why you should yard sale

If you know me or have read my blog for long, you know I'm all about a deal.  I'm naturally thrifty-minded and, for me, it's a thrill to seek out a deal.  Many Saturdays, I get up and hit the yard sales around town.  Some mornings we go out as a family.  Some mornings it's just Adeline and me.  And occasionally, Justin stays home with Adeline while I go out for a bit in the morning.  This morning I flew solo and had tons of luck!

Total yard sales: 5

Total time:  1.5 hours

Number of items purchased: 12

Total spent:  $6

I found Adeline gobs of books at a couple of the yard sales! I was able to buy 5 board books at my first yard sale for $1.50, including Tigger Bounces into Fall (so cute!).  I then bought Clifford's First Halloween and a Max Lucado board book, as well as a sing along nursery rhyme CD for $2 at my next yard sale.

After that I headed to another yard sale and found an awesome oval frame that I've been wanting for a crafting project that's up my sleeve! I'm currently giving it new life with some spray paint and a little makeover.  (Justin was disturbed that the family left their family photo in the frame.  Seriously...it's a reprint of an old family photo.  He wants me to burn it so it doesn't haunt us. ha!)

My last planned yard sale was a flop.  High prices and junk I didn't need.

The last yard sale I went to probably excited me the most and I just found it following signs.  Love when that happens.

At this yard sale I found a Bailey Boys gingham romper set and two pairs of shoes for Adeline!

I had just told Justin the night before I wanted to find some bright red shoes to go with Adeline's lady bug Halloween costume...found them! I only paid $0.50 for these and they're Gap!

The deal of the day...century maybe...was the Bailey Boys outfit.  This thing was probably between $30 and $40 new!! I bought it for $1!

Tips for "Yard Sale-ing":

- Search Craigslist or your local paper around Thursday or Friday for listings. On Craigslist, under "for sale, garage sales"...search by the town names you want to shop in.  I search by my county, then I search by the specific cities I know I want to shop in.

-Go early but don't worry if you aren't there when they first open.  Sometimes you'll get better deals as the day goes on because people just want to get rid of things!

-Take cash and coins...and preferably set a limit.

-Look for prices that are about 10-20% of what they originally would have sold.  (Or try to do even better!)

-If something isn't priced...ask!

-Just think: sanitize.  My favorite option is Clorox's Anywhere cleaner.  Makes toys and books brand new! Porous items such as fabric, can be thrown in the washer.  Small pieces like plastic blocks can be put into a mesh laundry bag and put into the top rack in the dishwasher!

-Be bold and ask for a lower price if you think it should be lower.

-Group items together and ask the seller for a price for the group.  (For example, I bought 5 books for $1.50.  Originally, they wanted $0.50 a piece for the books, meaning I would have paid. $2.50.  I just approached the seller with the group of books and politely asked if she would take $1.50 for all of them.  It was a yes and I got an even better deal!)

-Don't give up.  Some weekends you will have a lot of luck, while others you won't have any.

-Go with items in mind and think about how you can repurpose or give new life to an item! If you're willing to put a little creativity and/or elbow grease into something, you can save SO much money by shopping at yard sales.

-Look at the tags! (Often, you can find designer kids clothes for super cheap at yard sales.  I know I can buy many clothes, such as Target, Kohl's, etc. very cheap on clearance and with store coupons in the store.  I often don't buy those types of clothes at yard sales.  However, you can't even find yard sale type deals on designer clothes when you buy consignment.  I don't pass up a designer outfit that's priced right at a yard sale.  Often kids clothes have been worn once or twice and look brand new.)

-Make it fun.  I often stop by McDonald's and get a large diet coke to take along with me for the ride.

still in her jammies...enjoying her new treasures!

Enjoy the hunt!