Yard Sale Tips

What a week. Thanks goodness Friday is finally here. And, since its Friday that means its Frugal Friday and time for a Frugal Tip. Last weekend we had a great time hitting yard sales and we plan to do the same this weekend. So, in honor of the opening of yard sale season around here, I’m going to give some yard sale tips. Remember, while you can get some great deals out there at yard sales, not everything is a deal. Check out the item and make sure it something you will really use before you spend money on it.

• Plan out your route ahead of time. To do this you need to know where the yard sales are that weekend. Look for signs while you’re out driving around, check the local papers, and check online. The Yard Sale Queen has a great list of online yard sale resources to help you find those yard sale.
• Make sure your car is cleaned out. You’re going to need room to haul your new found treasures home. Think of how upset you’ll be when you find a great deal on something you could really use and it won’t fit in your car. If it’s a large item like a piece of furniture, the yard sale host may be willing to help you get it home. It doesn’t hurt to ask, but its best if you have a plan in place already.
• Have small bills and change. Don’t count on the yard sale host having change. Sometimes they don’t plan ahead and have change or maybe the person before you bought something small with a large bill. It’s just much better all around if you have small bills ready.
• Have bags with you. I typically have my collection of reusable shopping bags in the car. This way I don’t have to count on the host having bags. Plus, even if they do, do you want more plastic bags cluttering up your house?
• Use a fanny pack or wallet that will fit in your pocket. It’s much easier to check things out at the yard sale if you’re not dragging a purse along. Stick with the fanny pack or small wallet and your hands are free to hold your purchases and check out the items.
• Have snacks and a drink with you. This will help keep you from spending too much money at a convenience store or fast food joint while you’re out yard sale-ing.
• Encourage kids when you see them participating in a yard sale. Kids are usually so excited when they sell their stuff and make a little money. For me, its worth spending a little bit of money, even if its on something I didn’t necessarily need, just to see the excitement on their faces when they sell something. Little things like that are priceless.
• Don’t be afraid to haggle over the price. They may come down a little bit and they may not. The worst they can say is no. Then you can decide if you really are willing to pay that much for the item or not.

Do you have more yard sale tips you’d like to share? Feel free to leave them in the comments. I’m always looking for more tips and tricks for yard sales.

For more Frugal Friday tips, head over to Life As Mom.