Skip to main content

Garage Sales: Green Frugality at it's Best

My loot from the weekend of treasure hunting during Chatfield's City-wide Garage Sale
Garage sales, for me, can be compared to a treasure hunt. After all, isn't one man's junk another man's treasure? Through fall and winter I formulate a list of things to put on my "hunting" list. During this time, if I need (usually it's a want) something, I ask myself, "Would I find xyz at a garage sale? If so, can I wait until May/June to make this purchase?" I have been know to beg small kitchen appliances to just hold out until May. A couple of years ago I bought a blender for $2. It worked great for one year, in fact it stopped running a week before garage sales season began again at which time I bought another $2 blender. The second blender didn't last as long. It did last until a week before Christmas, giving darling husband the perfect gift idea.


My Boy (who is more of a man-child) is growing too quickly and is also very hard on his clothes. Garage sales offer the perfect solution to this never ending need of clothes and shoes....especially "sports" shoes. Last winter, unable to locate skates that were his size at the consignment/used sporting good stores, we broke down and bought new ice skates. He's feet have grown two sizes since. One month of skating. Yikes. Recently, at a garage sale, I spent $5 on a pair of skates that are two sizes too big....he's got 8 months to grow and I'm sure he will. If not, I can sell them on ebay for $5.


I love the thrill of the hunt. Garage sales are a great way to save money - if you're careful to buy more NEEDS than wants and I can't think of a better way to recycle.


Inventory of Loot found on Saturday, May 7:
Canopy (FREE!) this will either be used in the playroom or cut up for crafts
Air hockey/Foosball table
Journal (brand new, still in plastic wrap for 50cents!)
3 Books
3 Worship CD's
New book light
Sheetrock (FREE! and just the right size for a small project that we have)
Shelving (FREE! Brand new, found in a new housing addition)
Duck Step-stool for the daycare kiddos
Refrigerator Alphabet magnets
Magnetic Noisy Alphabet game-thingy for the refrigerator
Bin full of Thomas movies and trains
Bench (FREE!)
Sink and vanity
Bathroom light fixture


For The Boy:
Winter Boots
Ice Skates
Rollerblades
Cleats
Loafers
Rain coat
Winter Coat
Snow pants
5 Tshirts
2 Swim Trunks
3 Pairs of jeans/pants
2 pairs of shorts


For Friend's Boy:
Rain coat
Winter coat
2 pairs of jeans
Dress shirt


Little Girl clothes (also for friends):
4 Dresses
Sweater
Shoes


For ME:
8 Tshirts
6 Sweaters  (3 for craft projects)
Shorts
Jeans


Number of items: 60+
Cost: approximately $75




Shared on Frugally Sustainable


Comments

  1. RachelMarch 28, 2012 at 5:45 PM

    We love them too. We get so excited for yard sale/garage sale/flea market season. It is our favorite time of the year. We dream of moving where they happen year round.

    ReplyDelete
  2. LaurieMarch 29, 2012 at 6:25 AM

    Thanks for stopping by Justine and Rachel! ;)

    The unseasonably warm weather in MN this spring is revving me up for garage sales! Can't wait!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stay-cation: Fun Things to Do Around Rochester, MN

Family vacations are expensive. Gas, lodging, meals...oh, and then there is the admission cost to all the cool things that you want to see. Vacations cost more than a small fortune. Now figure in the loss of income (some of us don't get paid vacations) and you've "broke the bank". Enter the stay-cation. Gas costs are reduced. Lodging is covered. Meals, although still necessary, can be made at home and packed in a cooler. This summer, instead of taking a week off, I am taking a couple long weekends. One weekend we will be traveling "Up North" to visit my husband's college buddy. Otherwise we're keeping our exploring near to home. Another benefit to a stay-cation is a little extra time for home projects. I can keep up with the laundry, instead of having a week's worth of laundry to do when I return home. Isn't that the worst part of vacation - the accumulation of dirty clothes you have to wash after being away from home all week? Gardening ca...
10 comments
Read more

stripped bare

It's Friday which means it's time to dance and sing (the daycare kids and I have a song and dance to celebrate this glorious day). Friday is also the day in which Lisa-Jo hosts Five Minute Fridays and I humbly join the party of words strung together in five short minutes by a group of fantastic writers. The rules are simple. Lisa-Jo provides the word, write for five minutes flat, no backtracking/editing/over thinking, share your link at Lisa-Jo's, and share the love by reading what others have written. It's great fun and so inspiring. Won't you join us? I promise, you will be blessed! Today's word ~ BARE Lord, I want to be stripped bare.            Strip me of myself so there is more room for you. Strip me of my foolishness, my stubbornness, my selfishness.    Do nothing from  selfish ambition or  conceit, but in  humility count others more significant than yourselves  Phil. 2:3 And to man He s...
9 comments
Read more

Five Minute Friday ~ Grasp

It is that day of the week. The day of the week in which I not only dance and sing my Friday Song, but also the day of the week in which I join others in a fun writing exercise inspired by Lisa-Jo . A day when I am challenged to think about one word and write from my heart for a mere five minutes. Today's word is grasp. Here we go........ My children,  oh, how I wish I could hold you tight in my grasp for eternity. How I wish I could shelter you from any storm, safe in your mama's arms..... protecting you from evils protectimg you from disappointments protecting you from hurts protecting you from the really hard days. Yet, if I don't loosen this grasp  you will not grow, your wings will not learn how to fly. So I hide my heart's desire to hold on, I loosen my grasp and I lift my prayers up to my Heavenly Father.  A Father who can protect much better than I.    Ah, Lord God!  Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth...
8 comments
Read more