How much money is hiding in your house?

Lucas Allen
Lucas Allen

Financial expert Farnoosh Torabi shows you how to find out if you're sitting on a gold mine. Literally.

The Computer
More than 15 million women post at least one blog entry a week, according to one 2008 study. If you're one of them, entice advertisers to your blog by suggesting products or adding a technical function -- two website traits desirable to advertisers, suggests Real Simple Real Life financial expert Farnoosh Torabi. Advertisers usually pay a CPM -- a rate based on 1,000 page views -- which can run from $10 to $20 per CPM.

The Closet
Sell retired handbags, scarves, and shoes to a consignment store. (A Prada messenger bag originally worth $500 could go for $150 on consignment.) To find a store near you, look under Consignment Services at auctionbytes.com. (Watch a video on How to Organize Your Closet.)

The Jewelry Box
Turn gold scraps -- one hoop that's missing its mate, a broken bracelet -- into cash. Go to sites like Kitco and Monex Precious Metals to figure out the value of gold and how to sell yours. (Watch a video on How to Organize Jewelry.)

The Bookshelf
Sites such as eBay, AddALL, and Bookfinder.com allow you to sell used books.

The Couch
A study by Coinstar, which operates coin machines in supermarkets, estimates that the average American family has about $90 in change lying around the house. So tip over that couch and watch the quarters fall out.

The Toy Chest
Your old My Little Pony collection could be worth hundreds of dollars on auction sites like eBay. (Farnoosh recently found a My Little Pony circa 1986 selling for $100 on it.) Check out the value of toys up for auction and see whether you have hidden treasure in your toy chest.

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