Declutter and Cash Up with MusicMagpie!

I am a frugal sort, I shop around, I make savings where I can and if I can make a little extra cash easily, well I’m not going to say no am I?!

I am a serial declutter fiend. I hate just storing things which we never look at, use or play with, taking up valuable storage space especially when I can make some pennies easily off them. You do not need to keep old cds and what not “just in case”, when you haven’t listened to them in years (yes husband I am talking to you lol).

When we dismantled our home office to make room for our newest arrival, we came across boxes of old cd’s, dvds and console games. Scouring about t’internet I found MusicMagpie. I’d seen them on the tv before but in truth I hadn’t really taken a lot of notice.

MusicMagpie takes dvds, cds etc off your hands and pays you for the privilege. To start with I looked to see what I would get for them all on Amazon and at first glance I would get more, until I took off all the fees and took into account that I had to wait for items to be sold so money could come in dribs and drabs and that there would be multiple trips to the post office!

Checking an items worth on MusicMagpie really couldn’t be easier as you literally enter the barcode in and it will tell you how much your item is worth. The value can seem pretty low for some ie 30p a cd, but 1) they’ve been sat in your cupboard for three years and 2) it’s actually more than you’d get anywhere else. I’ve used MusicMagpie several times now and they’ve paid me between 30p and £8.50 for a single item. They decide the value based on how popular or rare an item is. I presume they sell them on but I’m not concerned with what happens to them, once they are gone and I’m paid, I’m happy!

So how do you do it?

  • Register with MusicMagpie
  • Enter your barcode which tell you what an item is worth to them
  • When you’ve finished your order you print off the freepost label (or in my case sheet, which I attached to the box with tape lol) or if you are sending 50+ items they will arrange a free courier to collect.

You can find a more comprehensive “How-To” here.

Once posted off MusicMagpie will check your items (they have to be in boxes and in good condition), and you will be paid.

They’ve got all clever and technical recently and you can now scan the barcodes on your phone or by using your webcam. I haven’t done this as yet, for my last order I just manually typed the barcodes in, but this will make life even easier (I’m frugal AND lazy).

So, declutter, and add some pennies to your holiday fund, help pay off a bill, or treat yourself! I’ve just about decluttered and cashed in all my old naff dvds, games and cds now (I’m sure there is another box lurking somewhere), but I wouldn’t hesitate to use MusicMagpie again!

Money For Nothing & Kicks For Free

No, this isn’t a post about the Dire Straits song, it’s a post about getting money for nothing (or very little) and using it for whatever you like, perhaps a treat, perhaps to pay off a bill?

Lot’s of people talk about cashback, but how many actively visit a cashback site and regulalry make savings and earn extra? I do!

Quidco is my site of choice, mainly because it so easy to use but also because it is packed with features. I’ve done pretty well out of them so far too. Basically, before buying anything online I check to see if the business is featured on Quidco, if so (and I don’t find a similar business listed that might have what I want cheaper!) I click through to the site via Quidco, shop as usual and voila…. after a period of time pennies start appearing in my account!

I contacted Quidco prior to writing this, to see what was new on the site, and their reply was:

Quidco now has 1.2 million members and works with over 2,900 retailers.  Originally set up as a cashback company, Quidco’s services have grown extensively.  Last year we introduced voucher codes (which can be used alongside cashback offers to allow you to save twice), printable vouchers and In-store cashback (which allows you to earn cashback on purchases in certain stores with any of your debit or credit cards).  This year, we launched Quidco Compare (our car insurance comparison tool which works out the best deal for you (inclusive of cashback)).  Furthermore, we now offer cashback on Group buy sites such as Groupon and Crowdity.

We also launched a Save 1K page which allows you to record your voucher savings as well as cashback earnings, and Smart Shopper which is an online blog which pulls together all of our best deals and promotions.

The average member saves about £450 a year with us and it’s so easy because you can make savings on everything from household bills to travel and everyday shopping.

Put like it’s well worth a look!

I’m posting this today because I like to save money, I like to make money and I like to help others do the same too. This is not a sponsored post etc, the only contact I’ve had with Quidco was asking their press team to supply me with up to date info re new features, so you can be sure I am telling you this because of a positive personal experience with the site! So, take a minute and pop along, you’ll be surprised by the number or retailers on there (not just shops but car insurance and more), special offers and other ways to save or make money. There is even a nifty toolbar you download which reminds you to shop via Quidco (which I must download actually lol) so you don’t forget and miss out (Firefox only at the moment but available soon for Chrome, Internet Explorer etc).

Go and have a browse and let me know what you think!