If you are like me, you are always looking for a bargain. It's like a challenge. I will search and search until I'm positive that I've found the best possible deal. I am very frugal- a trait that is most definitely inherited from my mother and grandmother. I will rarely buy a piece of clothing that isn't on sale, and more than likely it will be on clearance. But there is one thing that is even better than clearance buys... garage sales!
I'm not sure if garage sales are commonplace all around the country/world, but where I'm from, garage sales are huge! A garage sale/rummage sale/yard sale is when people put all of the things that they are done with outside or in a garage for people passing by to dig through and buy. The prices are almost always very reasonable and far below retail. Plus, you can find almost anything at a garage sale- clothes, housewares, tools, toys, books, plants, even animals. You can find pretty much anything you could possibly be looking for. It's exciting, too. You never know what treasure you'll stumble onto!
Here in rural Minnesota many people, including myself, start getting really antsy around February and March just waiting... and waiting... and waiting for garage sale season! And then the day finally comes. You see the first garage sale ad of the season in the paper. Your heart skips a beat (This might be a little melodramatic...) and you can't keep the smile off of your face! The season has started and it will be awesome.
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| Brennan's garage sale Christmas outfit. |
Garage sales benefit everyone, but especially parents. You can find everything you need for your babies and children and save so much money in the process. Of course, some things may be in rough shape and you'll just pass over them, but many garage sales have kids' stuff that is in fantastic condition. You'll find name brand, current clothing, shoes, and toys that look barely worn or used since kids grow so quickly! The prices are unbeatable. Most of the time clothes are priced anywhere from $.25 to $2.00. I know for a fact that I've saved hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on baby items because of garage sales. I think my little man is well dressed and looks good and I've got garage sales to thank for that. Almost all of his clothing and toys are from garage sales, otherwise they were gifts.
If you have garage sales in your area and you've never gone to one, you should give it a try. You might just love it! And one more tip for the road: don't forget to haggle!! Most people will come down on prices and you'll save even more money than you already are! Good luck this garage sale season!
