Post-Holiday Blues. We all have them. It’s when we have to go back to work, get back to the grind and start the new year on a good foot, yet we’re all still a little hung over. We still rue all the food we ate, the gifts we didn’t get and that one drink too many we had on New Year’s Eve. Most critically of all, we all nurse that buyer’s remorse on all that money we blew on food and gifts and things. What happens next when we have a hole in our pockets, and need to get some of it back right away?

The smart way to get around it: Turn unwanted gifts into income!

Okay, to clarify, we’re not telling you to throw away gifts. That’s rude. But admit it – you’ve got a lot of stuff from previous holiday seasons. You know deep down inside that you don’t need that new set of tea cups, or that nice oven toaster.

What you can do is much better: make money! You probably received gifts that supplant or replace things you had: a new laptop or a new TV will replace what you had. What do you do with the old, other than get rid of them?

And let’s face it – if your household is like a lot of other average American homes, you have far too many possessions for your actual needs. Already, estimates figure that some $22 billion goes towards self-storage businesses all too eager to help put things away. Some go so far as to suggest that having more things can equate to more expenses. There is truth to that – costs for heating, air conditioning and even electricity can rise if living spaces are very cluttered and full of needless junk, rather than if they are less crowded.

So, to answer the question of what to do, here are two creative ideas you can do to chase away post-holiday blues and make yourself some sweet coin while you’re at it.

1. Sell Online!

Believe it or not, somebody out there does want those old shoes, or those old shirts that you’ve outgrown and don’t need. They can be collectors, bargain hunters or even some eccentric artist trying to put together a masterpiece. Put them online for auction, and watch your stuff vanish! Sites like eBay let you put things you don’t want any more up for sale. You can turn your old duds into dough, with no sweat!

2. Charities!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen. The Salvation Army can always use that sweater you don’t like, or those boxer shorts you’ve outgrown. You probably already have replacements anyway, now that somebody probably got you that as a gift. You can de-clutter your place by sending in your used or unwanted things!

One great example that comes to mind is the Child’s Play Charity of website Penny Arcade. Often, video game consoles get outdated, and they get relegated to the side when the next generation machine comes. Holders of old game machines can sell their stuff online, and proceeds can go to helping children’s hospitals around the world get toys for their patients’ use.

How about you? Know any good ideas for de-cluttering for the New Year?