The Buy Without Spending Challenge

What if I told you you could buy something without spending any money? You'd probably look at me crazy, but just hear me out. Here's an idea that may work if you are patient. Say you had a laptop that you were looking to replace by the end of the year.  Instead of earning money and saving or putting the laptop on your credit card, you could take a different approach. We'll call this approach the Buy Without Spending Challenge. 

Buy Without Spending Challenge 👀

Instead of using earned income to make a purchase for the Buy Without Spending Challenge, you would use the money you already spent to pay for the new purchase. Stay with me now. You'll determine how much you need to save for the purchase and then sell items you own and no longer use until you've saved up enough to purchase the new item. It's like recycling ♲ your dollars; you already paid for the item(s) and so whatever profit you make is like having a second chance to use some of the money you spent.  Once you have the total amount, you can then purchase the new item, and you basically haven't spent any new money. How cool is that? 😎

Where to sell stuff?💲

There are many places to sell your preowned items. 

Here are a few ideas:

• Sell to family, friends, and colleagues
• Word of mouth - let people know that you're selling this or that and to share with anyone they think may be interested. 
• Online - Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Poshmark, Gazelle, etc. 
• Amazon Trade-Ins - trade-in used electronics for Amazon gift cards.
• Garage Sale
• Flea Market
• Classifieds - is that still a thing?
• Game Exchange
• Consignment Shop
• Places that buy gently used clothes like Clothes Mentor or Plato's Closet 

Those are just some ideas to start with. Always use caution when posting items online and when meeting with buyers. It's essential to choose a method that you are comfortable with. If you go the in-person route, select a safe meetup location like outside of a police station, or try selling at a flea market or having a garage sale. There may be some fees associated with using different services, so make sure you're pricing items to make a profit - otherwise, it may not be worth your time. 

Are you Up for the Challenge?😉

Still with me? If you have a purchase that isn't urgent and you have the patience, this could be a great way to make extra money, declutter, and break even on a purchase. Why spend extra money if you don't have to? If you're saving up for something big like a car, you would need to sell some big-ticket items or really be in it for the long run (saving up for a down payment may be much more in reach).  I encourage you to walk around your home and see if you find some things that it's time to let go of that have value and could be sold to make a little money.  If you find some stuff, great, sell it. Once you've sold the stuff, then use the profits to buy something you were already planning on buying. Now that's a sweet deal! How nice will it be to have the new item without seeing a drop in your bank account?

Managing Money Like a Boss is about getting creative. You can buy without spending if you sell valuables you no longer use.