Zachary's Great Library Sell-Off

Those who know me know that I have a passion for books. In fact, part of the reason I have a multi-thousand dollar credit card balance with Citibank is that I discovered credit cards and Amazon.com at approximately the same time. Needless to say, for me this was a dangerous combination!

So in order to generate some more cash to get me through the financial autumn of the summer, I have decided to purge my library of anything that I haven't looked at in a few years and don't plan on returning to anytime soon. I have already made over $400 using Amazon Marketplace. It is painful to sell some of the books that have gotten me where I am; particularly the philosophy books that I had while in college at Sonoma State. But most of those books I never use as a college instructor. I find myself worried more about which introductory textbook to use than about pouring through original texts these days. But since we are thinking of moving out of state in the not-too-distant future for the cheaper cost of living, this seemed like a good time to begin Zachary's-Great-Library-Sell-Off.

On a more general note, it is amazing how much stuff you can collect through ordinary, everyday foolish spending. I have always been a sort of pack rat, but I was looking through my checking account statement a few months back and realizing just how large a percentage of my paycheck I devoted to buying mere stuff. So I have decided to curb my spending and try to pare my belongings down to a still hefty but more essential list of items. If you, too, are feeling overwhelmed both by the financial hardship of being a packrat and by the practical problem of where to store all your junk, try doing a similar sell-off to raise some extra cash and work towards a simpler existence.