My name is Charity Cummings, and I am currently self-employed cleaning homes for a living.

In my experience of cleaning and being self-employed, there are some ups and downs to this business.

In case anyone's interested in starting a cleaning business, I thought I'd share some of the things I learned along the way. Plus, some of the differences between working for a cleaning company vs being self-employed with your own cleaning service.

My mom was recently talking about try to sell a few things on eBay. This would be her very first attempt at selling something on eBay.

It's a cinch to buy things on eBay, but selling takes a bit more work. So I started looking for some eBay tips & tools that might make the process easier for her.

The good news: If you're not a wiz on the computer and signing up with a credit card (to use PayPal for handling all of the payments associated with your items) sounds intimidating... you're not alone. My mom wasn't crazy about either of those things. But she decided to get with the times in order to take advantage of all that eBay has to offer -- in terms of helping you sell your unwanted items in a ziffy.

Here are the best tools we found to make selling items easier when using eBay.

Who doesn't like yard sales? It's such a great way to make some quick cash and get rid of clutter at the same time!

(Besides, people routinely take stuff that's been left at the curb for FREE when it's intended for the garbage, so why not sell it?)

But in my mind, preparing for a yard sale is a process (...if not an art).

Each time, I fine-tune the things I've done in the past and make mental notes of the things I want to do and not do at my next yard sale.

In order for businesses to be successful, they have to constantly reinvent themselves and create ideas that will appeal to their audiences. The key to a successful yard sale is to look at it as a business. Just like any event or product, you want to try to draw attention through advertisement and uniqueness. Although it is not a day-to-day job, you can prepare for this event in advance to ensure success." --Roxanne Ranelli

What if, at the end of the day, you're left with most of the items that you started with?...

Here are a few "special touches" that I sometimes do at my yard sales... just because.

First, I'll share with you what I, personally, have experienced in terms of what sells and what doesn't at yard sales.

Then, we'll see how my list compares with what "the experts" say.

If you want to be smiling at the end of your yard sale and feel good that you've sold most of your items, then price everything very low! I'm not kidding.

Otherwise, you'll just end the day frustrated and sad that you went to all this trouble to set up and run a day-long (or 2-day long) yard sale... yet you've got nothing to show for it!

My advice is to just sell everything and be done with it, rather than try to make some outlandish profit in the end. It's far more frustrating to be left with most of what you started with in the end than it is to sell it for too low of a price.

That I know. (Been there, done that.)

Now, what's the best way to go through and price all those items?...

When you're having a yard sale, you need to have a way to make change whenever someone gives you a $1 dollar bill for a 25-cent item. Or, a $20 dollar bill for a $1 item!

This is what I usually do to make sure I'm covered...

Here are the best ways to get the word out about your yard sale...

When it comes to neighborhood yard sales, I've always wondered if it's better to take advantage of all the free advertising they do for you...

Or, if you should take the time to write your own ads, hang your own signs, and pick your own date.

I've had both, but I seem to have had more success when my personal garage sale was tied in with a neighborhood-wide yard sale event.

Here's what I've learned...

Should you have your garage sale in the spring, summer, winter, or fall? Which months are best for yard sales? Which days are the best? What's the best time to have a garage sale?

The answers to these questions largely depend on where you live.

Here's the scoop...

Preparing for a yard sale is definitely a process.

But how in the world do you start?...

First, here are the Top 10 Reasons To Have A Garage Sale:
(according to Afton Nelson)
#1 To earn extra money
#2 To make room for new stuff
#3 To prepare for a move
#4 Because it's fun
#5 To teach your kids about work
#6 To turn the "junk room" into a ___ room
#7 Because your teen doesn't play with Strawberry Shortcake anymore
#8 To do some Spring cleaning
#9 It's Step 5 in the "Packrats Anonymous 12-Step Program"
#10 To achieve family goals

Kids, ages 7 to 12 can get a free Lemonade Stand (plus lots of fun "extras"!) to sell lemonade in their own neighborhood!

But you've got to act quickly...

Only 10,000 FREE lemonade stands are being distributed on a first come, first served basis.

...and word is, they started giving them out on the First Day of Summer (June 21st), and they're over half gone already!