In times when money is tight, many people turn to a time-honored practice to pull together some extra cash or to clean out the garage: the yard sale.

However, a successful yard sale is not something you simply throw together.

It is a lot of work, getting ready for a yard sale or a garage sale, so we shopped around for some tips to make sure you get the most bang for your buck.

The first tip is making sure people know where to find you.

The Blomquists put up nine signs to lead to their garage sale.

As Ms. Blomquist says, "I think we've done really well so far. We've gotten rid of more than half our stuff already."

In just the first day, they made more than $400. Clothes, toys and household items were all well-organized and ready to go.

"I took a duster and a vacuum to everything first before I put them out, just to make them more appealing. So, I gave everything a fresh launder to make sure things were wrinkle free for the clothes."

Blomquist also listed her sale on Craigslist.

We also found Cathy Wilson’s moving sale. It was well organized and well displayed. However, it was competing with Fourth of July festivities.

Cathy says, "We had some pretty good, very early morning traffic, before we even got things set up yesterday morning, but after mid-morning, it was at a virtual standstill the rest of the day. We finally closed up around 3 o'clock."

Experts say timing is important, but so is variety, which is what Rupa Decera is selling.

Rupa says, "I'm selling everything from furniture to arts and crafts, wool. I've got books, a mountain bike, Christmas stuff…all kinds of things."

She is also doing two other things experts advise. She priced to sell and she is willing to negotiate.

"As the day progress, I'm going to be reducing prices."

If you are planning a yard sale, there are some other things to keep in mind.

Safety is first. Do not let anyone inside your home, and keep your money close by.