Money Matters: Simple Ways to boost your income in January

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In this week's column, Wrekin's Debt & Energy Manager Dan Bebbington looks at how you can make money from old or unwanted Christmas presents.

Finances can often be tight immediately after Christmas once you’ve finished spending on presents, food and social outings.

Many of us will now be looking for ways to put some extra money in our pockets.

Whether it’s selling unwanted presents or things you have lying around the house, here are a few ideas to get you started.

Get quick cash for old CDs, games and more

Websites such as Music Magpie and CEX let you trade in old CDs, DVDs and computer games – or even laptops, phones and games consoles – for cash.

You’ll usually get more money by selling on eBay, but the advantage of these sites is speed and ease.

All you have to do is type in the barcode or product name on the site to get an instant valuation.

Most sites now also have apps that allow you to scan barcodes using your phone’s camera, speeding the process up even more.

Flog tech ‘leftovers’

With the pace technology moves at these days, most of us have unused boxes, cables, remote controls and so on stuffed in drawers or packed away in lofts.

You can earn money and declutter your home by selling these ‘tech leftovers’ online via sites such as eBay and Facebook Marketplace.

Who would want them, you might ask. Well, some people need replacement accessories for older gadgets.

Others buy boxes and manuals for devices they want to sell so they can increase the asking price.

Bear in mind that how much you can earn for these kinds of items depends on their condition, demand and how scarce they are. You’ll also need to factor in any the fees on the sites where you sell them.

Cash for old books

One of the best options for selling old books is Amazon Marketplace, as you need only search for the book and write a short description. Your listing stays up till it sells.

Amazon provides full reviews of most from its database – if you’re listing a few in one go, this saves time. Check your sale price covers postage if it's a heavy book you’re listing.

Sell old Lego by the kilo

If you’ve got lots of unmatched Lego bricks sitting somewhere – perhaps your children have grown out of playing with them or they were a hobby you’re no longer into – you can now turn them into cash and sell them online to Music Magpie by the kilo (or half kilo).

The company pays £3 a kilo, although you’ll need to sell a minimum of £5 worth.

Music Magpie pays you by bank transfer or PayPal (or one of its named charities) as soon as the Lego is received.

Spot and flog from car boot/garage sales

If you’ve got an eye for car booty, you could buy items cheaply and sell them at a profit on eBay or other auction sites. Be sure to arrive early to beat other bargain hunters.

You can use Carbootjunction.com or Carbootsales.org to find your nearest car boot sale.

3rd January 2023