8. In the crevices of the sofa and under it
9. Under carpets and rugs
10. In your wallet of course (that secret pocket you don’t check much)

Action: Go on a scavenger hunt right now or when you get home from work. Put some fast coin in your pocket today.

2. Sell Your Stuff

Spring is almost here and if you are like me, you are already looking at the piles of junk that accumulate over winter. Now is the perfect time to take a good look around your home and find ways to clear the clutter while you make some fast cash on the side.

My favourite site is Gumtree because I’m finding auction sites like eBay now have inflated prices due to their auction-style listings. I love Gumtree because sales are fast, people turn up, pay you cash and then take your unwanted items away. It’s a real win-win. Plus there are hundreds of bargains to be found.

I also love their app, because I can walk around my house, photograph the items I’d like to sell and immediately list them – right there on the spot.

Here’s a list of just some of the savings I’ve made this year on my renovation using Gumtree:

1. Caesarstone kitchen bench $200 (worth $3000)
2. 900mm oven $200 (worth $1000)
3. 500 carpet tiles at $1 each – $500 (worth $2000)
4. Brand new kitchen cabinets made to measure – $780 (worth $2500)
5. Sliding doors – $1200 (Worth $4000)

If it weren’t for Gumtree I would have spent a total of $12,500. Instead I’ve spent just $2880 for a new kitchen plus oven, carpet for the whole house and sliding doors.

As you can imagine I am absolutely chuffed to have saved close to $10,000 through spending time on Gumtree!!!

And they also have a great tool for sellers who would like to get the pricing on items right. The tool is called Price Checker and is great for items such as consumer electronics. If you are a seller you can determine the right market price for your item. For example, if you are selling an iPhone, this tool will determine the best price for listing your iPhone. As a buyer, you can also be assured you won’t be paying too much for the item or you can find out its value before making a purchase.

If you are planning to sell your stuff and clear the clutter this spring, be sure to use techy tools like Price Checker to simplify the process and to make listing your items super easy.

Action: Download the Gumtree app and start listing a few items for sale. You could have extra cash in your pocket as early as this evening, tomorrow or by the end of the week.

3. Take back returns

I am sure you would agree that returns are a pain and people tend to stash them away in cupboards for a time when they might take them back.

Here’s the big tip with returns:

1. Never stash a return in a cupboard
2. Place it near the front door or in your car

This way, next time you leave the house or are at the shops in your car, you will remember to return the item.

Action: Go around the house right now and collect up all those returns you’ve been ‘meaning to take back.’ You could rack up some fast cash today!

4. Slash expenses

As modern consumers with busy lives it is easy to let subscriptions and direct debits runaway with us. Spend time this week going through your accounts online. Download a report for the past month and mark expenses on the list you can cull. Be ruthless with this exercise.

Try to find ‘free versions’ of the same item. For example, if you have Foxtel or Netflix, consider investing in a box (e.g. Apple TV) for streaming YouTube or Internet to your television. Quite unused gym memberships and find a mortgage or insurance brokers to drastically reduce your expenses.

Persevere with this exercise until you cannot find anything else to take away. You’ll be left with a substantial increase in cash flow next month! Yay! Reward yourself for all the hard work using a portion of the savings! Now, put the rest away for an emergency.

Action: Block out time on your calendar this week to go through this month’s expenses. Spend an evening while watching TV slashing online subscriptions or emailing companies with cancellations. Make a list of the savings to record your progress.

5. Skip a grocery shop or cook in bulk

Groceries are a huge weekly expense and you can save thousands each year just by skipping a grocery shop. I do this regularly and in fact, I don’t plan trips to the supermarket unless they are absolutely necessary. Use up everything in your home before venturing into a grocery store. The reason you should avoid ‘going up the shops’ at all costs is that marketing is extremely strong in supermarkets. So, even if you are popping it to get milk, it is likely you will return with much more than just milk. The less trips you do to the shops the better – period.

Tip: Always stock up on long life milk, bread (for the freezer) and items that might cause you to do those ‘quick trips up the shops.’

Action: Heading to the shops tonight or sometime this week? Stop! Go back inside, rummage around your fridge and freezer and challenge yourself to a cook-up using what is in the house. Share your creations in comments below.

6. Pay your bills as they come in

While you may like to do this task in bulk, it might be equally effective to simply pay bills as they come in. Do this particularly for electricity and gas bills, which incur heftier fees if they are not paid on time. If you get into this habit, you will reduce the risk of being ‘over your head’ with bills and you will always have a fair idea of what is really in your bank account.

Action: Get out any bills sitting on your desk today and pay them. Do this every day this week – if funds allow.

7. Stay home – it costs money to leave

And here’s the simplest tip of all:

Leaving the house costs money. If you get better at finding things to do at home (i.e. find a hobby) you’ll save money. Period. Alternatively, find outdoor adventures such as gardening, a walk or bike ride, that don’t rely on a travel costs, your car or paying someone something.

Action: Write down two activities you do outside the home that are costing you money. Now find an at-home replacement for these activities that will save you money.

Have you got some great ways to save or make money this week? Be sure to share them in comments below.