A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post about the Christmas Money Making Challenge I was about to undertake in order to raise some cash for Christmas shopping.
I thought it was time to post an update now that I’ve exhausted my stock of old stuff at home that I had ready for selling on eBay.
To recap, my Christmas Money Making Challenge that I set myself was to list 50 items on eBay and aim to raise £100 (which was my Christmas shopping budget for this year).
I have good news and bad news to report. The good news is that I really tried my best to raise extra money for this challenge. The bad news is that I kinda failed!
The results!
I didn’t quite manage to list 50 items, but I did list 41 items before running out of stuff to sell. Items that I listed ranged from baby clothes (mix and match sets and individual items); some shoes; an old work suit; fashion jewellery; a fascinator (fancy feather thing for dressing up hair at weddings and other formal occasions); old trinkets and ornaments and some old books.
Some of these items didn’t sell at all, despite being relisted, namely some of the books, baby clothes, ornaments and jewellery. Out of the 41 items that I listed, only 18 of them sold!
It could be the time of year that has impacted my sales results or the fact that my old stuff wasn’t all that desirable! But all in all, after eBay and PayPal fees were deducted, I made a total profit of £62.14! On another note, eBay’s free turbo lister tool is really good for when you have a lot of items to list. It makes the whole process slightly quicker and easier.
So I didn’t quite manage ultimate success in this challenge but £62.14 towards my Christmas shopping fund is much better than nothing at all! If you joined in this challenge or have done one of your own, how did you get on?
Christmas shopping spend
I’ve now done most of my Christmas shopping and having bought for 18 children and 7 adults already, I’ve spent a total of £107.37. I still have 6 adults left to buy for and expect to spend another £50 (token gifts on each of these!). All the adults bought for are close family members and the children are either family or friends of the family! On average I spent just £3 on each child and their presents were a stocking filler type toy for the boys and I handmade some jewellery using wooden beads for all the girls. My own daughter has had a little more spent on her! 🙂
Overall, I don’t think I’ve done too badly on the spend this year even though I have gone slightly over budget and didn’t exactly manage the money making challenge. It’s just as well though that I managed to save money on Christmas necessities! I guess even with the best intentions, £100 just wasn’t enough of a budget to stick to.
Next year, I’ll have to be more realistic or cut down the list of who I’m buying for which will be tough I think. But at the end of the day, my spend this year is a lot less than I’ve spent in previous years and best of all, I haven’t gone into debt for it. Yay!
How have you got on with your Christmas shopping spend?
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I’m off on Christmas vacation with family later this week, so I might not be able to post as regularly for a little while. Do keep checking back though as I’ll be posting when I can!
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- Earn extra income: How to be a Bridal Makeup Artist
- The conversation that changed our financial future
Image courtesy of Free Digital Photos (Christmas Shopping Cart – Feelart)
39 Comments
I hate spending lots o money at Christmas time. We always spend more that we want to – and it is much more than what you have spent. I cant even imagine doing Xmas on less than a couple of hundred dollars.
Glen @ Monster Piggy Bank recently posted…Being an Idiot can Cost Money
Although I love giving gifts, I’ve found it hard to spend this year probably because of the fact I haven’t spent for most of the year I guess! I didn’t want to seem ungenerous but at the same time, I knew I had to be really sensible with the budget that I had!
Hey, 41 instead of 50 is very impressive in my books! A very creative idea to ‘raise funds’ for Christmas!
Moneycone recently posted…10 Questions You Must Answer To Stay On Top Of Your Portfolio
Thank you! 🙂 I kept trying to think of more items to make it up to 50 but I just couldn’t source any more (at this time anyway).
Hayley, you’re doing amazing with your Christmas spend!!!! I’ m very impressed! Also, $62 is nothing to sneeze at for a profit either – great job, my friend. 🙂
Laurie @thefrugalfarmer recently posted…What You Might Have to Do if You Want to Get out of Debt
Thanks so much Laurie! Profit is profit! I’m still not overdrawn so that’s great!
Wow, nice job! Sounds like you are an extremely savvy shopper and I’m really impressed at how many people you were able to buy for with that amount of money. I have found that buying for kids is a little easier and a bit less expensive than buying for adults – but 18 children is nothing to scoff at! You are my new Christmas Gift-Giving Hero 🙂
Kali @ CommonSenseMillennial recently posted…Millennials Who Break Negative GenY Stereotypes
Thanks Kali! I hope the parents of the children I bought for don’t think I’m too cheap! I did get them some very inexpensive toys but I thought they were cool anyway!
I think listing 41 items is a huge success! Like you noted, it’s about progress, not perfection — having fewer items and more money is great, no matter the numbers.
Done by Forty recently posted…Why I Cannot Watch Extreme Cheapskates
Thanks DB40! I’ll probably set myself another challenge in January or February. Doing the challenge via the blog was a big motivator! 🙂
At least you tried and you did make some money! It’s hard to control the end result of things you want to sell. But you did make some money and that’s great. I can’t believe you actually spent money on 18 children for that little amount! I’m going slightly over budget for my Christmas, but I’m also making more this month so that helps!
Budget and the Beach recently posted…Finding The Right Car for Your Road Trip
That’s great that you’ll be making more this month Tonya! December is definitely the best month for earning more cash. I have to admit, I’ve never spent so little on the kids I usually buy for. I’m hoping that I don’t come across as cheap but I’ve tried to go for the lines of quality stocking filler type toys!
Better than nothing for sure. You aimed high and even though you didn’t quite reach your goal, you got some money in. You should be proud of yourself.
I’m almost done with my Christmas shopping and this year’s the first year I actually budgeted and planned ahead of time. So I’m feeling good.
Michelle’s Finance Journal recently posted…November Goal Recap
Thanks Michelle! Really pleased to hear you’ve almost done your Christmas shopping! It’s a relief when it’s out of the way and even better with your budget still intact.
I think you get an A+ for effort with the eBay 🙂 Considering you bought 18 children and 7 adults Christmas presents and only spent £107.37, you should be very proud of yourself Hayley!
Girl Meets Debt recently posted…Have You Been Naughty or Nice with Your Finances?
Thanks GMD! I’ll need to spend a little more on a few others but I think I’m still in control! Phew! 🙂
I am impressed that you listed 41 items! That is A LOT! Even though only 18 sold, you can continue to relist the others, which is free and takes almost no effort at all. You should have some more cash straggling in through the coming weeks or months.
Stephanie @ Six Figures Under recently posted…Homemade Tomato Sauce from Tomato Puree
Yes that’s a definite plus – relisting is easy and free. The hard work has been done! Thanks Stephanie!
That’s awesome that you were able to sell so much online! That has to feel good.. you’ve decluttered and made some money, too. That’s also amazing that you were able to buy gifts for so many people!
Laura @ RichmondSavers.com recently posted…How much are you Spending Each Year on Gifts?
I do love a good declutter – I have plenty of clutter at all times and it’s very therapeutic to have a good clear out. Thanks Laura – I guess it is quite a lot of people I’m sorted for now!
I think you did pretty well on both accounts! You’re right that any extra money is better than nothing. It’s still great that you tried, and you can always try re-listing next year. Enjoy your vacation!
E.M. recently posted…Holiday Traditions
Thanks E.M! Hope you have a lovely Christmas and New Year! 🙂
I love the creative fundraiser. I did set a goal for myself, and like you I didn’t quite hit it. I wanted to raise $500 in 2 weeks of writing for other blogs. I did manage to raise $405, and still have a little time. So I wouldn’t count it as a fail just yet. Thanks for the great read!
Joshua Rodriguez @ CNA recently posted…I’m Back! Did You Miss Me?
Wow, you did great Joshua! $405 is a great achievement in just two weeks. How did you go about find clients for your writing work?
Hey Hayley, thanks! I’m pretty proud. As far as finding the writing work, I spend a lot of time on Odesk. I also sent emails out to blogs that I’ve guest posted for and landed some writing gigs there. Once it got ramped up, I started http://www.JRodWrites.com. Some of my writing gigs allow me to link out to it which has brought a bit more business in. I hope those tips help you!
Joshua Rodriguez @ CNA recently posted…Why An Extreme Frugal Mindset Could Be Stopping You From Becoming Rich
I think your efforts were fabulous! Listing 41 items is impressive 🙂 Even though you didn’t quite make your goal, every little bit helps! We buy for lots of kids as well, and I think I’ll take your small present idea for next year – it will certainly help our Christmas budget.
Amanda recently posted…+1 Walking Challenge
I’m so impressed – fantastic work!!!
Way to go Hayley!!!
Just over £60 is still a very good result! Congrats on being able to sell some items on Ebay! I cannot believe you had to buy gifts for 18 children! Wow, 18 sounds like A LOT! 😉 Great job on going just a bit over budget!
Eva @ Girl Counting Pennies recently posted…Dilemma: Bus or Underground?
Wow Hayley…what an awesome achievement!! 62 pounds is a great number and surely helped in the overall Christmas budget 🙂
I had thought about taking part in the challenge but couldn’t find anything I thought folks would actually pay money for! Maybe I’ll do a more thorough search after the holidays.
Great job again Hayley and thanks for keeping us posted on what’s happening throughout the holidays. Your little one must be so excited 🙂
Take care and all the best.
Lyle
lyle @ the Joy of Simple recently posted…3 Simple Actions To A Greater Life!
I absolutely love buying gifts for people. I’m super impressed with the amount that you’ve spent for the number of people of people you were shopping for! I think it’s great that you were able to sell stuff on EBAY. I’ve never done that before-62 pounds is a nice amount.
Michelle recently posted…Exploding Pants-Epic Weight Loss Fail 🙁
You’ve done awesome!
So far I have given two completely “free to me” gifts. I estimate I will spend about $150 on the rest of them. Still trying to find a good sale or two.
Alicia recently posted…Troubleshoot my Personal Finances.
I think you did great Hayley. You gave it your all and that’s what matters. I am very impressed that you bought for so many on such a tight budget! And most importantly – you didn’t go into debt and that it was matters most!
Shannon @ The Heavy Purse recently posted…Blog Round-Up: Week of December 9, 2013
Making £62.14 is not bad at all. That or nothing? I’d go for what you have made even if not all of the 41 items sold. Some can’t even find ways to increase their Christmas shopping money. Good going!
Jen @ Frugal Rules recently posted…Shout Out Saturday #46
Good work on the 41 items sold. Every little bit helps especially during the holidays. Happy Holidays Hayley
Charles@gettingarichlife recently posted…How I Was Able To Buy Property 4.5….Breaking The Real Estate Myth
Good work on getting some of your items sold. I too challenged myself to make $1,000 in two weeks to cover my Xmas budget this year. I’m almost there and have a few more days to go! Wish me luck!
Brent recently posted…Ebay Froze My Accounts & An Update On My $1,000 Goal
Selling online is time consuming! And on top of that, there are the eBay and Paypal fees. What a scam!
Here in the States we’re lucky to have Craigslist, and I’m fortunate to be in an area where it’s extremely popular. So you have a big audience, and no fees. The only fee is the overhead of dealing with the flakes and low-ballers. The great thing is that once it’s listed, re-listing is a single mouse click, so it’s easy to keep items on the market until they sell.
I always have a pile of things to sell, and go on CL once a week to renew my listings. Once they’ve made the rounds a few times, it’s donated to Goodwill (if it’s transportable) or Salvation Army (large items) for the tax deduction.
Keeps the house clutter-free(ish)!
Hope this all went really well and using the opportunity to wish you a great new year. Very impressed by the number of people you managed to get presents for £107. I like making presents but always have a problem with what do I give people who already have a lot – may be next Christmas I should get in touch earlier for a consultation :).
I did OK with my Christmas budget, but I love the idea of making money at Christmas instead of spending it. Well done! I’ve got a bunch of stuff sitting around that I plan to sell this year. Hoping some of it sells on craigslist so I can save on the shipping (sewing machine and bike!). Happy New Year!
KK @ Student Debt Survivor recently posted…Survivor’s Standouts: It’s 2014 Edition