- Shoes - $4.00 ea. (the center pair are Aldos!), and the Purse - $2.99
So, how do we feed our materialistic side and still hold onto our money and happiness? My solution: shop second-hand. I have discovered that by shopping second-hand, I not only get the short-lived warm fuzzies of being materialistic, but I also am left with a longer exciting feeling of knowing I saved money. Think of the last time you got a great deal on an item you really wanted. Remember how you longed to shout it from the roof tops? Those are the feelings that are truly positive and long-term.
- All pieces - $13.00
- Do not hoard junk. You do not want to purchase items you don't really need or you will wind up hoarding junk. That will lead you down an entirely different path of buyer's remorse and self-loathing. The key to being successful is only buying items you will actually use and enjoy.
- Be open-minded. In order to be a successful second-hand shopper, you cannot enter a second-hand store with a specific brand, color, or style in mind. In fact, I find I am most successful when I don't even enter the store with an item in mind. Most of my best deals were found unexpectedly.
- Shop every section. Part of being open-minded is looking around at what is there. Even if you enter the store hoping to find a new shirt, still be sure to browse the housewares, shoes, and books. You never know what you will find.
- Canisters - $3.00, Real Marble Rolling Pin - $10.00
- Enter the store with a strict budget. In order to be frugal, you can only succeed within a budget. That means that even if you unexpectedly find the perfect purse and a DVD you have searching for for years, if combined they exceed your budget, you must make a decision. If you can't afford any extras in your monthly budget, do not enter the store in the first place.
- Shop on Tuesdays. Think about your donating habits. Usually you go through your stuff and drop it all off on the weekend. The store will sort through the goods and put them on the floor on Monday and Tuesday. If you shop on Tuesday, you are bound to have first dibs on all the new donations. Make sure you shop every Tuesday. You probably won't find great stuff every week, but you may miss out on great stuff if you only go once in a blue moon. Again, skip the store if it is not in your budget for that week.
- Find brand new items. A lot of retailers donate items they could not sell on clearance to local second-hand stores. For example, Target has teamed up with Goodwill in many states. They donate clothing, shoes, and housewares that they either could not sell or were over-ordered. Ask your local second-hand store if they participate in something like this, and if they do, be sure to ask which day the new retail goods come in!
- Internet second-hand. There are thousands of places online to find used items. The most popular being Craigslist. To be truly successful with these sites, check them daily. Better yet, check them a couple times a day. There are people who leave these sites open all day long just to snag the best stuff. I tend to check these sites daily when I have something specific in mind. We needed a new microwave, so for almost two weeks I searched Craigslist everyday and scored a brand new microwave for less than half the retail cost.
- Entryway Coat Rack - $5.25
I want to reiterate, only buy what you know you will use! If you are buying items you don't really need, you are not saving a dime. If you ever have buyer's remorse about an item, return it immediately. That is your conscience telling you that you do not really need the item. Listen to that nagging feeling or your purchases will only bring you down, financially and emotionally. Be honest with yourself. As long as you have a strict budget and buy items you really want or need, you can feed your materialistic side and enjoy every second of it!
- Easter Dress - $2.99, Easter Shoes - $2.00 ea.
No comments:
Post a Comment