Make a Buck Spring Cleaning

When Heather and I were packing up our life to move to Slovakia, we made it a priority to downsize, donate, and discard whenever appropriate. I think we made a run to Goodwill every week. We also tried to make a few bucks by selling clothes to Plato's Closet and selling just about anything else of value on craigslist. Just before we left—too late for us—I learned about two websites dedicated to buying used electronics. You're not going to turn a profit, but you'll get a fair price. Besides, it beats the hassle of setting up a yard sale... and the eco-guilt of dumping your gadgets in the garbage.

Gazelle: This slick service lets you pawn your old cell phones, digital cameras, camcorders, MP3 players, PDAs, laptops, game consoles, GPS devices, monitors, movies, external drives, and satellite radios for current market value. If your device turns out to be worthless, they'll still offer to recycle the item for you. Shipping is always free.

Buy My Tronics: These guys don't accept quite as many different items as Gazelle, but they'll accept them in any condition. Plus, their service is worldwide. Free shipping is also available.

And hey, don't forget about RecycleBank. What could possibly beat making money by taking out the trash? It's like getting an allowance for chores again.