Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Yard Sale Junkie
If we are talking about saving money, my best money saver is shopping at yard sales! I love them and can usually find some great buys! Atleast half of my kids' wardrobes are from yard sales and I am proud of that! I don't buy dirty or stained clothes, I definitely look very closely at each item before I purchase it. I love buying my kids Children's Place or Gapkids clothes for 50 cents a piece! Also childrens books and toys are also great to look for at yard sales. Then your kids get a variety of toys and books without spending a fortune. (I always Lysol my buys real well before giving them to the kids, though!) Last year my husband and I got my son a Schwinn bike that came with training wheels and a helmet, in mint condition, for $20! You can't get that kind of a deal in a store buying brand new! Anyone else addicted to yard sales?? If you aren't a yard saler, I encourage you to try some, you might find some great buys!
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6 comments:
I might just need to start a new hobby!
I agree with this..I especially love the big multi-family garage sales or out here we have an annual Moms of Multiples garage sale and its in a school gym and is AWESOME (tons of good stuff). And I also have to throw another shout out to craigslist with this. I love craigslist because its basically a garage sale online..so a lot less wasted gas. :) I know that there was a post about this awhile back, but I just love that site...I've bought probably 70% of my daughter's stuff from craigslist..and its good, quality stuff! :)
This IS my new hobby. I get a thrill out of finding an awesome bargain! I was going to say the same as Tiffany. I have found subdivision or neighborhood sales to be a jackpot. Subdivisions are full of young families - hence, lots of kids' stuff! It's like one stop shopping, which is great for both rising gas prices (you don't drive around all day going to different sales) and great if you have children with you, because you don't have to get in and out of the car. Craigslist and Mom to Mom sales are great too, but in my experience I have found the stuff to be a little overpriced compared to good old fashioned garage sales. My tip: have an idea ahead of time of what you are looking for, otherwise it's just like any shopping, you come home with other stuff you didn't really need, just because it's a good deal! Last weekend I went out seeking a wagon and a picnic table, and came home with a slide. My daughter loves it, but I still want the other two things too, so it starts to defeat the purpose of getting it so cheap!
Has anyone used freecycle? see a testimonial of this at charlottelaughs.blogspot.com. I'm trying it out.
I think all of these options (yard sales, craigslist, freecycle) put you at the mercy of your "neighbors." It seems to me that my neighbors really live by the "use it up, wear it out" mantra and I haven't found much good stuff around here (heck, we've had people go through out curbside pick up and reclaim our junk). Perhaps that's 'bama for you! :)
Yes, there are many places where I have found junky stuff sold, that I wouldn't take for free! But if you go to the right neighborhoods and really check out what you are looking at there are some great quality items that I could not afford to buy new! It is definitely hit or miss sometimes, not every weekend I go out do I find something! When I go through the ads in the papers I look for the wealthier neighborhood sales where people generally have nicer items and usually keep them in pretty decent shape!
I love yard sales... and estate sales, too. Estate sales take more time but if you are newly establishing a house and need things like lawn mowers, chest of drawers, etc., they can be AWESOME. Estate sales are usually advertised in the paper.
I have used craigslist and think it is worth the time if you are looking for something specific.
I have tried using freecycle (Phoenix area has a HUGE network) but feel it isn't worth my time. I advertised things on there and NO ONE even responded. I had better luck posting it listed as FREE on craigslist. I will give freecycle a try again, but probably not for awhile.
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