Recycle and Make Money

by Mel
(Gilbert, Arizona)

My family has a pretty cool way of saving money, donating to a worthy cause and recycling all at the same time. We have a shelf in the garage where we all put stuff we no longer want. If it can still be used, we put it on the shelf, not in the garbage to be hauled off to the landfill.

Three or four times a year the Salvation Army puts on and extraordinary Flea Market. It is held in the parking lot of a local business and the place gets packed with people. I mean packed like the busiest flea market I have ever seen, and the people buy, they really do.

We make it a family affair and we all have a great time. There is plenty of music courtesy of a local radio station. Plenty of good food and tons of stuff to look at, and even buy at super low prices.

The best part of the day is when it is time to go home. There is very little packing up to deal with, we neatly box up whatever did not sell and leave it for the Salvation Army to pick up. The items then go to their thrift stores where they can be sold with the money going to a good cause.

So, a few day a year, we clean out the house of unwanted items, we make money we would not have had otherwise, we donate to a good cause and many of our unwanted items are recycled.

Like a win-win-win kinda thing. This happens in the Phoenix - Mesa part of Arizona. Maybe your area has something similar.