When I think back to my days as a young mother, I realize how much I relied on our local thrift store. As a stay-at-home mom, I don’t know how else I would have kept our four rapidly growing kids clothed on our one income budget!
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And even though I’m in a much different situation now, I still have nothing but love for thrift stores and secondhand shops. It’s a great way to save money and cut down on waste, no matter what sort of financial situation you’re in!
So today’s post will be an ode to buying used, where I’ll be sharing 8 things you should always consider buying used and why! :-)
8 Things You Should Always Buy Used To Save Money
1. Baby Clothes
As parents, we want the very best for our kids, right down to the clothes we dress them in! But babies grow so fast that you won’t get much mileage out of brand new baby clothes.
Look for gently used baby clothes at local thrift stores, garage sales, and resell shops like Kid to Kid. You shouldn’t have any trouble finding great deals on used baby clothes in like-new condition!
2. Cars
There’s nothing wrong with wanting a reliable car in good condition, but that doesn’t mean you have to limit your search to new cars! In fact, a car that is slightly used (like last year’s model, or one that has a few thousand miles on it) may be thousands of dollars cheaper than its brand-new counterpart.
To learn more, check out this Money Crashers article about the benefits of buying a slightly used car.
3. Hand Tools
Whether you’re replacing one of your hand tools or you’re starting your first collection, buying them used can be a great way to save money. There’s no reason to pay more for new ones when a used hammer, wrench, or screwdriver work just as well! (However, motorized and powered tools do wear out over time, so you’re probably better off buying those ones new.)
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4. Furniture
You’d be surprised at how many nice pieces of barely-used furniture I’ve snagged at our local thrift store over the years! It can take time and effort to find the right piece of used furniture, but it could easily save you hundreds of dollars over buying it new!
And even if something isn’t exactly your style, there are plenty of options for customizing the look of your furniture. Try painting old laminate furniture, or cover a dated-looking sofa with an attractive slipcover!
5. Gift Cards
Buying pre-owned gift cards at a discount (even if it’s a small one) is an easy way to save money on purchases you were already planning on making. For instance, say you planned to go get a few new things at Old Navy.
On a site like Cardpool, you could buy a pre-owned $25 Old Navy gift card for around $20 to use on that shopping trip, saving you $5 instantly! (For added peace of mind, Cardpool guarantees the balance on each card they sell for up to 1 year.)
6. Books
It isn’t just college students who can save money by buying their books used! Used bookstores are a great place to get the most bang for your buck on new-to-you reading material.
You can also find used books on Amazon and eBay. And when you’re done reading them, you can always resell them to make some money back to buy another used book!
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7. Sports Equipment
Leave the premium prices of of top-of-the-line sports equipment to the pros! Whether it’s for you or the kids, you can save a small fortune by buying used sports equipment instead of the new stuff.
8. Jewelry
Cars aren’t the only items that rapidly depreciate in value—jewelry does too! You can find great used jewelry pieces at pawn shops, auctions, and on eBay. Take any used piece into a jeweler for a thorough cleaning and it’s sure to look good as new! :-)
- Thrift stores
- Garage/yard sales
- Classifieds in the local paper
- Facebook Marketplace
- thredUP
- eBay
- Gadget Salvation
What do you buy used in order to save money?
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I volunteer at a church thst gives away clothes for free.
We buy used furniture, appliances, cars, all the stuff you mentioned. Cell phones the refurbished ones are a go9d deal to9.
I have a Little Free Library in my front yard. I don’t require anybody to return the book or replace it with another unless they want to!
I buy and sell clothes at ThredUp. I use the sales as store credit, although there is a cash out option . My desk at work has a full complement of dishes: mug, bowl, soup mug, plate, and silverware, all of it bought used at a thrift store, none of it matching. I buy art at thrift stores. I’m not going to find a valuable original there (although that has happened before — saw it on the Antiques Roadshow) but I can find signed prints and nicely done originals by people who are quite good, although never famous, many in… Read more »
I agree with many of these but would have some concerns over a few…1) Cars – the main downside here is the lack of warranty. We bought a 3 year-old Nissan (presumably a good make) years ago and ended up taking it to the repair shop several times per year for the next 12 years. Repairs were always small until it would have cost more than it was worth. Our next car was new. 2) Furniture – I love antiques but a piece has to be well-made, solid wood with good “bones” to enter my house. I daresay that most… Read more »
Oh and books – Some books I buy used if I can know they’re in good condition but too many times I’ve received one with underlines, highlights etc., which in my book is heresy!
I have 3 thrift stores I shop at. I found a used Crockpot to use in soap making. I actually bought 2. One is older and I haven’t used it yet. The other is similar to the one I use for cooking. I buy books for myself and for great grand babies. I Haven’t found any that would interest the grands, yet. I’ve bought kitchen dishes, for cooking, or bowls even utensils. I also buy some of my clothes there. Some, I do buy new. Even shoes. Just spray with Lysol before wearing. (My thrifty mother taught me that.)
Has anyone ever heard about Just Between Friends? It is a consignment sale. They are all over the country. They have a web site you can check to see if you Have one in your area it is like a big garage sale they only take nice things and it’s all children’s clothes
Just between friends is a place my family shops at twice a year. From baby clothes to children’s size 16-18. Pregnancy clothes, children’s furniture, cribs, and so many wonderful things, I can’t say enough good things that are available. People can sell, buy, or both, definitely check out this wonderful event!
Kitchen items. I purchased a really nice glass cake dish with lid/chip and dip container for $5 through a local selling page in Facebook not Marketplace. Buying used cars and furniture is a must for saving a lot.
I thrift shop often and agree with all of the above, except, furniture such as couches. Unless you drive it from thrift store to be professionally cleaned and debugged!
I’m a great believer in buying things used. In addition to saving money, it’s often better for the environment (doesn’t add to waste stream) and doesn’t support sweatshop labor. With the exception of groceries, most of what I buy is “experienced.” If people are snobby about it, they should give it a try.
I haven’t paid for a book in years & I read all the time. If there are any big readers like me, I highly recommend just getting a library card & taking out ebooks. I read them right on my phone, so you don’t have to turn on/off a light when you read in bed. You can “take them out” for up to 21 days & they get returned automatically, so no late fees. And they have huge up-to-date selections. In fact, I actually even got a new James Patterson book that had just hit the shelves!
Also, trade books through paperback swap.com It’s fun.