Turning clutter into cash

The internet contains lots of ways you can raise cash from your recycling – the online market place www.ebay.co.uk and local community classified ads site www.gumtree.com being two of the most famous.

You can also advertise in your local press and on noticeboards.

Car boot sales – To find your nearest car boot sale, go to www.carbootsales.org.

Mobile phones – There are countless companies that will pay for old mobile phones, as well as MP3 players and game consoles, with some offering up to £200. Visit www.recyclingforcash.co.uk to find a company.

Technology – Most video game shops now sell used games, including both Game and Gamestation. CeX (Complete Entertainment Exchange) buys and sells second-hand games on all formats, as well as games consoles, DVDs, CDs, MP3 players, computers, TVs and phones, both at its branches and online: http://uk.webuy.com.

Clothing – Try www.cashforclothing.co.uk, which pays 50p per kilo and also accepts curtains, bedding, soft toys, shoes, belts and handbags.