Clare Kumar

Powering Up Productivity & Pleasure

Reduce-Reuse-Recycle

Turn your stash into cash – Easy steps to get rid of things you don’t want

Paid partnership with Ebay Canada. Opinions, as always, are my own.

Do you have things lying around or perhaps worse, piled up which you’ve been intending to sell? Yet, for some reason you just haven’t got around to selling them? You’re not alone!

I live in a fairly small condo and have had a large suitcase-sized bag of a few items, mostly brand new and never used that have been taking up space and nagging at me to move them along. Shortly after I moved in a few months ago I did sell a lot of organizing supplies that I no longer needed through a local marketplace, almost all of which went to one buyer. This was a good return on time invested, but other items just seemed to go nowhere and I got tired of being pitched bottom dollar amounts. In the end, I gave a few items to friends, which felt good, but it didn’t help my pocketbook.

 

I thought I’d take a closer look at what’s involved to break it down into simple steps to see what might be getting in my way, and perhaps yours. If you have a few items to sell, you have two options in following these steps to see your items:

  1. Address each step for all the items you wish to sell – effectively batching the jobs with the goal of saving time.
  2. Complete all the steps for one item at a time

I found that while batching felt like I was being effective, it meant that it delayed the ultimate sale of everything and eliminated any sense of momentum. I lost engagement in the activity, so next time I will be completing the steps item by item.

I also realized when the return on investment of resources was too small, I was much less motivated to make selling the item a priority, hence the importance of setting a time limit in Step 1.

 

The 10 Simple Steps to Selling Your Stuff

  1. Decide you’re letting go of the item and set a time limit to do so. It’s taking up space and mental energy and you can use both for better purposes. If you haven’t sold it by this date, then it’s time to donate. Be honest about what really matters to you – your Space, Time, Energy, Attention, or Money. Don’t run out of STEAM™! (More on this in another post.)
  2. Research value of item and set price. Search online to find out current market value for a similar item. Be realistic. Item values vary and may not be what you anticipated. If you’re not going to achieve the fee you desire, reevaluate the investment of resources (STEAM) you will make.
  3. Decide on the delivery area (market size) and determine shipping method and fees. The broader your delivery area, the greater your chances of selling the item.  If you decide to ship, this means taking into account packing material, time and shipping costs.  It can be advantageous to include shipping fees in your price to keep the purchase decision simple for the buyer.
  4. Gather specs. Take well-lit photos from useful angles and include measurements. Take packing material weight and dimensions as well. Keep details in a file labelled “To Sell” so you can find them if you get interrupted.
  5. Write the listing with a straightforward heading. Use the keywords shoppers will use when they search. Anticipate questions and format the listing to invite easy reading.
  6. Set terms and conditions. If meeting to exchange the item, ensure you meet in a safe public place. Decide if you will accept refunds or not.  Figure out how much time it will take you to ship the item or meet the buyer.
  7. Publish the listing on a sales platform. Decide which market place to use and respect its requirements. For the broadest reach, check out ebay, which started as an auction site and now includes the opportunity to sell for a fixed price.  It’s ideal for high value, low weight treasures. Canadians – see a great offer below.
  8. Engage with interested buyers. Be prepared to answer questions about the item…even if you have already provided the information. Not everyone reads the details.
  9. Prepare item for sale. Pack carefully to minimize movement and buffer any impact which will help keep the item from being damaged in transit.
  10. Deliver the item. Ship or hand over the item within the timeframe you have specified. If you’ll continue to use an online marketplace this is a good time to ask for a review.

I hope this helps you regain some space, reduce mental clutter and restore energy and attention, all while making you money! That’s winning x 5!

Ebay.ca offer for Canadians

Until January 5th, 2020, Canadians can take advantage of listing up to three items for which they’ll be charged no commission. Visit www.ebay.ca/sellforfree for more information.

 

 

 

 

Choose wisely in the “dark half” – Smart food choices, inspiring desk accessories and a printer worthy of display

If you’re in the northern hemisphere, in October we’re entering the “dark half”. Have you noticed the light slipping away? According to www.timeanddate.com, we receive about 3 minutes less sunlight each day. If you’re like me, this translates directly into less energy and this can hamper productivity. I want to hold onto my spark in the dark, so, it’s especially helpful to find products and services that help me do what I need to do while respecting my STEM Resources™ of Space, Time, Energy and Money.

 

1. The printer that truly respects your resources

The HP Tango printer saves space, time, energy and can even save you money, all with a much-appreciated sense of style.

Spending more time inside means we notice our surroundings that much more and if cluttered, they can cause stress. I’ve seen many home workspaces with printers that have made the room feel somewhat institutional. Not every home has the luxury of a dedicated office so it can be a huge win to find a printer that combines style and function.

sleek white printer on top of cabinet
The gorgeous lines of the HP Tango printer.

The HP Tango printer with its clean, compact, simple, and elegant design is a space saver. It fits neatly on 16” shelves and with WiFi and remote access via the HP Smart app, you can place it almost anywhere. With a choice of complementary covers, it can be integrated even further into your space.

Cork cover conceals the HP Tango printer
The HP Tango printer is cleverly concealed in this stunning cork wrap.

Check out how this cork cover complements the medium wood tones I have in my office. There is a grey linen cover available too, if that’s more your colourway.

That’s great for space, but what about time, energy and money? The HP Tango Instant Ink program has got you covered. You can subscribe to automatic ink delivery based on the number of pages you print per month. No more worrying about choosing between colour or black and white. No more running out of ink at the wrong moment. For peace of mind, flexibility is built-in as unused pages are rolled over and applied to pages in addition to your monthly allowance.

As a bonus, photos under 5×7” don’t count towards your page limit. Sweet!

In addition to your resources, HP is also respecting those of the environment. Cartridge recycling and shipping is included. You can wait to send a few cartridges back at once to minimize the number of times you ship.

Using plastic from recycled printers and other electronics, the HP Tango is made with more than 30% closed-loop recycled plastic by weight. HP Original ink cartridges are made with 48 – 73% recycled plastic, and HP-branded paper with 100% certified fiber or recycled content.

 

For more information about the HP Tango, visit this page.

For more information about the Instant Ink program, visit HP Instant Ink.

And for information on recycling cartridges, check out the HP Planet Partners program.

 

2. Add some design savvy to your desk

Finding stylish office accessories has never been easier thanks to the latest collaboration between Canadian design icon, Joe Mimran, and Staples Canada. Mixing function and fashion, here are a few treasures from the line to keep you happy at work this winter.

 

sleek office accessories in grey, silver and black

 

In this photo:

  1. Large Pad Folio in Gray – Make the best use of both technology and good old paper with this refined Pad Folio complete with integrated device stand.
  2. Keep your pens and loose change from cluttering your desk in this sturdy terrazzo organizer
  3. Focus Tip: Add a calming scent to the sophisticated ceramic diffuser to promote attention in a more comfy, less dry atmosphere.
  4. Listen to some energizing music via this cloth-covered wireless speaker

 

sleek desk clock in silver, beside ceramic black diffuser

 

5. Keeping track of time never looked so good. This sleek, silver desk clock will wow your clients for less than you think.

6. Worthy of gift-giving is this pen in a compelling combination of metal and wood in its very own metal case.

For more, search the Gry Mattr line at www. staples.ca

 

3. Making smart food choices just got easier

Eating nutritiously is important all year round, but as the temperature drops, I prefer more cooked food and shop a little differently. no name® brand foods have been in my shopping cart for years (the brand was launched in the late 70’s!) for these reasons:

  1. The products I’ve tried have consistently been of good quality.
  2. The packaging has been easy to understand and comes in handy when labelling storage containers at home.
  3. I’ve consistently saved money when compared to other brands.
bag of oats beside container the oats will be stored in
Organizing tip 1 – Transfer produce in bags into easy to manage storage containers.

 

Oats in container beside can of hot chocolate and bottle of honey to show easy to read labels
Organizing Tip 2 – Use the packaging to make a label. no name brand labels are so easy to read they make for perfect in-pantry labels, too.

But what really got me interested in working together was the launch of no name® Simple Check™ products. I first noticed the no name® Simple Check™  symbol on my favourite sour cream and onion potato chips in the spring of 2019. I thought it was just a package redesign. I’ve learned there is more to it than that.

New and old package designs to show design changes including coloured titles and the simple check symbol
The new package design on the left will be replacing that on the right.

 

New packaging is on the left with the Simple Check symbol. Colour has been added to the product names for easier recognition in the pantry, as well.

The no name® Simple Check™  symbol indicates the absence of 10 specific ingredients which I prefer not to ingest including synthetic colours, artificial flavours and monosodium glutamate (msg) I invite you to visit the Simple Check™  website to find out more.

The no name Simple Check  symbol quickly reassures me that I’m buying quality food,  eliminating the need to pull out my reading glasses, find the ingredients on a package and read through it slowly! This saves me time and aggravation and helps me make better food choices.

 

This post is sponsored by Loblaw Companies Limited, Staples Canada, and HP. As always, opinions are my own.

I work with organizations to deliver sustainable performance.  If you know of a forward-thinking company who wants to achieve objectives and help their leaders and teams avoid disengagement and burnout, book a Discovery Call to learn more about a range of engaging talks and effective coaching and consulting.

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