Hence, the idea of living a simplified, minimalist life with far fewer possessions to weigh us down has its attractions. Indeed, the concept has spawned a lifestyle dedicated to a minimalist, uncluttered approach to modern living that rejoices in the advantages of owning fewer things.
Focusing On Rich Experiences
Stripping life down to its essential elements enables us to focus on rich experiences. In a world far more accessible than at any time in history, shedding excess baggage be it in the form of debt, furniture or daily clutter frees up time to dive into the deep pool of experience that lies out there waiting to be discovered.
So while many of us find the concept of slimmed down storage and cleaning demands, less debt to service, fewer things to organize and reduced stress levels attractive, many of us experience trouble in deciding just where to start.
Enter The World Of The Secondhand Marketplace
Now it is one thing to go through periodic bouts of decluttering, however, what do you do with your now-unwanted clutter? The answer is to sell off any unwanted items via an online second-hand marketplace.
Naturally, some of your formerly treasured items may have little or no value. Sadly you may need to dispose of them completely. However, there is usually plenty of items that other people will actually part with their own hard-earned cash.
Moreover, they will pay you to come to your place to pick it up and take it away.
While the process of selling can be lengthy think of every sale as contributing to the liberation of your soul while contributing in a modest way to your overall revenue.
By periodically purging your clutter, you will emerge financially healthier, while feeling freer than ever.
One of the best online second-hand marketplaces is Gumtree. It features sections covering different goods and services for free, so you are already saving money just by using the website!
Similar but specialized second-hand marketplaces include carsales.com.au, ebay.com.au, seek.com.au, auflatmates.com.au and airtasker.com.au. Unlike Gumtree, however, these websites charge a fee to list with them.
Still, these websites offer a huge range of goods and services that can be easily bought and sold. This makes decluttering an easier process and financially rewarding.
Old items you no longer use, goods you have upgraded from, can all find new homes, freeing up space in your home, in your head and in your life.
So, instead of having a closet crisis and shortage of storage, you can seamlessly transition to a more compact lifestyle.
You can even transform your de-cluttering urge into a successful online retail eBay.com business!
Cost Of A Cluttered Life
Living a cluttered life inevitably involves higher rents or a larger mortgage, removalist fees, storage costs and utility reconnection costs, all just to find a home large enough to house a lifetime of acquired possessions you just can’t do without.
How do you effortlessly shuffle those unwanted, unnecessary and unloved possessions out of your front door with minimal pain? Where can you have people keen to ask if they can pick up your unwanted items direct from your very doorstep and even pay for the privilege?
Gumtree is a great way to sell unwanted items but it can also be a handy option for buying at bargain prices. The second-hand market for a lot of goods can be a value shopper’s nirvana.
This means you can often buy great products at steep discounts. Let someone else take the financial hit and painfully rapid depreciation that comes with buying new. You can even sell you new acquisition on at similar prices to the ones you paid when you want to upgrade later.
This implies it is almost never a sensible idea to keep something around that you may only use “one day.” Sell on Gumtree today and buy back an identical or better item in a few years time, all the while avoiding that painful depreciation hit.
Think of Gumtree as a free storage facility. Better to sell it on Gumtree than have it clutter up your closet space or expensive self-storage.
If you have never explored the wonderful world of the second-hand market, here are some tips on selling and buying effectively.
Selling
After you make a decision to part with an item, devote some time to helping it look its best. Clean it up, wash or dust it and make it presentable. Next, you need a decent photo for the website. Pose the item against a nice background, light it properly if you can.
Shoot images from different angles as well as from close up. Write a clear, detailed description and post a fair price. It’s a good selling strategy to position your item under the higher end of the fair spectrum, as there is usually a great deal of aggressive negotiation.
Point out any blemishes or issues with your item up front as this saves everyone time and much aggravation. Blemishes discovered by a potential buyer when the item is being collected will often be used shamelessly to negotiate the price down, so you may as well be upfront with the condition of your item.
When it comes to selling, patience is a virtue, particularly for rare or uncommon items. Expect a surfeit of low-ball offers. These are annoying but are all just part of the rich experience. If your price is fair and reasonable, chill and have fun with the process. It is all a part of the ‘negotiating strategy.
Hang in there and if your price is fair and reasonable, then a decent reasonable offer.
Buying
OK, you’re not supposed to be doing much buying when you are actively minimizing your footprint. However, if you are going to make that strategic purchase, you may as well buy smart.
You will be amazed just how much free stuff is out there, particularly furniture. Check these out first to fulfil your needs.
There are bargains out there to be had, courtesy of the impatient or the frustrated. Always agree upfront on the price by email or on the Gumtree app or website.
This handy website complements the minimalist lifestyle and delivers great value for way less money.
Final Observation
De-cluttering is a financial force multiplier. Reducing your expenditure, particularly on clutter has a far more significant impact on your future net worth than step-changing your income for an equivalent amount. Permanently reducing recurring costs is the most effective way to create lasting wealth. Sadly, tax bracket creep, inflated lifestyle expectations and chronic stress undermine the wealth creation effect of a higher salary. If you can optimize your recurring expenses on things such as your rent or mortgage, car ownership costs, insurance, mobile phone plans, cable TV subscriptions and food wastage you will be well on your road to financial independence.
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