Common side hustles will often include work in the Gig Economy. These can be app-based services such as DoorDash, Uber, or GoPuff. Other options may be developing apps for Apple and Android devices, or creating eBooks and stationary to sell on Amazon. Further opportunities are available in closed-captioning work, AI prompt designer, completing surveys, playing games for cash, and In-Home Product Testing (iHUT).
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It is uncertain whether this offer will be available to users who have already completed the Axos Checking account offer.
I began reselling/thrifting in July of 2024. This marked the start of the third sales quarter which was a fitting. I had previously used my eBay account for small book sales and some purchases.
My account had a good feedback rating, which I think gave me an advantage.
I’ll start with what sold for each month (July, Aug, etc.) and then give a breakdown of my spending during the period.
I working a catalog of item details for stuff I get from bins that may be loose or new with tag (eBay Style Code Catalog).
July
Sales
It took me a while to figure out which brands would do well. My initial purchases did include a substantial number of flops.
My Net Return for July was $43.18.
Product
Net (Gross-COGS-Fees)
Patagonia Better Sweater L Fleece Vest
10.87
2015 Pokémon Group T-Shirt
7.39
Nike Dri-Fit Swim Pullover Hoodie
3.88
Patagonia Better Sweater Vest Men’s Large Fleece Black Full Zip 25881
Product
Net (Gross-COGS-Fees)
Patagonia Synchilla Fleece Vest Gray
5.64
Patagonia Beige Fleece Pullover
16.50
Grand Slam Airflow Polo Shirt*
(1.10)
Patagonia Jacket Adult L Beige Better Sweater Fleece Pullover 1/4 Zip (25522)
*Due to a pricing mistake, I lost money on this sale.
Spending
I have no other reliable sources of income other than perhaps my dividend portfolio. So spending needed to be kept at a minimum.
Store
Amount
Goodwill
147.68
Safe Space
21.00
August
Sales
I went overboard with my purchases in August. I also bought a clothes rack, packing materials, and clothes hangers. My Net Return for August was $215.93.
Product
Net Return (Gross-COGS-Fees)
Ralph Lauren Polo 3XLT Performance Golf
25.09
Planet by Lauren G Cotton, Oxford Signature
15.76
Grundens Children’s Zenith 282 Fishing Jacket
20.74
Planet by Lauren G Cotton Oxford Signature
22.41
Vinyard Vines 9″ Men’s On-the-Go Shorts
8.21
Men’s 3XLT Polo Ralph Lauren Performance Golf Polo Shirt Blue
Product
Net Return (Gross-COGS-Fees)
Peter Millar Crown Comfort 1/4 Zip Pullover
6.52
Peter Millar Perth Stretch Loop Mélange
16.24
Adidas XL Red 3-Stripes “Rogers Wireless”
4.14
Peter Millar Crown Sport Red Pullover
9.07
Superdry Premium Lumberjack Flannel Shirt
3.46
Peter Millar Perth Stretch Loop Mélange 1/4 Zip
Product
Net Return (Gross-COGS-Fees)
Peter Millar Crown Sport Perth Mélange
10.81
P.E.C Detroit 32 Basketball Jersey
3.83
Under Armour Tactical Shirt Brown XXL
7.20
Gold Label Roundtree & Yorke Pink 16.5
6.96
Moscow Mockba Dynamo KHL Jersey
20.46
Vintage Moscow Mockba Dynamo Men’s Size Large KHL Home Hockey Jersey Bauer
Product
Net Return (Gross-COGS-Fees)
Vintage Winchester Camo Bib Overalls
Refunded (6.14)
Peter Millar Polo South Carolina Gamecocks
8.84
Ralph Lauren Cotton Dress Shirt – Pink
1.27
Bearded Goat Men’s Rover Pants
5.63
Exofficio Women’s Large (12-14) Button Shirt
3.05
Peter Millar Cotton Golf Polo South Carolina Gamecocks Medium Red/White Stripes
Product
Net Return (Gross-COGS-Fees)
Lands’ End Women’s Plus 3X Blue Raincoat
8.26
Scully RangeWear Double Breasted Vest
6.43
Patagonia Men’s Better Sweater® Fleece
4.74
The North Face Women’s Khaki Shorts
1.85
Roundtree & Yorke Gold Label Dress Shirt
1.10
Lands’ End Women’s Plus 3X Blue Wind Waterproof Brim Hood Double Zip Rain Jacket
Spending
Previously, I had often avoided shopping for clothes. I tend to wear things until they’re completely spent. Getting hooked on clothes shopping was a new experience for me.
Store
Amount
Goodwill
447.56
Safe Space
36.50
Cause for Paws
17.81
September
Sales
I watched a lot of YouTube channels related to Thrifting, and I got a better idea of what I should be looking for when I shop. Net return was $211.03
My goals for the next quarter are to limit spending to around $100 per month and to reduce my dependence on using promoted sales. My best sales have been the ones without advertising and those where I did not offer free shipping.
I also need to take a good look at my selling prices and adjust my strategy accordingly. There were several sales in September that were close to a loss because I was both sending and taking low offers without considering my cost of goods.
For the bonus, you must hold a deposit of $100 or more in your Path account for more than 90 days to receive the $100 in Bitcoin from Path.
Balance Fees
The Advisory Account (Adviser) charges a monthly management fee (the “Management Fee”) as below:
Less than US $100 asset under management (“AuM”) = free
AuM between $101 – $1,000 = $5
AuM between $1,001 – $25,000 = $20
Account Terms
The terms of service say a $100 minimum account balance is required. A $5 monthly fee is assessed for balances $101-1000, however in the app it says the fee is assessed at $100.
If I am reading this right, they can revoke the $100 match if your account balance falls below $100 within 90 days. A deposit of $115 would be necessary to absorb the fees and still get the Bitcoin match.
In July this year, I got back into reselling and thrifting. As of this writing, I have 93 items on my eBay store. I have sold 27 items and had a single return. My 90-day total for sales is $710.
I ran out of space in my closet, which was already packed with junk. So, I bought a Laiensia Double Rod Clothing Rack on Amazon and a 50-pack of coat hangers from Target.
coat hangers
The coat hangers were on sale for $6.40, and the rack was $16.14. I used a gift card from Swagbucks for the rack, and I charged my Amex for the hangers.
I’ve been changing my sourcing to the Amex to earn some miles. A few shops I have gone to don’t accept Amex, and I have used my Cap1 Walmart card at those locations.
I’ve shopped at Goodwill, Safe Space, and Cause for Paws. I am planning on hitting up some garage and yard sales next year. I’m also thinking about maybe checking out estate sales. Of course, it is easier to plan shopping trips than to list the products I already have.
My pile of unlisted apparel is getting bigger. If I listed everything, it would put me over 100 items in my eBay store. I did put up some “lots” after I found three sets of matching men’s and women’s shorts.
I got three Chino by Anthropologie relaxed-fit shorts, 2 pairs of “The Wanderer” Anthropologie shorts, and four pairs of Roundtree & Yorke shorts in size 42. Actually, I’ve misplaced the men’s shorts somewhere in my room.
I am sure they will eventually show up. Probably?
Let’s see what else. I failed a job exam for a search rating position at Telus International. I passed the first two portions of the exam, but I screwed up on the final test and they don’t do retakes.
College is moving right along. I am working on the 4th chapter of business communications. We’re starting to talk about social media communications for businesses.
I must admit, I suck at social media. I recall back in 2007 thinking MySpace and Facebook were fads that would fade away…
That’ll be it for today. I will post again on this topic once we enter the 4th Quarter for Thrifting.
A week or so ago I wrote about restarting my online sales accounts. I opened Poshmark and Vinted accounts and I also refreshed my eBay account which was just sitting idle.
I got my first sale on Poshmark after a day or so and took that as a good sign.
I sold a V-style Tiger Woods golf polo for $20 on an offer. I probably could have gotten more for it due to its rarity.
Unfortunately that was my only sale on the Poshmark platform. I also had no sales on Vinted. I gave up on Vinted and I am slowly removing my listing on Poshmark as well.
What has been working for me is eBay.
I have made 5 sales on eBay since my reselling article was posted. I sold 2 Patagonia Fleece vests and a Fleece jacket, a mint condition 2015 Pokémon shirt, and a Nike swim rash guard.
The golf polo shirts I bought have not sold at all and I regret buying them so close to the end of the season. I have had better luck with cold weather sales.
I am keeping a record of my inventory and sales in Excel. I am not using custom SKUs for my inventory system at the moment.
I did use the Promoted Listing option on a few items but I have tried to keep the percentage amount low so as to keep as much of the selling price as possible.
I have noticed that when listed an item for sale, the item weight is often set too high. Most clothing is listed as 1-2 pounds by default but actually these items are 6-14 ounces at most. So I have been weighing and pricing items individually to offer the best shipping prices possible.
I think this is my biggest complaint with Vinted. The shipping on that platform is only charged to the buyer which simplifies selling, bit the prices and method were far to expensive to buyers. Even when cheaper option were possible with the same time in transit.
My issue with Poshmark is that it is mostly a sellers platform. When you make an account it automatically follows over a hundred other accounts by default. This is just fake traffic.
Every day I get 10-20 followers added to my account and they are all either other sellers or bots. It is a very chaotic place where you are forced to repeatedly share your items in order to get seen.
The search functionality is very limited. I tried searching fir specific items and browsing in general and had little success navigating the app.
The few items I gave a Like to resulted in a flood of messages with offers to sell. Desperate and beggarly-like.
I think if I was going to try and sell with Poshmark I would setup a separate website with my listed inventory and then link to the sales page on Poshmark.
I have zero faith in Poshmark’s own platform or its design. It looks like it was made by a social media junkie going through withdrawal.
Anyways, I will be focusing my reselling efforts on eBay going forward.
I did spend a bit much on inventory initially, so for the moment I am keeping a tight grip on my wallet as I try to work my ways to a profit.
I will post again on my success or (failure) soon enough. Thank you.
The job search has not been going well, and I think I will need to develop a plan B soon.
While I have several small projects that bring in funds, I am currently seeing some small profits from my Amazon Apps and eBook sales, these are not enough to cover any real expenses that daily life brings about.
I have previously seen success selling goods on Amazon and eBay about 8 years ago, so I plan on returning to reselling. This pairs well with Manufactured Spending, however, I don’t have the cash flow to ramp up immediately.
There is a liquidation store about 10 miles away and I have visited it twice now. I haven’t bought anything yet. The place is always busy, at least 100 people were there both times I went. The Friday price is $12 and everything is $1 on Wednesday, but it’s mostly trash by Wednesday.
So, the other day I opened a Poshmark and a Vinted account. I listed a few items on each platform to get started. I also made a Payhip storefront, an Instagram page, and a Gmail account to manage the operations.
I’ll be listing the more heavily used items on Vinted while keeping the higher-quality items on Poshmark.
Actually, I got lucky and found a golf polo in great condition at a local Goodwill. The MSRP was $85. I listed it at $35 yesterday and got an offer of $25 for it today.
I made $15.81 after fees and costs.
A sale on my second day. I’ll take this as a good sign of things to come.
Now that I have gotten my car and I have insurance, I can start applying for work.
I am starting by applying for delivery apps widely used in the gig economy. Depending on success rate I may also apply for more traditional jobs.
I found some helpful advice from reddit users who directed me to the Express website. I also have a list of local employers that may be willing to hire me.
I will add the apps I apply for to the list on this post.
Accepted
Tonquin
There were a few apps that I couldn’t figure out if they were still operating.
Senpex always says “in review…”, the DrivePoint website doesn’t work, and GOMO which said it was available as “Early Access” only.
Waitlisted
GopuffDeliverdGrubHub
Wrong Vehicle (Trucks Only)
DispatchuShipVeholugg
Rejected
Uber DriversDoor DashInstacartRoadie
Spark DriverCurriDraiverdeliverthat
GOShare
Since I’m at it I may as well include a list of regular jobs that I have applied to. I’ve experienced a bunch of rejections recently, enough perhaps to begin a list, not that this is something to brag about…
StericycleAtlantic Union BankState Employees Credit Union
I got an email this morning from Apex Fintech Solutions saying that the Invstr app had stopped working with them to provide brokerage services. This effectively shut down the stock trading app.
Invstr was a stock trading app that featured “Fantasy Leagues” for stock trading similar to fantasy football. The real brokerage and the fantasy brokerage operated through the same app with a selector to move between functions. There was also a social feed and you could follow other users whose portfolios you were interested in.
I had opened my account through an offer on Swagbucks and had deposited $100. I put my funds into a dividend stock intending to leave the funds there until my retirement or other sufficient need.
I did not receive any kind of notice from Invstr about them stopping service. I did send a support ticket in April asking for help to login to my account but there was no response.
I have sent a support email to Apex in the hope that they can locate my account and liquidate the funds. Unfortunately, without access to the app I am unable to locate my account number. I checked my old hard drive, but it only had two screenshots and neither one showed my account number.
I have also been communicating with other Invstr members on the Invstr subreddit.
This has been really disappointing for the company to just up and vanish without a word to users. I feel really let down and cheated out of my money.
TD Bank is offering a nice 7,500 SB reward for opening a new “Beyond Checking” account. The offer terms do not list a required deposit amount.
Things you need to know
Applicant must reside in select states* to be eligible for a TD Beyond Checking Account.
Award will Pend for 32 days. Please Allow 5 days for the Award to Appear as Pending.
Must successfully open a TD Beyond Checking Account to earn SB.
The list of States that are supported for this offer is: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia, Vermont, as well as District of Columbia, to be eligible for TD Beyond Checking Account.
Keep in mind that TD Bank charges high monthly fees on their accounts. There is a $25 monthly fee for this checking account that can be waived in three ways.
Receive monthly direct deposits of $5,000 or more per statement cycle or
Maintain a minimum daily balance of $2,500 or
Maintain a combined balance of $25,000 across eligible TD accounts
This offer is for 22,000 points which comes out as roughly 146 USD. It would be a good idea to hop on this offer while the reward is still high.
Something to note is that this same offer on Swagbucks is only paying 10,000 SB which is 100 USD. So it is more valuable to complete this offer with your MyPoints account.
The offer terms are simple. You just need to open a spending account with an opening deposit of 25 USD and then set up direct deposit to the account within 60 days of account opening.
The offer says in the terms that it will not show as pending in the Activity Ledger, however, you will be able to see the little Yellow dot in your Visited list. The bank will check on the account and manually approve your offer completion after 60 days.
Fat Wallet Refugee 