How to Eliminate Clutter and Increase Your Cash Without Working More Hours or Getting a Second Job.

I hope you enjoyed that short clip of Chalene and Leslie discussing one of the many ways to make money online. It definitely motivated me to go looking through my own closet and try selling a few things on Facebook marketplace.

I started there because I’m on it often enough wasting time talking to people that I don’t know and will probably never meet in person. But really it’s because it’s free and it’s easy. And unlike a lot of other reselling apps, they don’t take a percentage of what you sell. So you keep what you make.

I ended up earning about $300 and that was just from some jewelry and boots. I thought that was a pretty good return on investment and got the bug to keep going. Since listening to Leslie talk about her success with Poshmark, I decided to go ahead and give that a try. I haven’t started yet, but I’m reading a book called Poshmark Unlocked by Shannon Jean, to learn a little bit more.

Like Leslie, he’s had a lot of success there and writes about through his own journey of what worked for him. So I’m excited to dig a little deeper into that as well the Poshmark app I recently downloaded. Again, I haven’t posted anything on there yet but I’m having fun playing around with it.

So there is a reason I started the podcast off with a money episode. Of course the most obvious is that it’s always on my mind and I’m sure others as well and now with Covid in our midst, even more so. With so much uncertainty I wanted to bring some hope that comes along with the financial opportunity we now have available through the internet today, which wasn’t the case not so long ago. I have been researching ways to supplement my own income for a while and wanted to share what I’ve found with you. That doesn’t mean you’ll resonate with everything, as I haven’t, but as I talk about what’s worked for me and others maybe something will stick.

Another very personal reason is financial independence, both in and out of a relationship. As long as I can remember I’ve done something to make money, even as a kid and up until my own kids were at a certain age. Then we moved and I stayed home and as happens my priorities shifted and my family became my only focus. That’s a whole other conversation.

Speaking of conversations, the financial expectations and roles of each of us was one we should have but never had. That was my first mistake. I say mine because I take full responsibility for it. I’m not a victim here. I can tell you this led to many arguments and a lot of resentment on both sides. Mine, because I always felt like I had to ask permission and if not, forgiveness and his for feeling, in his mind, like I was trying to spend all HIS money. The resentment started with the action but ended with the person.

My second mistake was not preparing for my future. Doing something, even on the side to make and save money, for lack of a better term, for a rainy day. As we’ve recently seen with Covid, the future is uncertain and we can’t predict something like an illness or even the expiration of a relationship. I was not prepared for either. But I should have been. By then, I did have a job but, low paying and more for flexibility than anything. And when that illness did hit and the relationship did end I was once again dependent upon his good graces to support me until things were finalized. Basically I screwed myself. I had given my power away by allowing my welfare to be dictated by someone outside myself. Never a good idea.

It was definitely the case that, for myself, I felt it was selfish to focus on my own wellbeing, like that was somehow a moral failing. Aren’t we supposed to put others first? Make sure everyone is happy to our own detriment? That was the message I got growing up. Now I know better and recognize how selfish and demoralizing that type of thinking that actually is. If we take care of ourselves we are much more able to care for others. What’s the saying, “You can’t give from an empty cup” ? Not only that but I have daughters and what message does that send to them? Put yourself last? Oh, hell no!

Money is freedom. Freedom of choice and opportunity. It opens doors and not having it limits our options and influences our decisions. I wonder about all the people who stay in relationships because they can’t afford not to. Or people who never get well because of the high expense of medical care.

And unfortunately, it’s often true that he who holds the purse strings makes all the decisions. So you just want to make sure that you’re holding those purse strings too. Having access to people who are successful in earning a living online and then learning from them is a chance to do that.

I get it, my story isn’t your story but think about your own reason for being financially free. Write 'em down, let them be your motivation to create financial independence. I can’t help, but look back and wonder what it would have been like had I realized this sooner, but you know, can’t go back in time and at least I can do something about it now. And so can you, so if this is something that interests you and you’d like to go deeper into the discussion with Leslie and Chalene, please check out the full episode it’s called “clean out your closet and make money reselling your clothes with Leslie Tucker” on the Chalene show.

If you’d like to go deeper into this discussion download the full episode "Clean out your closet and make money reselling your clothes with Leslie Tucker on The Chalene Show. Podcast link is in the show notes along with both Chalene and Leslie’s social media and link to the book I mentioned “Poshmark Unlocked”

If you enjoyed today’s show please share with someone you think might benefit and until next time, Thanks for listening.