Today’s guest post is from Stacy Gallego, who shares how she earns extra income by flipping used items. Stacy has been a longtime reader of Making Sense of Cents and has built an impressive reselling business. Enjoy her story!
In 2000, if someone had told me I would graduate from nursing school, marry a wonderful man, raise six children, and generate $100,000 in sales from flipping used goods, I would have said they were crazy.
Back then my life felt upside down. I was 28, newly divorced, uneducated, and a single mother of twin boys under two. I struggled with alcoholism, couldn’t hold steady work, and was broke. I had lost my job, my car, and a small business, and was days away from eviction. I’d even lost hope.
My parents flew me and the boys back to Wisconsin and gave us a place to stay while I tried to rebuild. Living with family and getting their support made a huge difference. It took months to overcome anxiety and depression, but I got sober, quit smoking, and began to see hope again.
With my family’s support I went to college and prepared for nursing school. It was an exciting time, but I still carried substantial debt from my divorce. When I sat down with bankruptcy paperwork and a list of obligations, I promised myself that I would never return to that situation. I accepted responsibility for my choices and committed to a new financial path: live below our means, avoid debt, save, and work toward the life I wanted.
Over the years I changed my money habits and mindset. I avoided debt, built savings, and found more freedom. In 2005 I met John through eHarmony and we married. We agreed early on that if we didn’t have cash for something, we simply couldn’t afford it. Friends criticized our frugality—driving used cars and saying no to their kids—but we stayed focused on our goal: stay debt-free, build wealth, and have the freedom to choose how we spend our time.
My dad used to say, “We don’t have to keep up with the Joneses because we are the Joneses.” That idea—living in peace without constant comparison—has served us well. For the past 16 years, budgeting, generosity, and choice have brought us a life we value more than any new-car smell or fancy house.
Dreaming of an RV
After backpacking through Europe in 2018 (I saved by picking up extra shifts at the hospital), my husband and I realized we wanted to see more of our own country. We loved the practicality of RV travel: a comfortable space, a kitchen and bathroom, no hotel bookings, and the ability to bring our dog. My husband had owned an RV previously and loved it, but we stuck to our rule: if we didn’t have cash, we couldn’t buy it. He was open to the idea if I could come up with the money.
The search for a lucrative side hustle
I spent two months exploring side-business ideas. Returning to extra nursing shifts worked but required trading large blocks of time for money. I wanted something smarter and more efficient. I considered dog walking, serving papers, and house cleaning—but none of them fit the lifestyle I wanted. The work had to be something I enjoyed and that fit our family life.
Stumbling on flipping
I came across a story about Rob and Melissa from Flea Market Flipper and their success flipping larger, higher-profit items. I’d sold on eBay since 2007—initially small items for “fun money”—so the idea resonated. After watching their video, I felt certain flipping could fund our RV. I told my husband I planned to start selling larger pieces and even freight-shipping big items, though I had no idea how at first. He was skeptical until a few big sales proved the model. Within a year and a half I had saved $20,000 for an RV and my reselling business was booming.
Turning 50 cents into $100,000
Flipping requires very little overhead, which makes it accessible. You can start with almost no cash: I began with just $0.50. I bought a Dodge Ram center cap at a yard sale, cleaned it, listed it on eBay, and sold it for $75 within 24 hours. I reinvested that money and never put personal funds back into the business. That small start grew into $100,000 in sales within two years.
To get started you need four basic things:
- Internet access — enough to list and research items on platforms like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, and Craigslist.
- A smartphone — for taking photos, listing items, and sourcing on the go.
- Some items to sell — start with things you already own that you haven’t used in a year; sell locally to build initial cash.
- A positive, persistent attitude — flipping isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme; it requires effort and resilience.
Many successful flippers I know started with under $20. One single mom sold an old vacuum for $400 and used that as her business seed money.
Five business principles that helped my flipping success
- Invest in knowledge.
- Treat flipping as a business, not a hobby.
- Work on the business every single day.
- Learn from mistakes instead of quitting.
- Surround yourself with supportive people.
Invest in knowledge: Knowledge beats ignorance. I invested in Flipper University and quickly recouped the course fee in the first month. Learning from experienced sellers accelerated my progress and prevented many costly mistakes.
Flipping is a business, not a hobby: I set up structure immediately—separate bank account, an LLC, and scheduled work hours. I kept flipping finances separate from personal money and treated my side hustle like a real job. That discipline helped my operation grow fast.
Work every day: Consistency is critical. Even on tough days, I showed up. I source daily, list items on eBay every day, ensure items are listed within a week of purchase, refine listings for better SEO, and provide excellent customer service. The daily work builds future paychecks.
Learn from mistakes: Mistakes are inevitable, but they’re also learning opportunities. I was terrified of making errors when I began flipping large items, but every mistake taught me processes and protections that made my business stronger.
Surround yourself with believers: Support matters. A supportive community encouraged me, shared knowledge, and celebrated wins. That network helped me scale faster and kept me motivated through setbacks.
Flipping is an accessible, low-overhead business anyone can start with modest resources, curiosity, and consistency. If you try and fail at first, remember: anything worth doing is worth doing imperfectly. Keep learning, keep showing up, and you’ll improve over time.
Author bio: My name is Stacy Gallego. I’m married with six children and trained as an RN. I recently retired from nursing to pursue flipping full time, which has provided significant income for my family and more time to enjoy the things I love.
Interested in starting a flipping side hustle?