So, you have an emergency and need some money fast. How can you make money quickly with what you have? A garage sale can be a great way to make some money fast while getting rid of extra items in your house. It will take some work, but it will be worth it to get through the crisis. Having a successful garage sale has become a science to some, so there is a lot of information available online. This article will give you some basic tips and tricks so that you have a smooth operating garage sale experience.

Step one is to set a date and advertise. You can place an ad in your local paper if you wish. If you are looking for cheaper options, consider searching the web for free sites to announce your garage sale. Tell all of your friends, family and co-workers to spread the word for you. A lot of grocery stores have bulletin boards where you can post a flyer letting people know where and when the garage sale will be, as well as what big ticket items you’ll be selling.

The next step is to make signs. Use clear, big, bold letters to write your address and draw really big arrows leading people to your house. Bright poster board is a great option when trying to get the attention of people driving down the road. Make sure that you put an arrow at every turn going through your neighborhood. Make everything match if possible. If your sign off of the main road is bright orange, then use bright orange to make your arrows so that people know that they are still going the right way. Make sure that you don’t post on traffic signs or light poles without permission from the highway commission, because it could be illegal and will point police directly to your house. Ask permission from your neighbors before placing signs in their yards and make sure that you take them down immediately after the garage sale.

Collect everything that you can from around your house, including worthless knick-knacks that you don’t believe anyone would want. You’ll be surprised what people will buy. Go in with other families if you can. The bigger the garage sale, the better. Price items clearly with bright stickers. Make everything as cheap as possible and be willing to haggle. Use different colors for different families if you need to. Collect a lot of cash change before the big day. You’ll need a lot of one dollar bills, fives, tens and lots of coins. Use a cash box if you can. It’s generally not a good idea to accept checks. Not only might the check not be good, but your bank could charge you a fee for presenting them with a check that bounces.

Put everything out on sturdy tables and be prepared for people to flood into your yard. As soon as the ad hits, or people see you putting up signs, they’ll want to be the first ones there. If you don’t make enough money from your garage sale to get you through an emergency, you may consider a payday loan or cash advance to get you through.