Help Needed to Start Selling on eBay or Other Income Producing Sources

Retailrecommprice on 26/04/2018 - 22:14
Last edited 27/04/2018 - 05:41 by 1 other user

Good evening all

Recently moved interstate for my career.
- live alone
- took a pay cut
- rushed to lease a 1 bdr apartment for a premium price
- have a bare minimum surplus after all weekly expenses
- cannot drastically reduce expenses any further

Am looking for a supplementary source of income for a less stressful lifestyle. My current income thankfully supplements my living expenses, however does not allow for any contingencies and or emergency expenses. If anything came up I may be faced with selling belongings which is not something I'd like to do.

Currently on boarding for rideshare which I had been doing interstate and hope to continue. On boarding process is taking a little longer than expected. Seeking an extra $400/week income (gross).

Do not have interest in airtasker or carnextdoor. Please refrain from hilarious suggestions such as escorting or dealing.

I'd like to start selling on eBay. I'm not asking for suggestions on specific products, since I wouldn't expect anyone to give up any trade secrets. Is there a way I can access reports of sales/best selling items so I can buy in bulk? Obviously not big ticket items which stores have exclusive sales rights to. Don't fancy outdated books suggesting selling e-books or otherwise to make money. Happy to pay for research so I can determine what to sell that suits me.

Any help would be much appreciated.

• 

  poboy on 26/04/2018 - 22:34

  You have not indicated any type of skillset that separates you from anyone else. Therefore you just have to accept jobs with no barriers to entry, like uber or menial tasks.

  If you concentrate on upskilling for your career you could move up faster and easily make that extra $15k without the double effort hours and stress.

• 

  zonra on 26/04/2018 - 23:23

  +3

  Not exactly what you're asking for but have you consider picking up a second part time/casual job?
  Even one or two shift a week can greatly increase weekly your income.
  Probably will get you closer to the extra $400 weekly than selling on eBay.

  • have a bare minimum surplus after all weekly expenses
  • cannot drastically reduce expenses any further

  Personally I reckon these are not the ideal conditions to start a small business

  • 

    Love a bargain on 27/04/2018 - 12:51

    Second this. When you take on a second job, you know you're gonna end up with more money at the end of the day. On the other hand, there's no guarantee that you'd be turning a profit when you start a business. (Let alone you'd probably have to go into debt to finance your inventories to start off with. Is that really what you wanna do?)

• 

  Quantumcat on 26/04/2018 - 23:25

  +1

  Selling on ebay won't be profitable unless you know of some secret product that the rest of the world hasn't caught onto yet (then when they do you'll lose sales and have a bunch of inventory you can't get rid of). Uber likewise you make so little money after paying for fuel and car maintenance that it is hardly worth your time, probably better to have to have a bit of credit card debt when emergency strikes than subject yourself to that.

  Instead, work out what your skills are. Are you good with kids? Do babysitting. Are you good at explaining things and being patient, and do you remember high school maths or English? Do tutoring. Even better if you did law or economics or stats or similar and can tutor uni students. Do you have Web programming skills? Make people's websites for them. Are you good at fixing stuff or gardening? Be a handyman. Do you like animals? Be a dog walker or pet sitter. If you have no special skills, get a night filling job at the supermarket. It will pay a lot better than selling on ebay or Uber.

  • 

    thatonethere on 27/04/2018 - 00:03

    +1

    Ebay is a slow start for income too if you have not done it before. Early sales are embargoed for a while.

  • 

    Baysew on 27/04/2018 - 10:08

    -1

    Instead, work out what your skills are.

    OP works as a financial adviser with big bank and drives a HYC. (High Yielding Car)

• 

  [Deactivated] on 27/04/2018 - 04:33

  -1

  With the hole you have dug yourself there, I would not rule out escorting or dealing.

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  ShannonN on 27/04/2018 - 05:05

  +1

  Why did you rush to get a "premium" place to live knowing you were getting less money than previously, is lifestyle or looking good important to you?

  When current lease is up move to cheaper digs in meantime buy 2 of those really big plastic 2 litre containers of Tomato sauce mix with water you have tomato soup.

  Can live on it for months I did as a teen living in the rough after leaving home and later as uni student to save money.

  You can afford it and a loaf of el cheapo bread isn't more than a dollar, waters free, Toilet paper can be found in public conveniences, Get the bread at woolies they'll give you a plastic bag great for putting garbage in.
  Remember you don't need a huge data plan on your phone, go pre paid and leave the internet to public libraries. Sell car if you have one use money to survive and catch public transport

  You'll survive

  • 

    grasstown on 27/04/2018 - 09:21

    +2

    Oh dear , thats dire

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  peterpeterpumpkin on 27/04/2018 - 10:03

  How premium is the unit we're talking about here? Is there a break fee on the lease?

  We're all different in our priorities, but I would prefer to live sustainably rather than play catch up all the time. If you're into stress and risk-taking then you may as well have a mortgage.