Tis the season for garage sales! Where one person’s junk becomes another’s treasure.

Who doesn’t love a sale with good stuff and good prices?! The key word here is good. Garage sales where they’re trying to make a living off the sales are no fun.  Sales with trashy, frazzled, hairy and worn out items aren’t fun either. If something has seen it’s better days, there’s no sin in discarding it. If you’re out to spend money without having definite needs, that will happen automatically.  Having a mental or written list helps, but I realize sometimes you see a good priced item you hadn’t intentionally been looking for.  If you have use for it, it’s fine. But don’t go to buy any little gadget because it’s cheap and you don’t already have one.

When I see something I think I could use,  I like to ask myself, will I really use it? Where will I put it? Do I already have something I could use for the same thing? Is it worth the cleanup once I get home?  i.e. hairy bedspread, wicker basket etc. Sometimes, in the fun of shopping, the responsibility of taking care of the items once we’re home momentarily evaporates.

I enjoy garage sales, but don’t buy much anymore.  It’s still fun to shop, and sometimes you really do find a great bargain! And I like them for finding clothes for my children.

Just last week I participated in a garage sale with a number of church ladies contributing.  Thanks to Jolene Miller for opening up her garage and managing the sales!

I always keep a spot where I put unwanted items as I come across them. I had a nice little stack, but I still sorted through my kitchen drawers and thought of various items in my house or garage to pass on.  Lest anyone think it’s a once an done thing- I’m sorry, it is not.  It’s a continual process to stay on top of clutter and simply stuff that creeps in!

Here I was sorting through the kitchen glasses and drawers. Over the years I have declutterd, organized and reorganized in my kitchen, and I still find room for improvement!

The finished spaces ⬇️

This divided organizer for lids is something I just implemented and love! We use these lids all the time. But I can push it back in the drawer, or pull it up front when I need a lid from the back row. We use these daily, so it merits easy access. The white lids are plastic and fit wide mouth jars. We bought them off Amazon. The small bamboo lids (also off Amazon) fit the small glass jars in the drawer, which are Oui yogurt jars.

Tips for hosting a garage sale:

* Long before you plan to have a sale, sort through your closets, drawers and cabinets. Or keep a designated box/place for putting unwanted items. This can happen regularly if you have the right mindset.  You can be putting dishes away one evening and suddenly realize you haven’t used that bowl for months.  Or you get disgusted how every time you try to put this dish away, you have to lift 5 other things out, to shove this item back in. Not a good feeling! Get rid of stuff until you only have what you use and love! 

* Mark your items clearly and securely.  In the bustle of setting out your items for display, those little Dollar store garage sale stickers easily pop off. I advise a big roll of masking tape, scissors and sharpie instead. This way you can also make your own exact prices.

* Masking tape is not only great for pricing but for wrapping items such as appliance cords, lids on kettles and such like. It holds well, but can easily be removed.

* To keep the math easier when tallying customers bill, price your items only at 25 cent increments, and even dollars. This may not bother most people, but I despise tallying up 15 cents, then 1.75, another 20 cents etc. Plus, it makes shopping easier for your customers. Most people carry quarters and dollars, but not always dimes, nickles and pennies. It saves the old ladies from scrounging around way down deep into their change purse and thus holding up the line. (Nothing at all against seniors! but you get the idea)

* If you aren’t sure it’s good enough to sell, at least put a very cheap price on it, so no one feels cheated. You can throw it away later if it doesn’t sell, but I still advise caution about trying to sell stained, or extremely worn items! It doesn’t promote a good Christian witness.

Here are pictures of a garage sale I had 2 years ago. I was always one who was quick to get rid of things, but this was at a time when I was also learning more about minimalism. Therefore, I was ruthlessly eliminating things in my house and was appalled at the piles!

This is embarrassing, but yes, this whole garage was all our stuff!

Tips for shopping garage sales:

* Start early. (But not to be greedy! And please be respectful if some sales are not yet open.) But starting early helps with heat, mood, and energy levels. If you’re planning to go, it just makes sense to get there earlier in the day rather than noon or after.

* Remember to be courteous.  In shopping as well as driving.  If there’s neighborhood sales going on, there’s usually lots of vehicles amid pedestrians. It’s easy for me to move at a brisk trot. I need to remind myself to slow down instead of acting as if it’s my first garage sale ever.

* Have a written or mental list.  If you’re looking for specific clothes for your children,  have notes as to what sizes, colors etc. It helps guard against that momentary thrill of shopping!

* Scrutinize closely before you buy.  Does the zipper close properly? Are all the buttons still attached? Does the lid close well? Is it easy to clean? Do I have a specific place to put this in my house? Or any other questions to personalize it to the situation.  Here’s where this quote may be beneficial- “I may be talking to myself, but I need expert advice.”

* Take a small zippered pouch or crossbody type wallet. I love this for hands free shopping! I often stick my small change purse in my pocket, then still take my phone in case I need to contact hubby about some item.

* Keep a big bottle with chilled water in your vehicle. You get parched hopping in and out and trotting up  & down the streets. Cold water is refreshing, plus you won’t need to buy any bottled water or lemonades for sale! (Although I give room to purchase a cup of lemonade when there’s children with a stand)

* Remember your identity as a Christian.  People watch us and notice what we buy. That questionable DVD or romance novel may only be 50 cents, but will it be a good influence for my mind? It’s easier to buy something questionable if its cheap, but that doesn’t make it a bargain! Plus, what kind of testimony does it leave when they see what we bought?

Consider what you buy and consider what you store.