I shop at a lot of thrift stores, garage sales, clearance racks etc, basically I am cheap. I know if I have patience, I will eventually get it at a much cheaper price. Sometimes however, when you do go shopping, you end up buying a ton of stuff because “it’s cheap”, but even the low prices don’t mean you come out on top.
LESSON ONE: Go with a list. It’s important that you always write down what you are looking for and try to stick to it. Ofcourse you are going to find those steal of a deal items, but remembering to keep your eyes on the price is key. You might have to hit a few places to find what you want but it’s worth it.
I had to hit 5 stores (in 3 days) to find a suitcase to make my dress up suitcase. Persistence pays off! I got it for only $3!
LESSON TWO: If you don’t need it, don’t buy it, plain and simple. If you see something you like but can’t use it, don’t have a place for it and especially if you don’t know what it is, DON’T BUY IT! (It’s easy to get sucked in!). My sister in-law for example has two play kitchens; she bought the second because it was at an ‘awesome price’ but now she has no need for it. It is presently under a tarp in her garage.
Another example is if you were out and about then you suddenly find this great deal on kids clothes at a size 4, but your kid is 9 months old, you have no business buying it. Great deal does not always mean you should buy.
LESSON THREE: BE ORGANIZED. If you are going to buy stuff for the future, make sure you keep it well and stay organized so when the time comes to use it, you will be able to easily locate it. I have storage boxes in my garage for each year, so when one daughter outgrows it, it goes in the appropriate box…and when the younger daughter gets older, I just grab the box for that age range.
There is NO point buying something if you never use it or worse still, forget you have it. Always label your stuff! Always organize!
So you hit the clearance rack and find a score of shirts for $2! Awesomesause! But…
LESSON FOUR: Just because they are cheap doesn’t mean they will look good. Make sure you like them, heck LOVE THEM, or they will end up back in at Goodwill.
Now you’ve come across something great, at a terrific price..
LESSON FIVE: INVESTIGATE. Make sure there are no holes, it’s not wobbly, no tears etc. Also check that for clothes, all buttons and zippers work. For other products, checks that there are no paint chipping, that it is not cracked and so forth. I once bought a magazine rack, only to realize that once the magazines were in, the whole thing was too top heavy and tipped over…NOT A GOOD BARGAIN.
REMEMBER. just because it’s cheap…doesn’t mean you are saving money!!!!
Skeime says
good tips