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!
And even though I’m in a much different situation now, I still love thrift stores and secondhand shops. Shopping at these places is a great way to save money and cut down on waste, no matter your financial situation!
This post is an ode to buying used. Check out 8 things you should consider buying used below, along with explanations as to how they can save you money.
8 Things You Should 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! 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 pros and cons 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 works just as well! (However, motorized and powered tools do wear out over time, so you’re probably better off buying those new.)
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 Raise, you could buy a pre-owned $25 Old Navy gift card for around $20 to use on that shopping trip, saving you $5 instantly!
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!
More Ideas You'll Love
7. Sports Equipment
Leave the premium prices 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 — jewelry does too! You can find great used jewelry pieces at pawn shops, auctions, and on eBay. Take any used piece to a jeweler for a thorough cleaning and it’s sure to look good as new! :-)
Great Places To Shop Secondhand
- Thrift stores
- Garage/yard sales
- Classifieds in the local paper
- Facebook Marketplace
- thredUP
- eBay
- Gadget Salvation
What do you buy used to save money?
Wonderful suggestions, thanks, Jillee! Please consider adding Poshmark to your list — it’s an outstanding, easy-to-shop (or sell) marketplace with diverse selections and great prices.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Used appliances stretch the budget. When I relocated to my present hometown 13 years ago, I bought a used stove, refrigerator, washer and dryer. The stove and refrigerator were replaced when I remodeled the kitchen . The fridge moved to the garage where it serves as an overflow unit. The washer and dryer are going strong with one or two minor repairs over the years. I envy the snazzy front loader machines but the used ones are getting the job done.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Gwendolyn, I had to laugh when I read about buying used appliances! My husband and I bought our first washer and dryer that was sitting out in a field behind an appliance repair store. We paid $50 for the pair and those things were still running 10 years later when we had the money for an upgrade.
Jillee, another thing to buy used are pets! Adopt, don’t shop! Although we don’t think of them as used,they were someone else’s pet before us.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I had to laugh, as well…When our first child was born, we had no washing machine…and no real credit to speak of. We went to our local Sears and bought a used washing machine and a case of diapers so we could apply for a credit card! We were approved (for something like a $500.00 limit) and that’s how we started building credit. That washing machine did A LOT of loads-including the cloth diapers we used for all three of our kids! Brings back memories…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Good addition to my list, Gwendolyn! Thanks for sharing!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Nurses uniforms….you can often find gently used at thrift shops as people need them for school and don’t continue working in the field or upgrade to fancier ones. And always check out jeans, shorts and khakis at thrift and consignment sometimes people outgrow before they even wear them…..it takes a lot more weight gain to outgrow other clothing items so they are often more worn.
My daughter’s in-laws have the front loader machines and found out from a repairman that they are a lot more expensive to repair.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.