Clear Out For Cash Launch New Campaign

As the cost of living crisis creeps up, and shows no sign of abating, we are all starting to look in the attic and in our drawers to see if we have something of value. This is exactly why consumer website MoneyMagpie’s founder Jasmine Birtles created the “Clear out for Cash” campaign. What started out as something for MoneyMagpie readers has since become a national campaign and Jasmine really hopes to help people not only identify some treasures, but also empower them with the knowledge on how to sell them.

Birtles says, “I set up the Clear out for Cash campaign because I was so horrified at the amount of junk I myself had stored – and paid to store! – over a few years. I thought that if I’ve wasted my money like this, I know that lots of people round the country will be doing it too.”
And what treasures have been found since she started. “One MoneyMagpie reader found a full box of costume jewelry that ended up funding a summer holiday… another managed to sell some vintage clothes and many have made a quick buck selling old phone handsets, what people have found and shared with us has been incredible.”
“It’s truly amazing how much stuff we all manage to accumulate and either not use or actually pay to store somewhere!” says Birtles. “Not only is it potentially costing us money but it’s also a wasted opportunity to make money. The stuff hanging around our homes that is never used could be converted into cash.”
“One man’s junk is another man’s riches and I’ve realised over the years that even broken items or things that I think are worthless can be money-spinners if you know how to advertise them properly and choose the best place to put them up for sale. Just look at some of the online selling sites and you’ll see all sorts of weird and wonderful items that get snapped up!
This year, Clear out for Cash is even bigger. Pairing up with phone network giffgaff, the team are asking you now, more than ever, to start selling and recycling. To get involved and to encourage other people to recycle, plus to remind us of the good that this can do to the environment:
Ash Schofield, CEO at giffgaff, said: “Our recent research revealed that there could be a staggering £3.4 billion worth of old mobile phones lying in drawers across the UK – with 45% of people (nearly 30 million) keeping a backup mobile phone that they rarely use. At giffgaff, on average we pay £108 for previously used devices, and so far we’ve helped tens of thousands of people trade in and cash out.
“And it’s not just good for the nation’s pockets. Recycling phones helps tackle the amount of e-waste we create – growing at nearly 1.5 million tonnes a year in the UK* – by preventing resources from going untapped, or worse, into landfill. We’re proud to be involved in the Clear out for Cash campaign and hope that it encourages even more people to recycle their old phones. After all, it’s good for your wallet, and for the planet too.”
Birtles agrees with Ash: “The other great thing about clearing out your cupboards, drawers and shelves for cash is, as Ash says, this is environmentally friendly. The more we can sell – or even give away – items that we don’t want, the more we are helping to recycle goods and stop them going into landfill. It’s a virtuous circle with the seller de-cluttering their home and making money and the buyer getting something they love for less, and both helping the environment. We all need to be doing this more!”
“For this year’s campaign, we have created a free ebook to help you on your ‘Clear Out For Cash’ journey.”
So how can we all get involved? Literally by helping the COFC team spread the news of the campaign, they will monitor the good that this project is doing for the environment and your wallets. Tag #MoneyMagpie and #giffgaff on all social media posts or use the hashtag #clearoutforcash. “Let’s see what treasures we can find!” says Birtles.