It’s Tax Time! Are You Ready?

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Image via TaxGeeks

Image via TaxGeeks

It’s one of my least favorite subjects but I’m forcing myself to talk about it because it’s important. It’s tax season and the deadline is creeping up. I know that this is a stressful time for people, and a lot of people worry that they might be accused of having unfiled tax returns or owing back taxes.

Just do it — and get it over with! Then we can make lists of things to do with your refund!!
Here are a few ways to get your taxes in order this year:

Evernote: You know how I love it. I use it every year to organize all the expenses that I want to keep track of and everything is easy to find when it’s time. Then you can scan or email your finished return right into Evernote to keep track of for years to come. It’s really the easiest method. Read more

Make Cash From Your Clutter

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Yard Sale!

Yard Sale! (Photo credit: moon angel)

I started my spring cleaning a little early this year, not only in the hopes that maybe Mother Nature will get the hint (crossing my fingers and toes that this ridiculous snow in the Northeast ends) but also to make a little extra cash! YES – cash for your clutter, what could be better then that?

PoshMark
Dig out those glamorous heels in the back of your closet that you love but can’t find another occasion to wear and let this app do the rest. You can set up an inventory of clothes, shoes, and jewelry to sell on the app or through their site. All you do is upload the photos, set the price, negotiate with customers, and voila you now have a little extra space in your wardrobe and cash in your hand. They make shipments super easy by sending you the prepaid packaging – all you need to do is add the address (because of this they take 20% of your sale). You can also browse through other “closets” in case you need to fill that heel hole in your heart 😉

ThreadFlip
This is a similar app to PoshMark, except if you don’t want to spend the time selling your items they will do it for you with their “full service” option (their take on your sale is 40% with this option, “list on your own” is 20%) . ThreadFlip will send you a free pre-paid bag, you fill it with the things you want to sell, and ship it back to them. They will then professionally photograph the items, load them to the site, and send them on there way when they are sold! That’s my kind of outsourcing!

Gazelle
I sometimes keep my old cell phones in case the one I have now suddenly breaks — that’s just the preparer in me. Well, this habit has now taken over an entire drawer, so I decided to sell them on Gazelle. You can sell old cell phones, tablets, Apple computers, and other electronics. Just enter the model, and the current condition and the site does the rest! They will send you a pre-paid box to send back your stuff and send you a check once they receive your package.

YardSale

If you have a random collection of things to get rid of I would try out this app. You can sell pretty much anything from a bike, to a camera, or even a car – it really is a virtual yard sale. Just upload the photo of the item your selling to your profile and set the price. The app shows your location so people can search locally (as well as nationally) for items they want! Maybe someone from the next block is looking for that Beatles poster you no longer want.

Etsy
If you are a avid DIYer and have suddenly found yourself cluttered by crafts this may be the site for you! Whether it’s mason jars, photo frames, or hand crafted jewelry, you can sell it to earn cash! Etsy allows you to set up an account and sell your products through the site. You will be a little more craft free, and who knows, you can actually make a brand for yourself!

Now go dig through your closets and earn some cash! Let me know which apps work best for you 🙂 Happy selling!

Fab Find: Get Paid to Shop

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I try to be the first one to introduce my friends and coworkers to new ways to save time and money, so when a friend of mine told me about Ebates she was completely shocked that I had never heard of it before! Ebates, “where it pays to shop online,” is an online hub of over 1,600 different stores – all of whom earn you cash back when you order from them! You can now also do an ebates referral to help you out a bit. Being able to earn cash back, how great is that?

Ebates is great because it gives you actual cash back for your purchases – there’s nothing to redeem and there are no fees or forms involved! Just by ordering things I already needed from Sephora, Shari’s Berries, and Soap.com I’ve already earned over $20 back! Sometimes, saving a little extra is the best gift you can give yourself, and that’s why Ebates is this week’s Fab Find For Good!

A few things to remember when you sign up: Read more

Productivity Gift Guide for List Makers

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gift-box

gift-box (Photo credit: premier-photo.com)

The holidays are a time for family and spending time with the people you love, but how easy is it to forget that while you’re freaking out about finding the perfect gift? Save yourself a little holiday stress this year and check out my guide to the perfect gifts for the list makers in your life.

These gifts are great because they keep on giving by getting you organized and helping make you more productive. I admit – I’ve put quite a few on my list this year!

1. Mighty Purse – Mighty Purse charges your phone in your handbag, a perfect gift for the modern girl-on-the-go who always needs to stay connected.  There’s nothing worse than being out of juice when you need to reply back to just one more email ($149)

 

2. Coin – Have you ever wanted to keep all of your credit cards, debit cards, gift cards, and membership cards on one card? You almost can! This gift won’t be available until Summer 2014, but you can pre-order now for 50% off.  The delay will almost make the gift better because your friend will get excited about how cool is it now and then all over again when it actually arrives ($55 with discount)

 

Read more

5 Productivity Tips For Black Friday Shopping

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christmas shopEven with some stores opening as early as 6 pm on Thanksgiving night, time is of the essence when it comes to Black Friday shopping if you want to score the best deals before time or inventory run out. I’ve personally given up Black Friday shopping all together in exchange for shopping early and scoring deals while still in my slippers on Cyber Monday. However you do your holiday shopping – it’s important to remember a few rules to shop smart:

1. One stop shopping. Stores like Amazon.com, Overstock.com, Target, and Walmart all carry a range of products from home goods to clothing to electronics. When you pick one store and do the bulk of your shopping there you’ll save time waiting in lines, money on multiple shipping costs, and the headache of tracking your “Black Friday Budget.” Read more