Great idea to bring in a little extra cash this spring!

Yours truly was checking out the latest personal finance tips on the social media outlets this morning and ran across a great idea for bringing in a little extra cash this spring--spring cleaning! One of the companies I follow on Twitter, Investopedia, published a short article yesterday on this very subject (Link: http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0412/Time-For-A-Spring-Clean.aspx#axzz1sgNZIMDq). Here is a short summary of the suggestions offered.

1. Get rid of those outdated or unwanted technology devices - old mobile phones, computers, gaming systems, etc... You'll be surprised what you can get for these items. Depending on the item, selling on eBay may be an option or even going into a retailer and "trading in" on a new device is likely to garner you a nice little chunk of change for saving.

2. Clean out the closet - sell those old bell bottoms from the 70's (well probably not!) and get rid of those gently used clothing items that are still in fashion but you just don't (or maybe never did) wear anymore. Again, there are several different options, such as consignment shops, thrift stores, and even online outlets where you can clear some space and bring home some cash.

3. With the dawn of e-readers and iPads and such, clear out your stash of old books, CDs, DVDs, and the like. You are still likely to get a good price on them and you'll make Mother Nature happy in the process!

All in all, this is a great personal finance strategy to employ yourself as well as share with your students in the classroom. Whether teens or young adults, I'm sure your students have a few extra things lying around that they could part with in exchange for a little extra money. And we all know our students can always use some extra cash. Furthermore, you'll be teaching them a valuable lesson in personal finance (just make sure you also teach the value of savings as part of the lesson--don't want them to spend every penny right away!).

This is a great kick-off into spring and something we all could learn a little from, for sure!