The Fifth Season of the Year!!! Garage Sale Season!

I am completely excited! Garage sale season is beginning! I am starting to see ads in the paper and signs about town! The thrill of the hunt is on. In the old days men would hunt and women would gather their food. Now, the women have become the hunters, the hunters of the best bargain! Garage sales are where I hone my hunting and negotiation skills.

The best sales to go to are the neighborhood sales. These are great because you can get to 5 -20 individual sales at a time. I usually get a lot of walking in when I go to a neighborhood sale. Last year I went to the Washington Woods and Patriot’s Glen community yard sales. I did a lot of walking and bought some nice things. I also saw a van load of Amish with a non-Amish driver. The van had a huge trailer attached to it to haul their booty. Everyone participates in the hunt!

To prepare for sales, I first make sure to budget money in my monthly budget. I try to get money on Fridays in ones and fives. When I run out of cash, it is the end of my garage sale morning. Many times I have left over cash. I carry it over to the next week or stick it in my savings account. Since it is budgeted but not spent, it makes sense to save it. When my daughters were young, I would take them with me and give each of them $2 to spend. My only guideline was "NO stuffed animals!" They loved to go with me.

Usually I peruse the Friday Cecil Whig ads with my Saturday morning tea and stake out a route so I can hit several sales (5-8) that are near each other. I try to leave the house by 8 am so I can get the best bargains. I make sure to bring a bottle of water and a snack or two. I don’t want to spend money on food out if I get hungry or thirsty.

People are usually happy to bargain with you if you don’t like a price. I do not bargain often but if I see something I want but find it priced too high for me, I will ask for a price reduction. If they say no, I usually just leave the item there.

There is a great article in The Tightwad Gazette, by Amy Dacyczyn about her garage sale strategies. Most every other book on frugality also has secrets to having good hunting at your local garage sales.

Let the season begin!