Tag: making money

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Making Money as a Stay at Home Mom

Making Money as a Stay at Home Mom-Shipments!

I became a Stay at Home Mom after having my second son, and it has been challenging to say the least! I loved working but I felt that for me and my family it was more important for me to give up my career to be on the home front. Being a Stay at Home Mom comes with lots of challenges but one of the most challenging aspects of every household is money. I had the exact same salary as my husband so deciding to give up half of our income was not an easy decision. Over the last year and a half I have been trying to find ways to make money to supplement my husbands income and I am happy to say I am finally Making Money as a Stay at Home Mom! Here is my guide to making cash without any gimmicks or schemes!

Getting Started: Making Money From Home

I started my Stay at Home Mom money making mission by going through and purging my wardrobe, purses, and shoes. We all have those clothes we are holding onto from before having kids! Let me tell you, there is no way I am wearing low rise pants again…that just isn’t going to happen!

Ralph Lauren Blazer purchased for $5!

First, I started by listing my items on the buying and selling app Poshmark. In the beginning, I was simply selling the items I didn’t need anymore. As sales picked up, I realized I needed more inventory to keep my sales going! That is when I discovered my new business of buying and selling clothing, purses, and shoes!

To get comfortable using the Poshmark or Mercari marketplaces, I would first start by going through your items at home and list the items for sale you no longer use. This will give you an idea of shipping rates, the shipping and packaging process, and pricing and selling.

Finding Inventory: Thrift Shops and Goodwill

There are several places I find inventory for my sales; my own closets, Facebook, Goodwill, and local Thrift Shops. By far the best place to buy designer clothes at a great price is Goodwill and local Thrift Shops.

Patagonia, Columbia, North Face, Banana Republic, Ralph Lauren, and Tory Burch are just a few of the name brands I have found at my local Goodwills. The best part about Goodwill and Thrift Shops are the prices. These stores often have sales throughout the year, so keep an eye out to maximize your savings.

I purchased this Tory Burch Purse at Goodwill for $4.99 and resold it for $75!

Make sure you do your research and check whether the item you are going to purchase has a good resale value. I generally just google the item on my cell phone in store prior to purchasing so I have an idea of the resale price. Sometimes I find expensive items just by feeling the garment and then looking up the designer. Recently, I found a shirt at the local Goodwill that I purchased for $9.99 and the original sale price of the shirt was $950!

I purchased this Roksandra shirt for $9.99 it has an original sale price of $950!
I purchased this Roksandra shirt for $9.99 it has an original sale price of $950!

If you like to hunt and dig Goodwill and Thrift Shops will be your new favorite place!

Finding Inventory: Facebook Marketplace and Facebook Groups

Another place I find my inventory is from Facebook. I am apart of several online local Facebook groups that give clothing, purses, and shoes away for free. I pick up the free items locally and then resell them.

This is a Free Vegan Leather Diaper Bag I got on a Facebook Group and resold online for $30
This is a Free Vegan Leather Diaper Bag I got on a Facebook Group and resold online for $30

Facebook Marketplace often has designer purses in my local area at reasonable prices. Recently, I purchased a large Tory Burch purse on Facebook Marketplace for $60 and resold it on Poshmark for $140.

I bought this Tory Burch Bag from Facebook Marketplace for $60 and resold it for $140 on Poshmark.
I bought this Tory Burch Bag from Facebook Marketplace for $60 and resold it for $140 on Poshmark.

Just remember to do your research before buying on Facebook Marketplace. There are several scammers out there selling fake designer bags and merchandise. Also, always offer less than the purchase price. Just because an item is listed for a set amount on Facebook does not mean you have to pay that price. Haggling is your greatest tool on Facebook!

Dedication and Pay Out:

Typically, I check the local thrift shops and Goodwill a few times a month to keep my inventory fresh. I generally spend $60-$80 a month on new items. My average monthly income from buying and selling online is $1,000 a month.

For me, this is the easiest way to make money as a stay at home Mom. Buying and selling online takes a few hours out of my day. If the kids are having a difficult day, I can wait to do my buying, photographing, or packaging when they are sleeping. If you want to be your own boss while staying at home without any gimmicks this just might be the right side hustle for you!

Keep an eye out for my next blog post where I discuss selling and shipping on Poshmark, Mercari, and Facebook Marketplace! I will walk you through photographs, packaging, shipping, and site navigation. Stay tuned and happy hunting! Shop my Poshmark closet by clicking on the link for my ideas!

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Buying and Selling with Poshmark

Like any woman I LOVE to shop! Clothes shopping on a budget is hard. I generally put myself last in line for new clothes. The kids need clothes because they are constantly growing and my husband always needs something for work so my needs generally get pushed to the back burner.

After moving, I realized I had tons of designer clothes and bags I did not want or use anymore since having children. I could donate the clothes but I would not be able to replace them anytime soon with our current budget. I decided to sell my old designer clothes, bags, and shoes online to make money to buy new clothes for myself. 

I saw several advertisements online for the website Poshmark, Poshmark is an online marketplace where you can buy and sell new or used clothes, shoes, and accessories online. I decided to give Poshmark a try. The first step in the process is signing up for Poshmark and creating a profile.

www.poshmark.com

Getting Started with Poshmark

Poshmark is a very easy to use straight forward application. Once you create your profile, Poshmark will link you up with people selling brands you indicated you liked during your profile application. As a seller, you will gain followers based on the item brands you post for sale.

Before you start selling you should familiarize yourself with the companies guidelines and expectations. For every item you sell under $15 Poshmark takes a flat rate of $2.95 from your purchase earnings. For every item you sell over $15 Poshmark takes 20 percent of your purchase earnings. Poshmark covers the cost of shipping for all items 5lbs and under. Poshmark provides the seller with a pre-paid pre-addressed shipping label for every item sold. If the item you are selling is over 5lbs you will have to pay for the price difference at the post office.

Poshmark does not provide you with shipping boxes. Do not pay for boxes to ship! I am a huge Amazon shopper. I save all of my Amazon boxes and reuse them as shipping boxes for my Poshmark sales. If you do not have any shipping boxes sitting around your house, you can pick up free Priority Mail boxes from the post office at any time.

Listing Items on Poshmark

Now that we know how Poshmark works lets talk about listing your first item. Once you have the item picked out you are going to sell, it is time to photograph it. Getting a great photograph for your item is very important, you want to catch someones attention and stand out. Photograph your item with a visually appealing background and take as many detailed photographs as possible in good lighting.

Example of one of my sales photos

Once you are happy with your photographs, you will upload them into the Poshmark application where you will be asked several questions about the item. Poshmark has you list information about the item you are selling including brand, size, and color. It is important when you price the item for sale you are not overpricing it. Be reasonable and be prepared to drop the price of your item if it is not selling to generate views and new buyers. After you complete all the prompted questions you will post the item for sale and wait for buyers to contact you.

Be aware that most people will offer you a lower price for your item than what you originally listed it for. Poshmark allows you to counter offer, decline, or accept buyers offers. I have declined several offers from buyers on Poshmark because their offers were so far below my original list price.

What to Do After you Make a Sale

After you make a sale, Poshmark will notify you by email and send you a pre-paid shipping label. Download and print the shipping label.

Make sure your item is clean and folded nicely; I generally wrap my sale items in tissue paper to make it look more presentable. Place your item into your shipping box and tape it up. Attach your pre-paid shipping label to the shipping box with tape. Drop your shipping box off at the post office within two days of the sale of your item if possible (obviously there are holidays and weekends that can cause delays).

Once the item is shipped, you can track your package through the Poshmark app. The buyer has three days to review the purchased item and decide if they will accept the item. If they decline to accept the item it will be shipped back to you. If they accept the item the money from your sale will show up in the My Balance section of your Poshmark profile. Once the money is in your Poshmark account, you can request a check, request a direct deposit into your bank account, or use your Poshmark balance to purchase other items on Poshmark.

Buying Items on Poshmark

If there is certain item you are looking to purchase, you can use the search bar to try and locate that item.

If you find something to purchase on Poshmark, don’t feel like you have to buy it for the price they are listing it for. Try and get the best deal you can and make them a reasonable offer for their item. Be aware you will be required to pay for shipping. Poshmark does offer several deals throughout the year that include free or discounted shipping, so keep your eye out!

My Poshmark Experience

Eight months ago I listed my first item for sale on Poshmark. Since then, I have made $535 in cash off of items that were taking up space in my closet.

Although I have made a decent amount of money these last eight months, my sales did not happen overnight. I have some things that have been listed for sale that sit waiting for the right buyer while others fly off the shelf.

Poshmark allows me to make money with minimal effort. If you have a bunch of clothes sitting around collecting dust and you are wanting to make a little extra money, give Poshmark a try you will not be disappointed.