A Third Of Adults Selling Unwanted Goods Online To Bolster Finances

A third of adults sold unwanted belongings online last year to make cash and help bolster finances.

The number of adult that sold goods for the first time on sites like Ebay and Gumtree increased by 8 per cent or 3.5 million people taking the total to 31 per cent, according to a survey by Standard Life.

Just over one in four adults, or 29 per cent, bought second hand products such as furnityre, gadgets, clothes and cars to save money on purchases, Standard Life said.

The research found that households with children are much more likely to sell unwanted items (41 per cent) than those without (28 per cent). It also indicated that women are more likely to be cashing in on their old possessions (33 per cent) than men (28 per cent).


Meanwhile, more women are likely to buy items second hand (34 per cent) than men (24 per cent) - an even bigger gender gap than with those that said they sold online.

'We're doing all sorts to be more financially savvy, and selling unwanted items or buying second hand is a great way to recycle and make some extra cash,' said Julie Russell, head of customer relationships at Standard Life.

'It's interesting to see that households with children are making more use of online selling. They could perhaps have more to sell as children grow up and outgrow their toys and clothes. But there's no doubt that bringing up a family can cost a lot and can be a key factor.'