Trash To Cash & My Goals

This week I've been working on finishing up my construction estate sale and getting ready for a multi family estate sale this Saturday- look for pictures on Friday.  I only had 5 items to list on ebay this week, but the good news is... they all sold.   Here's my top two sellers...

 
Women's David's Bridal Size 10 Green Apple Cotton Dress.  I paid 1.00, it sold for 23.55

 
Women's BCBG Max Azria Size XS Slinky Little Black Dress.  I paid $1.00, it sold for 18.50.  My craigslist sales have been outstanding, but they've all been for my construction estate client.  My only personal sale was this 18" tall Industrial letter E that sold on craigslist for 25.00.

The customer who purchased it, is spelling "Eat In" on her kitchen wall- so cool!

 Lately, I've made mention of some financial goals that I've made for myself.  I had a few emails asking me to share what they are, so here goes.  Essentially, I'm trying to pay off a credit card AND meet all of the unexpected expenses that come with a family of 7.  We've taken a few cuts on our income this last year and had a few unexpected expenses.  We've also recently put two kids in braces- but mostly I just got lazy about my budget.  Even though I'm totally anti-credit card- I soon found myself with a sizeable balance.  When I quit working as a full time theatre arts teacher, 6 years ago, we cut our income in half.  I didn't know how we would be able to make bills.  However, through careful budgeting, a few sacrifices and lots of prayer- we were blessed.  Each day I could see the blessings that our family received.  Even though our income was cut in half- the next summer we took our first major family vacation which was a 10 day trip to Colorado- all paid for with cash.  A few years later My Dear Trash was born- which has been a huge blessing.  As our income increased I've become lazy with budgeting and not paying attention to my spending.  I also wasn't seeing the blessings as I did before- mainly because I was relying on a credit card to take care of unexpected expenses, rather than prayer.  We sat down as a family and discussed the situation and the kids took scissors to my husband and my credit card.  It was a leap of faith as we could instantly name $2,000 in impending expenses that we weren't sure how we would pay.  I can tell you that all of those expenses have been met.  I hadn't had an estate sale all year and now I have 4 in the works.  I've paid cash for my plane ticket to Savannah as well as spending money.  Ebay is my sole source for my credit card payment- with a goal of $250 per week, It will take a year to pay off my debt.  Craigslist, Qcumberz, estate sales, interior design, event planning and furniture painting will pay for one of our necessities:  FOOD and the extras like braces, unexpected expenses, back to school clothes, piano and dance lessons and home projects.  So why home projects when we're trying to pay off debt?  The home project that I'm saving for is actually a business venture.  We have a guest area that I call "the studio". It's where we store all of my stuff!  It's a little mini "Hoarders" I must admit.   I'm hoping in the next 3-4 months to convert the studio into a show room where I can sell my craigslist furniture and host future boutique type events for myself and other creative moms trying to earn extra income.   I can't tell you how blessed I feel to be given the talents I have and to be able to use them to support my family.  I'd love it if some of you would join me in the fight against debt.  Review your budget and see how much you can pay off in a year.   I find that when I set goals I stay focused and I'm able to accomplish things I never thought possible.  I'll keep you posted.  Love, Kelly.