I remember a yard sale I did several years back. I spent my whole weekend disappointed from the lack of sales from some otherwise good items. The only good thing was that I got to spend time with my family. Since then, I picked up some strategies that have helped me clear some space at home and make extra cash. I've also taught my kids a bit about business. We make it a weekend event now and it's so much fun. Also, you don't have to plant tons of signs on telephone poles to get the work out. Just follow my tips below:

- Sort. Things you haven't used in over 6 months and over a year, get rid of. Throw it in your "for sale" pile. Old clothing (or new), electronics, toys etc. Look into your garage or storage space for additional junk you can sell.

- Notify. Get to your computer and send out a simple email message to local friends and family and tell them about your yard sale. Tell them the news early, say, 3 weeks early then send out another email 3 days before the actual date. Also, when you send out the email, ask them to forward it to their circle of friends.

- Online Bulletin. Post your yard sale on online sites like http://craigslist.org and share the good news. Posting in the "general" and "groups" category will get the most eyes to your event.

- Dress It. When it the day for the sale, place your items pretty on the table, grass, chairs. Whatever you are selling, make it look clean and symmetrical. Wipe down any dusty items.

- Visible. Get some balloons. Really. Buy an inexpensive helium tank from the party store (or just get it done their) and place several colorful balloons around your yard and table ends. This helps draws attention. Ever notice car dealerships without balloons? They have them to draw eyes at their location.

- Can You Break A 20? One of the many ways to lose a sale is not having enough loose change to break a bill. Make sure you have a tray of change; bills and coins. You can be prepared with giving exact change back. Have plenty of ones and fives.

As you can see, it's time to sell your items and make money from your own junk. Oh yeah, don't be sentimental.