Why it pays to garage sale

A couple of weeks ago the garage sale bug hit me so I looked up a few local sales, packed the kids into the car and headed out. First couple stops weren't anything much but then I hit the mother lode! First off, if I had been in the market for toys (which I am definitely not!), these ladies had some quality toys at nice prices. Then I ventured into the garage and saw racks and stacks of women's clothing. I noticed that the prices were great ($1-$2 per item), the clothes were name brands (not that I have to wear name brands but they usually are a bit better quality), and they looked to be my size!

The best deals were these coats. I paid $3-$5 for each coat, Gap, Old Navy, Merona, and New York & Co. brands. Once I got them home, I thought maybe it was a bit excessive, but they all fit great and are styles I love, plus I paid less for these coats then I would have paid for one brand new coat. I hope to get years of use out of them. I just finally got rid of the winter coat I got my last year of high school (10 years ago), so I have a good track record.

Here are some other good deals, including a few items for Andrew. I bought a brand new pair of Old Navy jean capris for 3 bucks. Also a black puffy vest which I will wear a ton, a brand new gray button down blouse, plus some t-shirts and shirts. Some did not fit how I had hoped but I will be keeping enough to make the expense worthwhile.

Lessons learned from rummaging:

1. I will not drive way out of my way to go to a garage sale. I have gotten burned way too many times by supposedly great garage sales turning out to be nothing much.

2. I never thought I would be able to find jeans for me at a garage sale but if you know your size in popular brands, it is definitely a possibility.

3. Garage sales are cheaper than Goodwill and can yield higher quality clothing.

4. Don't be afraid to ask for lower prices. (I didn't in this case, I think because I was too excited! But I have done it before and usually the seller doesn't bat an eye at lowering the price.)

5. Just because its cute and cheap doesn't mean you should buy it. I gather stuff for the boys at garage sales but I've become much picker because I ended up with too much stuff. If its more than $1, I usually bypass it unless for example, it is a pair of jeans in good condition. I recently went through all the boys clothes and purged alot from the younger boys because they just had way too much stuff! Aaron still has about 25 outfits for this summer that I just can't get rid of yet because they're too cute. :-)

6. Don't try to take your kids. If its cool enough out, I bring the boys some snacks and books and leave them in the van. Then I run to take a quick peek at the sale.

Hope this is helpful!