Yard Sale SUCCESS!! How to run a successful sale and shut the skepics up & then some!I go

WOOOOHOOOO!! My own PERSONAL Yard Sale fundraiser was a HUGE success today!! With the help of donated items from friends and my adoring husband's grunt work, we were able to make, in only 4 hours,.........drum rolllllllllll

$615!!

Awesome!!
My goal was $400-500. If I made that, then I would have chalked it up to being a decent success. But I surpassed that by $115 despite what my VERY skeptical husband thought. He kept telling me "there was nooooo wayyyy anyone was going to pay the prices I was asking, they usually come out for cheap, cheap, cheap stuff. They won't want the bigger things we had to offer @ a yard sale. I would have to craigslist those to get anything"...BLAH,BLAH, BLAH BLAH!

Well I persevered.

I put an ad in the paper, on craigslist, on facebook, on our local tv station web yard sale tracker. I made big colorful signs with balloons and posted them @ the entrances to our neighborhood with smaller directional signs to our house. I put out coffee, muffins, & bottled water.

I advertised that we took credit cards as well. So that even though we had larger more expensive items, people would be more apt to come out and look knowing they had an alternative way to pay.

I canvassed my neighborhood with fliers letting my neighbors know that we were having a yard sale so if they wanted to put stuff out I could call it a neighborhood sale, which they did.

I let my friends know I was having a sale and what it was for asking for them to donate stuff that they did not want or need. They did!!

I started mine @ 6 instead of 7 since there were alot of sales in our area just to get a jump start on the others and I did. Everyone else was @ 7 & 8.

I didn't price anything, just let people either ask or make an offer.

It was FANTASTIC!! We had very steady traffic all morning. I sold 90% of the big items and most for about the mid-range price I wanted.

Well, I couldn't have been happier with the success. Never underestimate sheer will, determination and above all else God" Anything is possible!!

Promises turn into REALITY!!

Well, my wonderfully supportive husband shook a few trees and guess what fell out? $800!! I should have him shake some trees more often.

Only a week and a half ago, I was STILL at $235 for my fundraising after having begged, emailed, and facedbooked everyone me and my husband and I know, over and over. Well, we did a little shakedown over the last 10 days and really put peoples' feet to the fire on their donation promises and guess what?

They finally came through in a BIG way.

I cannot thank people enough for the generosity to this event! Thanks so much!!

Hang in there. Just when you feel like giving up, shake a few trees and see what falls out. You never know what you might get!!

Fundraising.......Promises, Promises......

You know the song....You made me promises, promises
Knowing I'd believe, Promises, promises.......

well as far as fund raising is concerned I have had a LOT of promises but no follow-throughs.
I been @ $285 with no donations since April. This has been very disappointing and discouraging. I have even considered quitting the walk at times. Most of my team is already at their goal of $2300, while I have only collected a small amount.

We have had a few successful team fund raisers. However, I really don't want my team to have to "carry" me. I want people to support me on my own because they believe in the cause and in what I am doing for it. However, most of the people I know do not have a lot to give but would give you the shirts off their backs. Usually I am the one giving, giving because I know others can't.

So what's a discouraged fund raising girl to do?

This is the part I hate. Asking and asking for money. I feel terrible asking people for donations given this. But this is a cause I believe in and the goal of finding a cure can only be accomplished if we all pitch in, no matter how little or big the donation, even $5 can make a difference. If I have to do this $5 at a time , then I guess that's what I am going to have to do.

So once again I decided to get out and shake some trees again this week and see what would fall out. To remind people that I am doing this for all other women and men out there that are or will be affected by this disease. It is not about ME wanting your money. It is about Susan G Komen 3Day needing your money to find a cure for this debilitating, deadly disease.

And I guess a few people heard my pleas, thanks to my wonderful husband and the supportive people he knows. So, now I am @ $510 with $45 more mailed in to post and about another $500 to come in the next few days.

So thanks, thanks, thanks to ALL who have to decided to make those promises a reality and help make a difference in this fight!! Let's all keep making those PROMISES a REALITY!!

Catching up!!

Well it's been nearly 2 weeks since my last post and boy how time flies!!

DONATIONS: I had one friend that took me up on my offer for the free tax return in exchange for donations. I really appreciate her help!! Yeah! If anyone needs last minute help, the offer is still available!!

TRAINING: I completed my first back to back long 2 day walk last week, doing 6 miles on one day and then 8 miles the next! Whew! that was some walk!! Doing the same again, 8 miles tomorrow and then 6 miles the next day. We'll see how this second walk goes. Hopefully I am getting more into shape with each walk.

My schedule has been sooooo CRAZY lately, I am having to use my kids' walk to school each day to get in my daily 3-4 mile training walks. but hey, whatever it takes to get them done!!

FUNDRAISING: Well, I am behind on this for sure! Every week I think I am going to get going and every week there seem to be a mountain of activities to do. Thankfully I have a great team that has put together some events already and I am trying to help out as much as I can.

Next week I REALLY am going to hit the fundraising circuit hard I PROMISE!!

Caught up: Well that pretty much gets you caught on how this is going for me. I hope to update more often.

This has been a struggle for me to complete when I add my already hectic and crazy schedule into the mix. However, I can only imagine what the women sick with this disease have to face every day as well. And they don't get to say "I quit" or "I'll just take a break for awhile". So I trudge along on this journey hoping that my little bit somehow makes a difference.

FREE Tax Returns for Donations

Ok everyone. I am an accountant. Have worked in public accounting for 15 years preparing tax returns and such.

I will prepare your tax return and e-file it for FREE in exchange for a minimum TAX DEDUCTIBLE donation (you can use it next year!) of $50 to the Susan G Komen 3Day Walk for the Cure on my behalf. Please help us raise money for this terrible disease.

Please let me know if you are interested by posting a comment and email address.

First Training Walk

Ok....sooo... Had my first training walk outside at a brisk pace for about 5 miles.

I'm an avid walker in great walking shape,or so I thought. I walk on the treadmill usually everyday about 3.5-5 miles a day at about 3.8-4/mph on a 7 incline. I walk my kids to school 1 mile both ways nearly everyday it's not raining. I usually feel fine no sore legs no huffing up and down hills. But BOY OH BOY was I wrong. There must be a BIG difference in walking outside and walking on the treadmill. Because Sunday my legs were VERY sore and still sore some today!

I guess this means I really need some OUTSIDE walk training too. But today will just have to settle for the treadmill. I am just too busy to leave the house today. At least I learned this early on.

Also learned I needed to get a new pair of walking shoes to break in now. Any excuse to go shopping!

First Donations!!

Yeah!! How exciting to know that I have just received my first donations and both from such great friends!

I sent out scads of emails and Facebook notices last night in the hopes of kicking off this great fund-raising event. I know it will take some time. But I can be patient. I am not in control, God is and I know that with His help and guidance I CAN reach this goal.

When I think about what the women, who have this disease, and their families have gone through, all of the treatments, all of the surgeries, children without moms, brothers and sisters without sisters, grandmothers gone too early, it really motivates makes me want to do SOMETHING to help.

Every little bit helps and I really appreciate everyone's' efforts. Even if I help to raise just a little bit for this cause, it will have been worth it. Let's all continue to find ways to help!