With the holidays approaching, your wallet may be getting a little nervous. (Holiday spending is no joke!) So we called in frugal-living and personal finance blogger Lauren Greutman to teach us her ways when it comes to making fast cash that you can use for gifts.
RELATED: Ridiculously Easy Ways to Make Money From Home
Let's just say that in a matter of two weeks, Lauren made a whopping $792 using these websites, apps and tricks.
1. Send Old Books + Video Games to Decluttr
Decluttr is a free app that lets you scan the barcodes of your old books and video games before shipping them out for money.
"They will pay you cold, hard cash," Lauren tells us.
2. Sell Refurbished Old Furniture On Facebook Marketplace
Lauren found old window panes in her home, so she knocked the glass out, painted them with chalk paint and sold them on a Facebook. (She sold all four for $75!)
Just list your item on Facebook Marketplace, and then you can post your listings in local buy/sell Facebook group to spread the word.
3. Sell Old Cassette Tapes on eBay
Lauren sold a whole bin of hers for $175!
4. Send Old Shoes + Clothing to ThredUp.com
All you have to do, Lauren says, is order a clean-out kit from ThredUp, put all items right in the bag they send, ship it out — and they pay you cash.
"You don't even have to leave your home," Lauren says. Score!
5. Resell Thrift Store Finds on Amazon
Shop at thrift store for new items with barcodes, Lauren suggests, and scan them with the free Amazon Seller app to see how much you could sell them for on Amazon.
To give you an idea of the possibilities, she found a pair of shoes at a thrift store for $4 that were selling on Amazon for $55. Can you believe that?
6. Compare Prices on PriceBlink.com Before You Buy
On PriceBlink.com, you can compare prices across different retailers AND find coupons — all in one browser! (The range of prices for the bike that Lauren showed us in the video above is wild.)
7. Shop On Swagbucks.com To Earn Points + Cash Back
Not only can you earn points, cash back and gift cards if you shop within the Swagbucks portal — but you can also simply take surveys to earn points, Lauren tells us.
Typically, you can earn anywhere from 2% to 15% cash back on a purchase just by shopping through their portal. (Look out for high percentages on Cyber Monday!)
BONUS TIP: Get a ShopRunner Membership For Free 2-Day Shipping
Once you make that extra cash, you don't want to lose it — so never pay for shipping!
Most credit card companies give you a free membership to ShopRunner, Lauren says, which gives you free two-day shipping. Check with your credit card company to see if this promotion is available and then all you have to do is sign up and do your online shopping via ShopRunner's site to benefit. Who's mad at that?!
