Money making apps have made it easier than ever to sell your stuff and make money online. No longer do you have to waste a Saturday holding a garage sale. Thanks to moneymaking apps, you can list from the comfort of the couch or bed and still make money decluttering your stuff.
Have you ever wanted to make money online by selling your unused stuff? Using desktop apps to earn money online can be a hassle, but there are money making apps that make it easy to get rid of stuff and make some serious money.
Getting rid of stuff you don’t use is one of the best ways to save money. When you have less stuff, you spend less on housing and living space. You spend less to maintain it. If you have a crowded apartment or living space but are hurting for cash, decluttering can be a budgetary lifesaver.
But just donating or discarding your stuff ignores the huge opportunity you have to use money making apps to sell your stuff. You paid a lot for that stuff – and you can definitely get some of it back.
For most people, there’s significant cash just sitting around their homes – cash they could use to pay off debt fast, put in a high yield savings account, or invest for future purchases or retirement.
If you’ve never used an app before to make money online fast, it’s really a simple process. I’ve been using apps to sell online for years – pretty much as soon as smartphones were released. Every month I net over $5,000 profit by just using apps. It’s a great way to make money online without ever leaving home.
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Table of Contents
How to Make Money Online by Selling Stuff
Here are the steps to make money online with money making apps:
- Identify the stuff you want to declutter. Go through every room in your home, including your bathroom. Make a big pile of things you think you could sell online with money making apps. Don’t overlook old toys, clothing, electronics, books, CDs, unused beauty products, and selling plush toys, for example.
- Pick a money making app you want to use to sell. The list below will help you figure out which app would be best for you based on the types of things you have to sell. Download the app, enter your personal info and payment information (how you will get the money into your bank account or Paypal).
- Prep your items for sale. That means wiping off any dust and gathering original packaging and receipts if you have it (stuff with original packaging).
- Take photos of your items. Use your smartphone or digital camera to take clear photos of your items, preferably at least 5-6 photos for each item. You don’t have to have a professional backdrop but choose a neutral background. Wood floors, brick walls, or plain colored walls make good backdrops for selling apps that let you sell online fast. Take photos in bright daylight or outdoors or direct a lamp with a CFL or LED bulb toward the item to show more detail. Take photos of each side of your item, from above, and underneath. You want the customer to understand the condition of the item from the photos alone.
- List your item. Included information about whether the item is new or used. Provide details about the size of the item. If you are listing a shirt or top or jacket, lay the item on the ground and measure the distance from armpit to armpit and from the shoulder to the hem. If you are listing a skirt or pair of pants, measure the inseam (from crotch to cuff) and the waist from side to side. Include those details and measurements in your listing.
- Answer questions about your item, if the buyer has them.
- Get some flipping shipping supplies. At the minimum, you will need some packing tape (this is my favorite kind on Amazon). I also package my items in clear plastic bags called polybags. These are the ones I buy on Amazon. I find they’re a great buy since they have a variety of sizes in one package. Get yourself a tape gun and some bubble mailers or boxes, and you’re ready to ship.
- Once the item sells, neatly package the item and ship it to the buyer. Most apps will let you buy postage online and then print it from a home computer.
Best Money Making Apps for How to Earn Money Online
When it comes to how to sell stuff online and how to earn money online fast, there are a lot of apps to choose from. Different money making apps are better, depending on the type of item you’re selling. Here’s how to choose.
Ebay – Best All Purpose Selling Online App
New, used, current, or vintage, Ebay is the app to use for selling most things online. If you’ve ever purchased something on Ebay, you can use that account to sell online for money. Download the Ebay app to your phone, log in to your account, and click the bar at the top that says “List an item.” You can enter all the details and upload photos straight from your smartphone.
On Ebay, you can usually get 50 free listings a month without paying a listing fee. After the item sells, you pay a fee to Ebay and Paypal.
Amazon – Best for Books, CDs, Movies, and Video Games Money Making App
Did you know you could earn money online by selling on Amazon? Amazon is one of the best apps for selling new items and used books and video games. To get started, download the Amazon Seller app and login with your Amazon credentials.
Choose “Add a Product” and type the name of the item you’re selling or even better, scan the barcode of the product packaging with your smartphone camera. Then tap “Sell” in the bottom right corner of the listing.
On Amazon, you don’t pay any fees until your item sells. You can choose to have your profits sent to your bank account or you can also receive Amazon credits (to spend on Amazon) for selling your item.
Pro Tip: Be sure you’re “grading” your items properly on Amazon to avoid problems. Make sure you note whether any textbook has writing or highlighting or whether a CD has a scratch or two.
Mercari – Best for Heavy Items (Also Great for Clothing and Electronics)
Mercari, like Posh, began as a smartphone app. Smartphone apps for making money are the best because their interface is extremely simple. As with other selling apps, you have to upload Item details and photos. The difference with Mercari is that their shipping rates are great, even for heavier items.
Mercari charges a 10% fee per item.
Poshmark – Best for Selling Current, Trendy and Vintage Fashion
You can make money online fast by selling things on Poshmark. Poshmark is only for fashion, shoes, makeup, and accessories, so you can’t sell video games there. Unlike Ebay and Amazon, which started as websites and later built apps, Poshmark started as a smartphone app. It’s very easy and intuitive to use.
Get started with Poshmark by getting your free $5!
Do you want a Free $5 to get started on Poshmark? Simply download the Poshmark app in your phone and enter [ berklanstyle ] as the personal invite code. You won’t get the $5 unless you use the code, though, so be sure you enter it when you download. It’s super easy.
If you’re a total newbie to earning money online, Poshmark is a great place to start. You don’t even have to worry about shipping options too much – you simply print the labels they give you and ship in any non flat rate USPS Priority Mail box or bag.
Poshmark charges 20% per item sold.
Decluttr – Best for Selling Used DVDs, CDs, and Video Game Consoles
Although Amazon is great for selling used media items, if your used DVD is valuable, they may restrict your ability to sell it (they may only allow professional sellers to sell certain items). Decluttr is an app that makes it super easy to sell your DVDs and other used media – they also allow selling of video game consoles and textbooks. [I’d still sell my old textbooks on Amazon, though, where the larger user base ensures you get the most money.]
Grailed – Best Money Making App for Mens’ Fashion and Clothing
Do you have a lot of mens’ clothing to sell? Grailed is the place to learn how to make money online to sell high-end mens fashion. If you need to declutter your mens clothing closet, download their free app and get started earning money online today.
LetGo – Best Money Making App for Items You Want to Sell in Person
If you don’t feel like messing with shipping or lines at the post office, LetGo lets you earn money online by selling items in person. You download the app and list your item, and then people in your area who want to buy it can contact you about purchasing in person.
Pro Tip: Only accept cash when selling your items in person to people via money making apps.
OfferUp – Best Money Making App When You Want to Do a Major Declutter
OfferUp is super easy to list on – post your photos and a simple description. Then buyers can easily contact you and arrange meetings to buy so you make money! Because of the speed and ease of use of OfferUp, it’s a top pick if you have a large number of items you need to get rid of as fast as possible. If you live in a more densely populated urban or suburban area, you will have even better luck selling via an in-person app like OfferUp.
How to Make Money Flipping
If you want to get started flipping stuff for profit and just don’t know where to start, check out Flea Market Flipper University by Rob and Melissa Stephenson. It is created just for people like us, who need to be given bite-sized tips & lessons on getting started flipping stuff, how to make sure the stuff you’re flipping is profitable, and where to find stuff to flip! (Because you probably just want to go straight to the side hustle and moneymaking without all the hoopla!)
This is the perfect course for you if:
- You want to earn an extra $500, $100, or even $5,000 a month.
- You have some debt you want to pay off or a vacation you want to take.
- You want to control your own hours or do something part-time.
- You want to start a business from home but don’t know how to get started.
- You want to make sure you turn a profit IMMEDIATELY.
As a pro flipper what I love about this course is that it’s a true shortcut to the info you need. I’m not going to lie, you will need to WORK because you’ll be running a business – but these guys teach all about the details that can trip newbies up when they’re starting a reselling business.
If you need someone to TEACH you how to sell stuff for cash, check out Rob & Melissa's course Flipper University by clicking here.
Do you have any other money making apps you use to sell your stuff? What is the best way you’ve found to earn money online with money making apps?
