Setting Your Financial Goals for 2012: Making Money With EBay’s Selling Inspiration House

January 31, 2012 By 1 Comment

So, you are one of those people who makes resolutions each year.  And this year, you’ve decided to spend less and save more.

Admirable, truly.  But not always the easiest resolution to keep.  Let’s face it…budgeting is hard and making massive changes to a static budget (meaning your family income isn’t changing) is more than a little bit of a challenge.

So… you start with the basics:

  • 1) You write it all down.  All of it.  Yes, that coffee from Starbucks too.  You don’t know what to trim until you know what you are spending.
  • 2) Determine how much you would like to save.  Write this down too.
  • 3) Start to pay with cash only.  If you don’t have it in hand, you can’t buy it. Set aside money each week for groceries, gas, eating out, etc.  Once you have used those funds… you’re done for the week.
  • 4) Make Money. (What?)  Yes…. Make extra cash to add to what you can spend and save each week.

How do you do that?  I have just the suggestion for you – and the inspiration to get you started.

EBay.

But before you start to think I can’t….filling your head with excuses, know this: You Can.  And that money is already right at your finger tips.  It is in your home.  eBay has newly created the Selling Inspiration House to walk you through your home, room by room, pointing out not only items you CAN sell, but items that are currently selling well on the site.

You choose the room.

eBay highlights the best options in that room. Take your bedroom closet for example: shoes, vintage Levis, handbags, dresses and outerwear are all things you could list.

And even better… wondering what the going rate for those items might be? Stick with the Selling Inspiration House.  You’ll find those answers there too.

It is so much easier to get started than ever before.  EBay is taking all of the guesswork out of the process.  And don’t forget, you can always take a look at  the basic tips for begin­ners.

Good luck with that budget…. (and with that selling!)  Can’t wait to hear what you make!

Disclosure: I am a member of the eBay Parent Panel and am working closely with eBay, however, all opinions and experiences shared are mine alone.

 

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P&G Media Event: “Have You Tried This Yet?” Hosted by Celebrity Stylist Irma Martinez

January 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I grew up with P&G.  When my mom used to tuck me in….  I could smell her enter the room.  The last thing she did before she went to bed each night was cover her face in what was then Oil of Olay – now just Olay.  I could still pick the scent out of a line-up if asked to try.  It just smells like home to me.  I now use the same cream, though an updated version and I wonder if my sweet girl will have the same association.  I bet she will.

I also bet she will automatically reach for Tide and Charmin, for Crest and Vicks, for Cascade and Pampers.  All of the brands I gravitated towards long before I knew they were P&G.  I brought them into my home because they WERE home to me.  I grew up with them, I trusted them and knew they did everything I expected, from cleaning my clothes to whitening my teeth to fighting my cough.

This past week, I spent a little time in Miami with P&G learning even more about these brands.  I know…. MIAMI.  I do so love it there…. (what’s NOT to love?? and yes it was 80 degrees the entire time!)

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20120129-210928.jpgI digress….  I wasn’t there for the scenery….. though I did have some beautiful time to reflect.  The purpose of my trip was a P&G event called, “Have You Tried This Yet?” Hosted by Celebrity Stylist, Irma Martinez, I, along with media and a handful of other fabulous bloggers (Audrey McClelland, Vera Sweeney, Coleen Padilla and Ashley Nuzzo) spent one full evening being treated to demonstrations of the newest P&G products.

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Let me take you there….

 

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Five Tips for Keeping A Holiday Budget

December 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Staying on Budget over the Holidays is H-A-R-D…. I was recently asked to share a few tips on KMOV Great Day St. Louis…

Here are my suggestions for getting the most out of your holiday cash (and staying on track!)

 

5 Tips for Keeping a Holiday Budget

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Using The Supermarket Guru As A Guide

December 11, 2011 By 1 Comment

If I only went to the grocery store once a week it would be a small miracle.

In fact, if I only went twice… it would be impressive. Alas…. it seems I live there.  I’m always heading back for this…or for that.  You know what I mean, right?  You make a list, but forget something complicated, like bread.  Or your kids suddenly eat their body weight in oranges and need more.  On Wednesday.

Or even better… that new dinner recipe you were going to try out for the first time?  Well, naturally you forgot one of the ingredients.  And you realize it as you start to gather everything together to cook.

Such is the life of a fancy-food-shopping-making-and-preparing-mom.

So, it would make sense that I’m always looking for ways to simplify. And since I don’t have anyone to shop FOR me… the next best thing is to turn to the experts to make the process not only easier, less expensive (YES!  LESS EXPENSIVE!) but more in line with the healthy goals I have for my family.  If I’m honest, when I’m in a hurry, the things I reach for aren’t always at the top of the ‘good for you’ list.

Does the name Phil Lempert ring a bell? Known as “The Supermarket Guru”, Lempert is a food marketing expert and correspondent for the Today Show who helps families to understand food trends, save money and aim for healthier eating.  He is also a spokesperson for ConAgra Foods and a weekly contributor to their new site, The Dish.  Weekly he tackles a new topic, ranging from Holiday Food Safety to Milk Alternatives for families trying to cut down on milk consumption.

Each expert on the site can be contacted with questions and suggestions, so if there is a topic I would like him to address, I could certainly email to request he put explore it.  Little does he know I’m making my own list.

Disclosure: I have worked closely with Con Agra on the launch of The Dish and have been compensated for my time.

 

 

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Finding New Recipes For Your Family With The Dish

December 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I’m bored in my kitchen.

B-O-R-E-D.

I feel as though I’m serving the same old things.  I would detail them for you, but frankly, I’m a touch embarrassed.  Let’s just say they involve chicken and rice, chicken and pasta and well, chicken and….chicken.  I do throw some salmon in there for good measure.  And? I’m terrible at cooking vegetables.  Maybe because I have never truly liked them.

The truth is, I’ve been feeling decidedly uninspired.

(My brother would be horrified – HE is NEVER uninspired)

Why, you ask?  Likely for some of the same reasons you do. (I’m assuming you occasionally have this problem, yes?)

1) I’m not a gourmet chef -  I assume all fancy meals require ridiculous skill

2) Between work, homework, and small people activities, I don’t have that much time at the end of the day

3) I need something everyone will eat.

Now, there are LOTS of resources out there to help me, yes?  But I decided to visit my friends at The Dish to knock me out of my slump.  Hopefully this can kick you into gear as well.  In addition to a variety of food-related resources, The Dish has a section dedicated specifically to recipes.  Many sites, do this, I know…. but what makes this special:  with one quick glance I can see a picture of the meal, how long it will take me to prep the meal, the total time to make it (IMPORTANT), how many ingredients I will need AND how many people it will feed.  In only a few seconds, I can determine if this is a meal I want to try out on my family.

If a dish is only going to take me 25 minutes to prepare, I am far more likely to tackle something new – and risk trying something my small people (or husband) may be having for the first time.

And, in addition to the basic recipe section, there is a Seasonal Spotlight Category dedicated to dishes I may want to try during that specific time of year.  This keeps me feeling festive, yes?

Now… to decide…  what to try first?  I’m thinking I need to ask Supermarket Guru and Dish Expert, Phil Lempert, to go shopping with me….

Disclosure: I have worked closely with Con Agra on the launch of The Dish and have been compensated for my time.

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Givit To the People You Love On Video

November 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

My daughter can sing.

And by sing… I mean SING! Sure, I’m her mom.  Sure, I’m biased.  I’m happy to own up to it.  But given the opportunity, I also want the world to hear it.  Because I think she is that good.

One of my favorite songs of all time is Seasons of Love from the musical (and movie) Rent.  When she sings it, I lose all sense of time.  I’ve been known to bribe her with candy just to get her to sing it again and again.  But, the truth is, she is shy.  And though she sings easily as much as she talks, the second you notice her singing, or bring any attention to the beauty of her voice, she stops….she hides, she pretends she has lost the ability to sing.

Last week, I asked her if I could record her singing.  I wanted the people I love – my parents, my in-laws, her god-parents and some of my close friends to hear the magic in her voice.  I will confess… I might have begged a little. At first, she said no, but eventually acquiesced.

At the time, her daddy was out of town.

The recording is glorious.  When she finished….her little brother clapped and whispered to me, ‘that’s my girl!”.

But, she wasn’t willing to let me share it with everyone…. so, how to get this magic in front of the people I love.

My friends at 5Minutes for Mom gave me just the solution I needed…. they asked me to check out a new private video sharing service called Givit.  I shoot it.  Upload the video and share it with as many or as few people as I choose.  Easy and private.  Just the way my small girl likes it.

I win.  I can share Delaney with SOME.  Delaney wins, I haven’t exposed her beautiful vocals to everyone without her permission.  At least until she tells me otherwise.

I listen to it at least 12 times a day.  Her voice makes me that happy.  I promise to share her with you as soon as she will allow me.

This post is part of a sponsored campaign with my friends at 5MinutesForMom.  As always, all opinions and experiences are mine.

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What’s Holding You Back on eBay?

October 31, 2011 By 2 Comments

I have stuff.  Some might call it clutter (ehem… my husband).  But it has finally occurred to me that my ‘stuff’ – you know the cameras, clothes, toys, books, bags and well, everything else is truly worth something. You might think I jest – that potentially, I don’t have quite so much clogging my closets and packing my shelves, but, in fact, I do.

A few years ago, I decided to use eBay to sell a few items.  I had moderate success with old bridal magazines and a few articles of clothing, but I couldn’t get a handle on the shipping.  I clearly remember one set of magazines COSTING me money to ship to a ‘seller’.  It was at that moment that I became an eBay ‘buyer’ instead.

But now, I’m back and I want to tell you what has changed for me. (Aside from my desire to clear my clutter and make money doing it!)

My eBay challenges were:

  • Deciding what was worth selling.
  • Setting the correct pricing.
  • And shipping.  Oh the shipping.

But now, things are a mite different.

EBay has a Learning Center, for buying, selling and increases your productivity….and if you are especially committed, you can actually take a class in your area through eBay University.

I decided to pretend I was completely new to the process and I read through eBay’s suggestions on Tips for Successful Selling, as well as the Shipping

The Solutions to my eBay Challenges:

  • Take the time to sort through my items, but don’t feel pressured to do it all at once.

*I took 30 minutes, scanned through one closet and started pulling items out.  I know I don’t have to list everything at once – I’m not in any hurry.

*This gave me an idea of what items were listed for within the last 15 days, whether they sold or not

This whole-pretending-I’m-new-again process took me 30 minutes.  (of learning)

And finally – I’m listening and learning to people who are having success….like other members of the eBay Parent Panel – Eric Payne specifically.  I love that he has set a goal of generating $500 of ‘fun money’.  I’m trying hard not to copy him.

So, my goal for now, is, as he suggests, to start slowly.

Disclosure: I am a member of the eBay Parent Panel and am working closely with eBay, however, all opinions and experiences shared are mine alone.

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