If you are looking for some extra cash to add to your savings accounts or if you're in need of money for an unexpected bill, believe it or not, there's a pretty easy way to come up with the cash. Really, the only things you need are an internet connection, a computer and a digital camera. If you have these things, you can list a few items on Craigslist and make some quick cash. This is a good way to make money without having to take on an a second job and you don't have to pay taxes on it!!

Stop for a second and take a look around your home. I'm absolutely SURE there is something that you don't use anymore and it's sitting in the corner gathering dust. Like the old saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure.  

 Image Courtesy: Orin Zebest

I recently sold a laptop and a TV stand on Craigslist. The laptop was just sitting around not being used since I bought a new MacBook. The TV stand was out in the garage taking up the precious bit of space I have left. In fact, if I wasn't paying attention when I got out of the car, I  would sometimes bump into it with the door of the car or my knees.  

If you want to sell your item quickly and for top dollar, remember these tips:

Description. Give a good, clear and accurate description of the item; including the item condition. For electronics, make sure you list the model number and specs of the item. For example, if you are selling a digital camera, make sure you tell how many megapixels it has and what the zoom is. If you are selling an item of furniture, make sure you include measurements. You don't want a potential buyer to get to your home and not buy the item because it was not the size they were expecting. Make sure your item title is specific and eye-catching. Make sure your buyers know how to contact you. If you are going to list your email address, you should probably create a secondary email so you aren't giving your primary email address out to total strangers (think spam). 

Pictures. Take good, clear photos of your item. I personally would not buy anything if there was no picture of the item. Putting up a stock photo is better than nothing but a photo of the actual item is preferable. 

Condition. Take a few moments to cleanup the item you are selling. My TV stand was all dusty and dirty and it didn't look good at all in that condition. I took a little time to clean and dust it and it looked good as new. I would much rather buy an item that is clean and in good condition instead of one that may be in good condition but needs cleaning. 

Price. This is very important if you want your item to move quickly. I'm not saying you should give the item away but it does need to be priced accordingly. If a new item is selling for $50, you don't want to list your used item for $55. If you aren't sure how to price your item, do an internet search and see what other similar used items are selling for. 

Using the tips above, I was able to get rid of 2 items I was no longer using and bring in about $500 in additional cash. I need to take some time to go through my closets and find more stuff to put up for sale. Not only can I declutter my home; I can make extra cash doing it. 
 
Have you recently used Craigslist to make a little extra cash?

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This is a guest post from the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), a non-profit dedicated to improving the financial literacy of all Americans. NEFE operates the site Smart About Money and have developed a series of articles filled with tips to help you make 2010 the year of financial freedom.  You can also find Economic Survival Tips, worksheets and articles focused on financial education related to housing, spending, credit and job change. Follow NEFE on Twitter at @nefe_org

Control Spending.  If you spend less you'll have more money available to pay down debt and save for the future. Write down your expenses for a month to see where your money is going. You might be surprised by how easy it is to find places to scale back.

Create a Debt Repayment Plan.  If you carry credit card debt, write down everything you owe and make a plan to pay it off. Start with small items you can act on right away–it will make tackling the bigger debt easier. Also, try buying with cash only. It’s a sure-fire way to prevent increases in your credit card debt.

Setup Auto-Savings Plans. Arrange with your bank or another financial institution to have a set amount deducted from your checking account to a savings account each pay period. Of the Americans who have been able to contribute to emergency savings funds, automatic withdrawal is the most popular method, according to the Consumer Federation of America. Here's why you need to save money.

Boost Retirement Savings.  If your employer offers a 401(k) plan, increase your contributions. If you don't have an employer plan, open an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and arrange for contributions to be made automatically from your checking or savings account.

Create a Long-term Plan. Write a list of your long-term goals, such as buying a home or saving for college or retirement. Visit the Life Events section of Smart About Money for concrete tips on accomplishing those goals.

Protect Yourself. Be prepared for the unexpected by making sure you, your family, your assets and investments are insured and fully covered. If you do not have a will, make 2010 the year you establish a life plan. Not sure where to start, Quicken offers a Willmaker program to get you going.

Find a Financial Buddy. Share your financial resolutions with a friend, colleague, or family member, and you’ll be more likely to keep them. Find someone else who wants to turn around their debt or cut their spending, and establish a mutual support system.

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In the last 1-2 years, the economy has certainly given us several things to be fearful of. Many people thought they had a secure job only to find that the next day, they were being given a pink slip or told that the company was going bankrupt. Many people thought that their home would almost certainly increase in value instead of the value dropping like a rock.

If you are like me and watched the value of your 401k disappear right before your eyes, that probably caused you some financial fear and a few sleepless nights. I can't even imagine the fear and anxiety of those that were close to retirement.  

It seems that many of us are only 1-2 paychecks away from bankruptcy. Most of us have no savings to fall back on if there was a major emergency. If you are currently in this situation, it is probably causing you to be fearful of the "what if's" in life.The good news it that the bad economy has caused many of us to start saving a little bit more. Hopefully, the trend will continue once the economy picks back up.

What about me, what do I fear? I have an irrational fear of running out of money. I fear some major emergency could come along and wipe out my savings. I fear not being able to pay my bills and losing my home. I fear that I will end up living on the street because I couldn't make my mortgage payment. I fear that if I were to run out of money, I would have no one to help me pick up the pieces. I know this is irrational because I have a great friends and an even greater family who would help me out as much as possible but I just can't shake that fear.

I just don't want to risk it and as a result, I hoard money. If you've seen my Savings Challenge posts, you know that I have a goal of saving at least $50,000 in my savings account by December 2010. I'm pretty confident that barring any major emergency, I can make this goal. Once this goal is completed, I will probably bump up the amount to $75,000 and eventually $100,000 by the time I am 35.  I think once I've saved six figures, I will feel a little better about my fear of running out of money.

What is/are your financial fear(s)?

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The following guest post was contributed by Christine Howell who frequently writes about Accredited Online Degrees and college related topics for Online College Guru, an online college directory and comparison website.

Even before you get married and start a family, it’s not too early to start a savings plan and stick to it. For those who already have a family, it’s essential to get them involved in your savings plan and invested, so to speak, in the financial process. Financial literacy is a hot topic of late, and for good reason; a clear understanding of how finances work is an essential life skill and provides a sound basis for future financial decisions.

One good first step toward involving your family in your savings plan is to enlist them in working toward a manageable short-term goal. Start small; a video game system, a trip to a local amusement park, or a weekend trip to a nearby tourist attraction can be suitable incentives for saving. It’s essential that the goal be something everyone in the family can look forward to and enjoy.

Once you’ve established the goal, it’s time to discuss ways of cutting back on spending in order to save money for the desired reward. Eating in rather than dining at an expensive restaurant, delaying purchase of a new t-shirt or a video game, and cutting back on costly snacks and extras may seem like small steps, but taken in aggregate these expenditures can mount up. By eliminating just a few of the luxuries you and your family take for granted, you can realize enough savings to achieve your goal quickly. As soon as you’ve saved enough money, carry through with your plan. Enjoying the reward is an essential part of teaching your family the value of saving for a goal.

Assign your children specific jobs and pay them for performing them rather than simply giving them an allowance or, worse yet, handing out money when they ask for it. Requiring your children to earn their money will create a twofold benefit; first, it will instill a work ethic that will serve them well in later life, and second, they will better understand the value of money as related to work. Encouraging children to save toward items they want can be an effective method of teaching the value of savings and promoting a lifelong habit of financial responsibility.


Another method for inspiring your family to participate in your savings plan is to initiate a profit-sharing plan. Large companies use this method with good results; the same incentives will work in your own home. By sharing a small portion of the savings realized through cutting back on luxuries and practicing financial responsibility, you can motivate your family to participate in the savings plan and create a fiscally sensible environment.

Finally, eliminate the secrecy that many families practice regarding income and financial decisions. Parents should make it clear that household finances are not to be discussed outside the family, but within the home, financial decisions should be arrived at openly and with input from all members of the family. By demonstrating good financial decisions, you can instill younger family members with an understanding of the elements of finance. This can plant the seeds for financial responsibility and prudent decision making that will reap benefits for their entire lives.

This guest article was contributed by Christine Howell who frequently writes about online degrees and college related topics for Online College Guru, a directory of accredited online colleges.

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