Money Monday

This is my latest Garage Sale find. Aren't these awesome? I found these real, authentic lockers at a random sale I passed by on my way to a different one- they were $10 for all five! They're in excellent condition, and oh-so-Pottery Barn Kids, don't you think? They're exactly the kind of lockers you'd find in an elementary school- perfect for our kids and the playroom.

Jim said he can have some more shelves made at work to make these even more awesome for playroom storage. I'm just in love with them. They're one of the best things I've ever found at a garage sale. Certainly one of my favorite things in my house- I love finding unusual things and putting them to a new use.
Do you go to garage sales? I think you might be surprised to find that about 50% of the stuff in my house came from a garage sale. The rest had a clearance sticker when I brought it home, trust me. I got this table at a sale for $10. There are two of those top-things, each one side with the Lego board, and they turn over to a side with a road etc. on it. It came with lots of blocks, wooden trucks and cars and trees and stop signs, etc. too.

Garage sale deals are my drug of choice in the summertime. I can't get enough of it. Nothing beats the high associated with a good, good deal, especially when it's something you've really been wanting or needing. Yes, there's a lot of junk out there, but, oh, there are some amazing deals to be had.

Like, when I got an entire wardrobe for Hudson a year ago, complete from 0-18 months, all awesome like-new, right-seasons and sizes, name brand stuff, plus many many pieces through his summer after turning 3... all for $20. Now that he's 9 months old, there are many things he's grown out of and never even worn, there was that much. You can read about it here, if you want to know more about that good deal. Amen. Really. What a deal. I'll never forget the time I got my brand new, stainless steel gorgeous knife set new, still in the package, for $4. The same ones were still at Target for $75! And I'd desperately wanted new knives for over a year. I held off knowing I didn't "need" to spend it right then, and then, there they were. A precious find for me. That kind of thing happens to me all the time. Praise the Lord. He delights in providing for us, and showing us He cares about all our needs, great and small.

I was tempted to list like, my Top 50 garage sale finds, but, you get my point. Oh, like, this bottle and the vase below it that you've seen before? they were both 25 cents.

You might think you don't want to get up early on the weekends, just to sift through piles of junk. If you're that person, it's OK. You just don't understand. One taste of a sweet-as-pie deal on something awesome though, and you'll be one of us for life. You'll never get enough.

If you want to give this garage sale thing a try, here are a few tips:

• Plan ahead. If you get a paper, scan the listings and make a list of where you want to go, based on area, and type of items listed. If you don't get a paper, the listings for your city are probably at the paper's website. Do not go driving around aimlessly! Know where the sales are that you care about and if you see another one on the way go ahead and stop if you want, but, have a plan. It will save time, frustration, and gas. Make sure you bring along a city map, too, or Google map the addresses you'll visit- this streamlines your trip and you know the best route to take and the most-efficient order to visit the sales, to make the loop fluid and again to avoid wasting as much gas and time as possible.
• Get out early. The early bird gets the worm. The early garage saler gets the new in package duvet from Land of Nod that perfectly matches the bedroom. Need I say more?
• Get small bills and change from the bank the day before. The best time to get out is Saturday mornings, alone, with Hubs at home to get the kids up and give them breakfast. It's a morning just for you and your coffee and your adrenaline rush. There's no banks open that early, though, to get cash from an ATM broken down into smaller denominations, and you'll want them when you go out. Sellers HATE making change for a $1 purchase with a $20 bill.
• Try to think outside of the box. Find something interesting, and then try to imagine a new use for it. Or, if it's dirty, imagine how easy it would be to wash it yourself so it's shiny and new when you get home. Like, that vase with the lily in it- it was so gross when I found it, with lots of old candle wax inside. The wax popped right out at home and after I washed it, it was beautiful. Maybe the stuff is a little dingy- but this is ALL ABOUT SEEING THE POTENTIAL! Just try to imagine what you could do to make it lovely and useful again, to rise it up above the junk to something beautiful!
• Don't buy junk you don't need, just because it's cheap. Even if it's cute, if you find yourself trying to make excuses for why you might need it, or thinking it's for "someday", you may want to leave it there. Remember, if it isn't useful or beautiful don't bring it into your house! (Hopefully, it's both.)
• You don't have to buy something, even if you look a long time! Just be your normal sweet self and make conversation. Don't worry about offending them if you don't happen to find anything- just wish them a good day.
• If you think something is overpriced, just ask if they'll go lower- offer them what you think is reasonable. They just want to sell their stuff, and bargaining the price a little is common and welcomed at garage sales- some rare exceptions to this happen with people uncommonly attached to their stuff. If you really don't want to pay that much, put it down, it's their loss.

To recap, next Saturday morning, go out with your addresses, your map, your small bills, your coffee, your smile and your bargain-eyes. Garage sales, in addition to all the amazing deals and neat stuff you can find, are a great way to meet other people in your area and get to know your city a lot better. If you aren't already a polished hunter, I'd suggest giving it a shot.

If you ARE a hunter-extraordinaire, go ahead and leave a comment with some of your best finds. You know we bargain hunters wear those finds like badges of honor!

Happy Monday!