I have started a thrifting fast. I am actually already over two weeks in and holding (fairly) strong. I thought about writing this post a couple weeks ago, but the irony of posting about being included in a list of top 10 thrifting blogs, only to turn around a couple days later and say that I am no longer thrifting . . . right? Doh. But it has to happen.
The thrift fast is happening for a couple reasons.
Reason #1: I have too much unlisted inventory!
Actually, maybe it’s happening for just one reason, and that’s it. I have too much unlisted inventory. I knew during the summer that I was buying more at yard sales and thrift stores than I was able to list, but I thought that once school started I would be listing soooo much more, and that I would catch up quickly on all my backlog. Reality: nosomuch.
I thought I would basically be eBaying full time. Reality: notsomuch. On a day that I can completely dedicate to eBay, I have just shy of 6 hours of time to work. The ideal would be to spend 100% of that time listing. The reality is that I usually have to spend part of it shipping sold items, cropping photos, chatting with my mail lady during pickup, eating lunch, washing dishes, starting laundry, etc. So even on my eBay-only days, I’m not getting as much done as I think I should.
Reality check: 6 hours isn’t full time anyway, it’s 3/4 time.
Reality check: I spend most of each Monday volunteering in both of my boys’ classrooms at school. Which is awesome. I know I am lucky I have the option to do it, and my kindergartener especially LOVES it. I usually have less than two hours left to get work done after volunteering, before having to pick the boys up from school. So, that’s certainly not a full day’s work.
Reality check: I’m getting called in to work more and more at my “real” job, and am working pretty much every Wednesday during school hours, and some Thursdays and Fridays too. Nice to have that money, but it equals more days that I am not getting in my full 6 eBay hours.
The result: Of course I’m not getting as much eBay work done as I had planned. I’m not getting my inventory listed as fast. (I’m not making as much money as I had planned.) I’ve let the backlog of inventory creep into our living spaces, which is really not okay. So I’ve cut myself off. No more thrifting in 2016. Honestly, maybe no more thrifting until Spring Break. We’ll see how it goes.
I have unlisted inventory sitting where our Christmas tree will go. Gotta list, gotta list, gotta list!