With the holiday season nearly behind us, the news concerning retail sales- considered a health indicator of the economy- is grim. In fact, it could actually be stated that retail sales were predictably stale. Americans have financially battened down the hatches. First, there were the outrageous gas prices that hit hard. We learned quickly to restrict our energy consumption as a result. Gas prices are now exceptionally low, and we are retaining that frugal and conservative state of mind. Grocery prices went up, so we learned how to make food go further. There are plenty more examples demonstrating the ways Americans have changed their views on money. In fact, the most significant adjustment we have made is that we have begun selling ourselves- literally.

With the holiday season nearly behind us, the news concerning retail sales- considered a health indicator of the economy- is grim. In fact, it could actually be stated that retail sales were predictably stale. Americans have financially battened down the hatches. First, there were the outrageous gas prices that hit hard. We learned quickly to restrict our energy consumption as a result. Gas prices are now exceptionally low, and we are retaining that frugal and conservative state of mind. Grocery prices went up, so we learned how to make food go further. There are plenty more examples demonstrating the ways Americans have changed their views on money. In fact, the most significant adjustment we have made is that we have begun selling ourselves- literally.

 

This trend of selling is blazing a widespread path across the country. Online auction sales are up by record numbers as people race to raise needed cash. Postings for items for sale on sites such as Craigslist have exploded, and even items in states of disrepair are being bought and sold every day. Sites that list items for free have experienced growth in listings and new members that was entirely unplanned for. Companies are selling stock. Luxury items such as paintings and gold are suddenly not as luxurious to Americans as the cash value of those items. Women have flocked to Las Vegas for employment in brothels. Participants in lab or medical experiments are on the rise, as are donors of eggs, plasma, blood, and sperm. Already busy families are starting businesses or finding other means of procuring additional income streams. A story even surfaced recently of an elderly woman selling vegetables from her indoor gardens as a means of preventing foreclosure on a Nassau County home. In summary, we are selling our possessions, our bodies, and our time.

 

Selling on this level is fairly new for Americans. Categorically, we all possess copious amounts of unneeded, unused, and unnecessary belongings. So why not liquidate them? Those items you’ve had in storage but not touched in years? Sell them. That little-used extra car, boat, or other recreational vehicle? Sell it. An attic or basement full of yard sale worthy items? Liquidate them. It might be difficult at first, but ridding yourself of things that you don’t need or use can be exhilarating. Furthermore, you may be helping someone immensely by offering them your used item at a lesser price than one would have to pay for it new. These lessons are hard ones to learn because we are accustomed to living such decadent lives. However, there is a feeling of empowerment that develops when one conserves, reduces, recycles, reuses, and refuses things that one simply does not need. Being self-sufficient is something to be proud of.

 

So why not make selling a part of your New Year’s resolution? All those items you have cluttering your house, your garages, barns, and closets, may just bring peace of mind in the form of a cash infusion. To supplement this, you will most likely find that getting organized and cleaning things up will help you to concentrate on what is really important- the health of you and your family. This means your emotional, physical, and your financial health.

 

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This entry was posted on Friday, February 13th, 2009 at 7:13 am and is filed under General Information, Long Island Foreclosure Firm, Nassau & Suffolk County, Stop & Prevent Foreclosure. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.