How to Shop Smart at Yard Sales

 

Are you planning on doing some yard-saleing this yard sale season?  I love this time of year. The weather gets warmer and you start seeing those yard sale signs popping up all through the town!  I love the thrill of the good deal. Don’t you?

 

Whether you are shopping for goodies for you or for stuff to sell, you can follow some simple tips to make sure that you are getting the best deals on the best goods.

 

How to shop smart at yard sales

Take Your Phone

I know, I know, it gets old having our phones with us all the time, but the truth is that it is smart to bring yours along with you shopping because it will help you look items up to ensure that you are actually getting a good deal on the item you are thinking of buying.  You can check out ebay and other online resellers to find out how much the item is typically when sold used.

 

Try it out

Okay, I’m not going to suggest that you try on clothes at a yard sale, but if you are spending a decent amount of money on a larger item (say a tool or electronic), make sure you plug it in and make sure that it works.  It is very frustrating to spend your money on an item only to come home and have it sitting in your space unworking.

 

Set a Budget

It’s very easy to spend way too much money at yard sales because things are so cheap!! Be sure to set a budget for yourself so that you don’t go overboard on your spending!

 

Bring Cash

Most yard sales aren’t going to accept cards.  Make sure that you bring cash along with you and be sure that this cash is broken out into smaller bills.  This will help with your negotiating tactics.