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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