Organizing a Successful Garage Sale

Image credit: Eastlake Times (flickr.com)

You are relocating soon and you’re working on finalizing your list of things to bring. Along the process, you realize you no longer need some items and you want to get rid of them. Want to make some extra cash at the same time? Then having a garage sale can be an excellent idea!  

Basically, a garage sale means selling some of your belongings for a cheaper price that you got them. As the name implies, this is typically done in the garage but do not feel limited by that definition. You can have it in your yard and call it a yard sale or something.

What’s most important here is that all the items you want to sell are properly displayed. For example, you need to make price tags for every item. Doing this will help minimize the instances wherein different buyers will bug and ask you for the price of the same item. Also, this is a good way to ensure that you have a fixed price in mind for every item. You can price everything with the help of a marker and several pieces of paper.  

Of course, itemizing can make your items look more organized. Everything will look better if you put them in the right places. For instance, hang all the clothes together and put all books and magazines in a table. You can even go further by using size dividers for the clothes so that buyers will not have to look through every single clothing item. Just put a sign that specifies the sizes and that will be extremely helpful for buyers.

Whenever possible, offer in bundles to make it more attractive for buyers. You may have lots of magazines, comic books, and other reading materials at home. Instead of selling them per issue, you may want to sell them in bundles so that you can dispose them quicker. 

Do not forget to get help from family members. You’ll likely have your hands full as neighbors and passers-by visit your place. It will be most effective if you can have some of your children or relatives deal with some of the clients. You can avoid feeling too overwhelmed if you do this.

With adequate planning and preparation, you’ll definitely have a successful experience in organizing your garage sale. Although some would argue that selling online is still better if you want to earn more money, an old-fashioned garage sale is still better because you’ll have no competitions at all - except, of course, if your next door neighbor is also hosting a sale. You’ll have extra earnings you can later use as you relocate to your new home!

What to Bring and What to Leave Behind

Image credit: Sean Oliver (flickr.com)

As the title of this article suggests, I am hoping to provide some helpful insights for those who will soon be relocating. Without a doubt, everyone who needs to pack things and move to a new home has encountered this question. This can be particularly difficult to answer especially if you have accumulated a lot of stuff throughout the years.

Here are a few more questions to help you decide whether items are worth-bringing or not:

Are you emotionally attached to it?

Perhaps most important of all, you need to assess whether an item is important to you for emotional reasons. Is it a souvenir from an important life event? Has it been given by someone? Is it a favorite object from your childhood or something that has value to your entire family? If so, then those are valid reasons to keep the item. 

Is it still useful to you?

Aside from emotional attachment, another determining factor is whether an item is still useful for you or not. Think! When was the last time you really used the object in question? If, for instance, it’s a pair of shoe you are no longer wearing then it’s probably best to throw that away.

Must-Brings

Of course, there are some things that should definitely be brought with you as you relocate. Personal and financial documents are never optional. Passports, birth certificates, IDs, loan documents, mortgage papers, and others. Jewelries and antiques are also important because they are valuable. If you have any collection such as figurines, books, or anything else, then those should also be included.

As for the rest…

Some items are optional and so you might want to get rid of them either by selling or donating them instead. If you’re feeling generous and if you can find a local organization that needs, say, used clothing, then it will be a terrific idea to get in touch and bring the goods to them.

Alternatively, you may consider selling your stuff. If you have the convenience of extra time, you can offer the items online through eBay or even Facebook. If this is not possible, another option is to organize a garage sale so that interested buyers can drop by and buy what you have.

Speaking of which, I’ll be writing an upcoming blog about how to organize an effective garage sale. I will be covering the basics of how to make such an event successful so be sure to stay tuned for that.  

5 Tips to Make Relocating More Efficient

Image credit: Joanna Bourne (flickr.com)

Moving to a new home can be quite exciting – and tiring, at the same time!

Besides, this can require a lot of work on your end. Preparation can be very time-consuming and so it should be done right. Read on and I will give a few tips about how you can make your move efficient and hassle-free.

Pack Early

First off, you have to understand the negative consequences of last-minute preparation. A better idea is to get started with your packing chores at least several weeks before the scheduled departure. Create a list so you can plan ahead. Try to figure out what items should be brought and which ones should be left behind.

Plan Your Move

Of course, you also have to plan the move itself. For shorter destinations, it is advisable that you hire a truck where you can put all your things. For far locations, the preferable route is to look for house movers. You may also reduce the quantity of stuff you have to carry by shipping them to your new address. Just be sure to do this with adequate planning plus it’s important that you work with a reliable provider.

Contact the Movers 

Speaking of movers, communicating clearly with them is the solution to having a successful experience. Be specific about the details in order to help them determine which approach is most appropriate. As much as possible, tell them the quantity of heavy items you need to bring (such as your refrigerator or your piano) so they have a clear expectation of things.  

Label your Boxes

As you use boxes in packing your things, remember the wisdom of labeling each one. Writing “books,” “clothes,” and/or “glassware” can make a big difference. Unpacking will be so much easier as you arrive in your new home. Not to mention that arranging the boxes for travel can be done more effectively with the help of these labels. You will have no worries about breaking fragile items because you stored them in the wrong places. Also, be sure to put number codes such as “1 of 2” to indicate how many boxes are there for books, for instance. This will help prevent unexpected losses during the trip.

Prepare a First Aid Kit

This may not sound like a typical tip for relocating but yes, it is important to have your first aid kit at hand. You’ll never know when someone may drop a breakable object or gets accidentally hurt by sharp items. Put the kit somewhere you can easily access them whenever the situation calls for it.      

Cellphone Do’s and Don’ts

I think I’ve posted a lot about landline lately and haven’t found the time to write about its mobile counterpart.

So for this new entry, I’ll focus on proper cellphone usage. As the technology continues to be widely popular, I am sincerely hoping that more and more users will understand the importance of responsible ownership.

Here’s a short video that covers the basic rules of mobile etiquette:  

Mind Your Manners – The Basics of Phone Etiquette

Image credit: Pete (flickr.com)

In these days of instant messages, likes, and tweets, they say that basic phone etiquette is becoming a lost art.

Common courtesy is really important to maintain whether at home or at work. It greatly enhances communication and makes a positive impression for you. Remember that you are representing yourself, your family, or your company when you pick up the phone.

Here are some proven reminders if you want to project a professional image or if you simply want to be a little more pleasant to converse with.

Begin with a greeting

On the top of my head, I can fondly recall a friend’s young daughter who always said “Hello, this is Violet. Good Morning!” It’s really cute and nice plus it’s actually slightly funny because she always said that - regardless what time of the day I called.  

The formula is there, however. Simply identify yourself and then say a short greeting. In business settings, you may include your company name and, when necessary, your department, something along the lines of “Hello, this is Felicity Smoak. IT Department of Queen Consolidated. How may I help you?”

This is always a good way to start a conversation and yes, that’s an Arrow reference right there.

Pay attention to your tone

Although the caller will not see any facial expression, your emotions will still be pretty apparent – thanks to the tone of your voice. Smiling while taking a call might seem like a silly idea but it actually affects your tone. If you doubt this, then you can try recording your calls for proof and you will surely notice a big difference with how you sound like as you speak with others over the phone. You’ll notice that you’ll always sound happier as you smile. Also, do not eat any food or chew gums while talking.  

Choose your words carefully

Again, the main point of exercising etiquette is to ensure that the callers have positive experiences as they contact you. So aside from proper greetings and voice tone, using the right words can be a huge factor.

Using formal words are highly advisable, especially when taking business calls. So instead of saying “Who’s calling?”, “May I know who’s on the line?” is always better. “Can I put you on hold?” is preferable over “Hang in there for a minute.” You get the idea!

Well, that’s basically the basics of phone etiquettes. I’ll try coming up with a video next time so be sure to come back. Also, feel free to leave a comment below in case you agree or disagree with some of the points I raised – or if you have a few pointers of your own!

Important Features for Cordless Phones

Image credit: Nicola Romagna (flickr.com)

There’s no denying that cellphone popularity have achieved an all-time high in our times. Despite that, landline phones are still very useful and it’s still a wise idea to maintain it - or to start subscribing for the service, in case you still don’t have one. 

Compared with mobile phones, telephones actually provide users with several advantages such as consistently clearer call quality. You also wouldn’t experience any dropped calls and weak signal as you would when using a cellphone.  Simply said, they are much more reliable when it comes to emergencies.  

Sometimes, cordless phones are considered by some as the “grandfather” of cellphone technology. These handsets are typically slim plus they present you with the comfort and flexibility of using them around the house. No need to stay stuck in one place because of unnecessary telephone cords! 

Whether you are planning to get a new subscription or are considering switching to a different provider, here are some features you should keep in mind as you avail of phone services.

First, decide whether you need a single line or a multiple line. 

If you only have one phone line at home and you don’t have plans of getting additional lines in the near future, then a single line phone should be exactly what you need. On the other hand, those who have two or more lines may want to go for a multiple line package. This is much more advisable if you need lines for your home office or for the room of a family member. Multiple lines also give you additional benefits such as 3-way conference feature, intercom, and unique rings for every line.    

Next, determine the frequency range.

As mentioned earlier, cordless phones are very convenient to use. You can move pretty much everywhere in your home and still be able to take or make calls. It’s all because of frequency technology utilized by cordless phones. Generally, you have three options.

1.9 GHz is the most widely-used frequency because they operate using less-crowded frequency when compared with the others. Range and sound quality are unmistakably better. A 2.4 GHZ frequency is also good but do take note that phones with this range often have to compete with signals from Wi-Fi. If you do have a Wi-Fi network at home, you may want to go for 5.8 GHz.  

Finally, check out additional features. An LCD screen would be nice plus caller ID can be a very practical feature. Illuminated keypads may not seem to be anything revolutionary but believe me - dialing in the dark will be significantly easier as you take advantage of this feature. 

Go check out different companies to know which ones can meet your needs. Take a look at several home phone providers via Connect Now for more information.

You may also like:
Important Tip on Buying Cordless Phones (ebay.com)
Cordless phone reviews (which.co.uk)

Rapid Increase of Mobile Phone Use

Despite the repeated emphasis I’ve given that telephones are still significant in our times, the fact stands that mobile phone technology’s popularity to rise in the coming years.

This, of course, is common knowledge for most people these days but allow me to dig deeper by giving you specifics and relevant statistics. Here goes some data I gathered as I recently did a little research about telephone and wireless use of homes in America:

While these statistics are for the United States, I'm guessing it’s safe to say we have the same trend the world over. Wireless technology truly has nowhere to go but up. Still, I stand by my belief that it doesn’t necessarily mean that telephones should be ignored anymore. They can co-exist and users (whether commercial or residential) will ultimately be at the advantage if they use both types of technology.