Monday, July 30, 2018

Ways to Earn Extra Money (Without a Lot of Effort)

1.  Sell clothing to a consignment store


2.  Sell any item you own on Facebook Marketplace 

Go to Facebook Marketplace
Click on: +Sell Something
It will then ask you the following:
     Select a Category
     What are you selling?
     Price
     Describe your item
     Up to 10 photos


I always recommend you take someone with you when you sell items.


3. Ebates

I'm always skeptical of things - looking for a "catch".  In this case, I'm sure your buying habits are being tracked and data collected for marketing purposes.  For me, that was a trade-off I was willing to take.  I don't really believe things I buy on the internet are private anyway.  To date, I have earned $86 - but it really is for buying things I would anyway - I don't have to do anything extra.  Click the button below to sign up and you'll get $10 just for signing up (which will come to you in the form of a check, after a period of time)!
Ebates Coupons and Cash Back




4.  Sell Clothes or Accessories Using Poshmark


For sales of $15 or more, you keep 80% of your sale and Poshmark's commission is 20%. Once your sale has been delivered and received by your buyer, the earnings from your sale are yours. You can spend your earnings within the app or withdraw your money as cash whenever you like.

This is my sister Jordan's FAVORITE thing - here are her instructions:

Poshmark is my favorite place to get great deals on clothes! You can buy and sell on it and get the cash deposited for your items or even Poshmark credit to go toward your next order. It has every size and brand you can think of and people are always adding new clothes they are selling daily. It's really simple, here's the basics:


  • Download the Poshmark app or click here on your computer and set up an account - make sure to click the link that says "referral code" or "invite code" and type in autumnprincess and you will get $5 credit to spend!
  • List your items, (brand names are best, anything from Banana Republic or Maurices to Lily Pulitzer and Kate Spade)
  • Only list great quality items and be honest about any wear and tear on the item, take lots of pictures, be sure to show front and back of clothing.
  • You can make offers on items so the price isn't set in stone (I love making offers).
  • Once you sell something - congratulations! You print off the custom shipping label and drop the package off at the post office.

It's a great community and easy to navigate. You even get to personalize how you ship the item, tissue paper and a thank you note are encouraged! Some people even branch into selling wholesale or boutique clothing and make a profit. I have had a great experience with it, in my opinion it's better than thredUP because you get a commission for your clothes that are sold and there's a lot more inventory. Shop my closet and follow me @autumnprincess, as they say on Poshmark, Happy Poshing!


5. Find something you're good at and market that skill or service


If you like to bake, advertise that you are selling cookies or cinnamon rolls (I have friends that do both!), if you are a teacher and have created lesson plans and materials, sell those; if you play an instrument, advertise that skill.


6.  Earn Money from the stock market


from reading a blog, I learned about the app Stash, which brings the stock market to every day people.  For me it has been an introduction to the stock market - it's really user friendly and continually has new articles to help you learn more about it.  It's pretty low stakes for me - I invest $5 a month - but you get to pick where to invest your money and it's an amazing feeling to see a return on your investment.  Start investing with @Stash today! We’ll each get $5 when you use my link: Stash  

If you need any extra encouragement - check out FIRE Drill Podcast (which I learned stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early) here (or wherever you listen to podcasts)(also recommended by my sister Jordan!) (so many parentheses!).



Monday, July 23, 2018

Lava Lamp Science Experiment


I invited my nephew Henry to come over and planned a really cool science experiment for us to do together and it went GREAT!  I definitely recommend this activity - I think kids of any age would enjoy seeing this.

For this Project you'll need:
an empty jar
vegetable oil (to fill your jar 3/4 full)
food coloring
1/2 cup water
original Alka-Seltzer tablets (broken up into a few pieces)
foil covered tray to contain mess (optional)

Step 1:  Fill jar 3/4 full of vegetable oil

Step 2:  Get 1/2 C water and let your helper add food coloring to it, then let them mix it up.



Step 3: To make this a learning experience - at this point, ask your child to form a hypothesis - ask what they think will happen when they pour the colored water into the jar of oil.  That helps them understand the scientific method and develop critical thinking skills.

Step 4: Pour the colored water into the jar of oil.

Step 5: Let your helper add pieces of the Alka-Seltzer tablets into the jar.  


The result is so cool!  

Henry was 3 at the time, and kids that age don't have a very long attention span, but he was very interested and engaged in this experiment and even wanted to do it a second time.  I love the time we spent together and the memory we created.




Monday, July 16, 2018

Guest Room Planning




Lately I've been obsessed with pulling together my Guest Room/Library.  A couple months ago I bought a bed frame from Facebook marketplace and fixed it up, but that's the only thing in the room, currently.


I'm trying to come to a decision about whether to leave the room a light gray, which matches the entire rest of my upstairs, or paint it a bright white, which is what I had in mind for the space.  I'll probably paint it...but I need to be sure in my mind before I start.

This is the inspiration board I've put together:



The words I associate with this room are: guest room, black and white, triangles, bright, colorful, splash of color, books, library, reading room, youthful, comfortable, welcoming, happy

My next steps are:
decide if I want to paint, choose a paint color, paint
get a mattress, comfy chair, bookcase(s), and night stand
punch out vinyl triangles and arrange them on one wall
add textiles - curtains with homemade tassels, bedding, rug, pillows
style the room - books, lamps, wall decor

I'm excited for it to come together and to share it here and with any guests I may have!



Monday, July 2, 2018

Summer Window Boxes


I've lived in my house for less than a year and I LOVE that my house has window boxes, but I'm still figuring out what looks good in them and what to do with them each season.  Summer is the first season that has really worked.  I love pulling up to my house every day and seeing them!

Here they are empty in May, with the plants I picked out ready to be planted.


Newly planted

 About 2 weeks later - some really good progress

About 2 weeks later - looking amazing

The last week in June, I added this bunting and the flowers and plants went crazy (I did start using Miracle Gro liquid fertilizer - linked above) and I loved them even more.

Then I got new solar lanterns added and loved it even more!!

Have a happy and safe 4th of July!