Open Up a Shop . . . Online

 One thing that has been made relatively easy in the last decade or so is selling things online. I've talked about selling things that you have lying around on eBay and Amazon before but this is about creating things to be sold online. This might not necessarily be easy (though it can be) but hopefully it is something you find fun! Not only do these marketplaces have large names that you can reach more buyers because of their awareness, but if you do happen to make enough money off of it, taxes are made easy.

1. Open a Shop on Etsy

I'm sure you've probably heard of Etsy before. It is a marketplace for hand made items. Most people think you have to be very crafty to sell on Etsy but there are so many items you can sell, it's not just for knitters. You can create digital designs, print photos, woodworking, jewelry design, really anything that you make yourself.

I created a shop a while ago to sell clocks made out of old records. I recently changed my shop because I don't have the storage space for that right now. I will be selling skirts that are made out of old ties. I am in the process of creating my first items but it is on hold because I am currently making masks because of the pandemic. Check out my shop here!

Fees & Profit Amount:

You set the price

$0.20 per listing

5% of total cost (once sold)

Find more info on selling here

2. Self Publish a Book on Amazon

Ever wanted to write a book? Well you can sell it on Amazon without having to find a publisher! What is really great about it is, you don't have to pay anything to get it set up. KDP prints your book on demand and subtracts your printing costs from your royalties. That means you don't have to pay any costs upfront or carry any inventory. You determine the cost of your book so you control how much you make per book.

I created a few books for now that are journals, which is super easy to create but I want to start writing a few children's books which has always been a dream of mine. Check out my books here!

Fees & Profit Amount:

You set the price

Costs vary but here's the formula: Fixed cost + (page count x per page cost) = printing cost

To estimate your printing cost, use their calculator

Find more info on selling here

3. Design Fabric and Wallpaper on Spoonflower

You've probably heard of both Etsy and Amazon but maybe not Spoonflower. Spoonflower is a website where you can buy and create your own designs of fabric and wallpaper. You can create them just for your own use or you can sell the designs and get a commission from Spoonflower on each purchase of your design. 

You do have to proof each one which is a cost of $12-$35, depending on number of designs, to get started selling. But within the first day of having mine listed, I made $7 back! While it may be a large upfront cost, it's something you only have to make once and can profit off of for no extra work for years to come! I found I've really enjoyed creating designs and just do it for fun in my spare time. Check out my designs here.

Fees & Profit Amount:

Earn 10% of sales on your designs

Proof cost: 1-5 designs start at $12.00, 6-15 designs start at $20.00, 16-30 designs start at $35.00

Find more info on designing and selling here

After the Wedding, Making the Money Back

It's been a while since I've done a new post, my life has been crazy busy!  In my last few posts on saving money for your wedding, I want to talk about ways to recuperate the funds invested in such an expense.

For a wedding there were probably a lot of decorations you ended up buying.  Many of these are reusable items but you may not ever have the need to use them again or you bought too many for just a home.  You should consider reselling these items.  I use eBay but you can use craigslist or a similar website or have a garage sale!

Things I'm Reselling From My Wedding:

• cake stand
• vases
• candle holders
• string lights
• unused accessories (shoe clips & jeweled belt)
• tablecloths

If you're not sentimental about your dress, sell that!  There are many brides looking for a good deal on a great dress and don't mind if it's used and you could make a lot back!

Sell back any and all that you want!  As you know, there are hundreds of brides looking for anything wedding, why not make back some of what you spent on it?