Garage sale shopping means that you are already saving money, right? Well, what if I shared some tips that would save you anywhere from 50 percent to 100 percent (yes items for free) off of the garage sale prices? It doesn’t require hours of negotiating or getting up at 4 am to plan your strategy. It just takes a little information, which I will gladly share below.
1. Break down your money. Even if you plan on buying a lot of stuff, you will benefit by carrying small change. Break all of your money down to dollars and quarters, with an occasional $5 bill. Holding out $2 along with an item that is $5 may just get you the item for those two bills. You know the old saying that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush? There is something about the visual of money in its exact change that may have your sellers grabbing it.
2. Go at the end of the day. Yes, most people tell you to arrive before everyone else. But in the morning, those sellers are just gearing up. At the end of the day, they are tired and just don’t want to have to haul the stuff back in the house. And, they may be too tired to argue over a price. Say, “Let me take that off your hands for $1,” and you may get a grateful look, even though they wouldn’t have let the item go for less than $5 just a few hours earlier. They may even throw in lots of free extras.
3. Offer to buy stuff in lots. This works especially well at the end of the day. Offer to buy an entire bin of books or clothing for a $5 bill. When you get home, you can pick out what you like and sell or donate the rest. I once got 20 nice children’s pieces this way for my own kids. That is about 4 cents a piece!
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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