The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

No.269: My First ScallywagAThon

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Last month, I randomly came across a week-long readathon called the ScallywagAThon.  I loved the graphics and got all excited to complete it…only to realize that it was last year’s challenge and 2019 had something entirely new.  Ahh, always late to the party.  Since I had already had figured out most of my books, I went with it anyway.  The goal is to complete at least four of the challenges in a week’s time, which is way faster than I read, hah!  So instead, I’ve just gone at my normal pace.

Here is the “path” I chose, the books and my short thoughts on each:

1 // SIREN’S SONG – HAS MERMAIDS OR SIRENS
I picked The Mermaid by Christina Henry.  This is a historical fairy tale about a mermaid who leaves the sea to become an attraction in P.T. Barnum’s show.  The premise had a lot of promise, but the book itself was just…meh.

7 // SHARK BAIT – HAS RED ON THE COVER
I picked Big Girls Don’t Cry by Connie Briscoe.  This is a coming of age novel about an African American girl in the 1960’s.  I enjoyed how it explored her struggles and growth through the years.  Head’s up though – there is quite a bit of sexual content.

B // THAR SHE BLOWS – A BOOK THAT’S EXPLODED WITH POPULARITY THIS YEAR
I picked Click Here to Start by Denis Markell.  This was a bit of a stretch, but both of my big boys read and loved it, so it’s definitely popular around here!

9 // BLOW DOWN THE MAN // A BOOK BY A WOMAN AUTHOR
I picked These is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901 by Nancy E. Turner, an American saga told in journal entries about a brave woman living in an unfamiliar frontier.  I didn’t realize until I started, but this would also work for Prompt #6, Treasure Map – A book that has a map in it.

Have you completed the ScallywagAThon before?  What path would you take?

No.268: Poshmark Summer Selling Challenge

I haven’t talked about it much, but we’re still plugging along on the way to debt freedom.  Unfortunately, we’ve had quite a few discouraging hiccups so far this year, but such is life, right?  After a bit of moping and whining, we dust off and get back to work.  We’re not quitters!

Last month, I was chatting with the kids about ramping up my Poshmark game and trying to earn some extra money this summer.  We discovered that I had exactly three months before school starts up again.  When I asked them what my target number should be, they excitedly exclaimed, $1,000!  So that’s my big goal for this summer: make $1,000 in three months on Poshmark.

Jotting down some numbers and notes here so I can remember what works and what doesn’t.  Maybe it will inspire you to take on a reselling side hustle too.

FIRST THE NUMBERS…

Starting active inventory on May 20: 95 items
Current active inventory on June 20: 191 items
Items sold: 23
Net Profit (after my costs and Poshmark fees): $278.55

NOTES

My big goal for this first month was to increase my inventory and get in the habit of listing new products every single day.  I started treating it like a business vs. a hobby and I saw a big difference in results!

  • I have a zero debt policy when it comes to investing in inventory.  To start things along, I went through our closets and took out outgrown or unworn pieces.  Many sold quickly which gave me the cash to seek new product.
  • I took some of the earnings and reinvested in liquidation product from someone on ebay.  95% of the clothes were sellable.  There is always risk involved when you can’t personally inspect the pieces, but I’ve wanted to try it out and was mostly very pleased.  
  • I tried to list two or three new items every day, taking Sundays off.
  • Poshmark just started a new “Home” market, so I listed a few things to dip my toes in that section.  I’ve had some interest, but no sales yet.
  • I shared my entire closet three times a day (when I first wake up, around lunchtime and at night) and some of my closet in between those times.  I had the most engagement and sales in the morning or late at night.
Most of my profit this month went right back into the business for new inventory, but I did use $60 for an extra payment on the student loan I’ve been focusing on for the past year.  Only $526 to go!

No.267: What I’ve Learned After 11 Months of Selling on Poshmark

I have officially been selling on Poshmark for eleven months now. (My one year anniversary is at the end of July.)  As of this writing, I’ve sold 135 items!  It’s been a fun side gig and I’m loving being in business again.  Today I thought I would share five things I’ve learned since I started selling:

1 // CLEAR PHOTOGRAPHS ARE KEY
Some sellers are very professional with white backgrounds and mannequins and detailed flat lays.  My photographs are not nearly that fancy!  I’ve found that as long as you take clear photographs with as many angles as you can, you can still sell your item.

2 // PRICE ITEMS REALISTICALLY
Before listing an item, I always do a search on the app.  There is a place to click on the right-hand side that says “sold” and will give you a realistic price for what you can hope to sell your item for.  I feel that items move more quickly when you give your items a reasonable price point.
Side note: I also frequently review my “why” – I’m combining a business with my desire for a life of slower fashion and less waste.  A way for other women to feel confident in clothing (especially moms like me whose waistlines fluctuate with babies and hormones and age, etc. etc.) while still keeping to their budgets.  So while I price my items to make a profit, I’m not looking for a HUGE one.

3 // UNDERSTAND THE APP
Poshmark is considered a “social” shopping app, so you have to play the game if you want the results.  To be successful, I’ve found that you have to interact within the app on a daily basis.

4 // SHARE, SHARE, SHARE
Sharing is a big part of the Poshmark experience.  I share all of the items in my closet at least three times a day: first thing in the morning, at lunchtime, and at night before bed.  Sometimes if I have a spare minute, I can fit a few more throughout the day.  I also spend about 10-15 minutes each night sharing other people’s things.  If you don’t share frequently, you most likely won’t see any sales.  It’s really not hard, just tedious. 

5 // EXPERIMENT!
I’ve tried the “Offer to Likers” feature, held a sale, followed 100 closets that sold items similar to mine, left sincere comments, welcomed new people…I frequently try something new and see what happens.  Some things have worked for me and others haven’t, but you never know until you try!

New to Poshmark?  Sign up using my code BWFARMHOUSE and you’ll get a $10 credit toward your first purchase!

No.266: Read With Me // Overdressed (Part 3)

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Quick recap: I assigned myself a summer reading book, Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion, to help me help me learn more about ethical fashion.  I’m jotting down some notes and thoughts as I read through it this month and sharing them here.  Maybe it will inspire you in a new way too!

I’ve divided the book into four sections.  (Find my notes on Part One here and Part Two here.)  Part Three contains Chapters 5 and 6.

Chapter 5: The Afterlife of Cheap Clothes

There is an enormous disconnect between increasing clothing consumption and the resultant waste, partially because unworn clothes aren’t immediately thrown out like other disposable products. (p.121)

 Notes and takeaways from this chapter:

  • I was interested in this chapter in light of my Poshmark hobby.  Did you know that of all the clothing that gets donated to charity, less than 20% actually gets sold in the thrift stores?  About 50% goes straight to postconsumer waste facilities.
  • Stats for postconsumer waste facilities:
    • Less than 50% is high enough quality to continue as clothing
    • 20% is sold to fiber buyers who use it in products like insulation or carpet padding
    • 30% is sold to industrial wiping-rag companies
    • 5% is thrown away
  • “Vintage’s appeal is about nostalgia and exclusivity, but there’s also a certain ‘they don’t make ’em like they used to’ allure to owning something from our garment industry’s heyday.” (p.134)  Reading about vintage clothing made me immediately think of Lisa and Betty’s Heart Co.  I need to make an order soon!  

Chapter 6: Sewing is a Good Job, a Great Job

Clothing companies have enjoyed decades of cheap foreign labor and the resulting profits, but what exactly are the tangible benefits to us, the American consumer?  We own more clothes than we can wear, the quality and craftsmanship of our wardrobes are at an all-time low, and the U.S. manufacturing base can’t compete on wages with the developing world, costing countless domestic jobs.  One of the tools we have to change these dynamics is not just to demand that clothing companies stop using sweatshops, but to set the bar much higher and demand they pay those who make our clothes a living wage.  Raising wages abroad would be good for the U.S. economy, as it would give our own industries a much-needed change to compete.  It wouldn’t be easy or simple, but it’s achievable and the benefits would be far-reaching. (p.160)

Notes and takeaways from this chapter:
  • It’s easy to forget that sewing clothing requires some skill: “At Alta Gracia [a garment factory in the Dominican Republic], a simple men’s T-shirt is created using a 14-person process and a number of different types of machines.” (p.139)
  • to look for: the Fair Trade Certified label 

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