Frugal Family: Five Tips for Mastering the Yard Sale

I’m addicted to yard sales. Yes, I am, and I’m proud to admit it. It saves us a TON of money.

There’s also something strangely entertaining about browsing other people’s junk. As they say, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” or in my case “One man’s trash is another woman’s frugal way of living.”

Not only that, but it helps the environment to recycle these unwanted items to other people rather than send them to the landfill.

During the months of April through September, many local neighborhoods organize community yard sales. These are great because you can hit a lot of sales without driving the distance.

Tip 1: If a sale runs Friday and Saturday, get there Friday if you can. The good stuff will be gone by Saturday. And go EARLY!

Once you become a professional "yard saler," you realize there is a culture of others who are right there with you. I run into the same people every weekend. Every year I recognize the sellers and know the kind of deals they’ll have to offer. There’s an intimacy to the process that’s somewhat surprising.

Tip 2: Watch for detailed yard sale listings. Use your local Patch, Craigslist, the local newspaper, and watch for signs around town.

Yard sales offer a lot of useless junk like tacky holiday decorations, well-used toys, old glassware and other things that no one would really want. However, if you have the time to join the hunt, there are some AMAZING deals to be found.

Tip 3: Go with a shopping list. Have an idea of the things you want and how much you’re willing to spend on them.

It pains me to pay more than $5 for any article of clothing, which limits my retail options. Even on a good sale at Old Navy, I’m lucky to find a T-shirt in the right size for less than $5. Yard sales fill the gap.

Boys will be boys and they’re going to wear what they wear. What’s the point in paying $20 for a pair of jeans that will soon have holes in the knees? That’s what Frugal Jenae asks herself anyway.

Find the right yard sale and you’re paying $1 or less per item - often 50 cents. Usually, the clothing is gently worn, but occasionally there are pieces with price tags still attached. That’s part of the fun. You never know what you’ll find.

Here's a great example of deals on clothing:

Last weekend I noticed an ad on Craigslist for a yard sale highlighting boys’ clothing sizes 8 to 10. BINGO! That’s a tough size to find. Baby and toddler clothing is virtually a dime a dozen, but as these kids grow up they wear their clothes so hard they can’t even be sold at yard sales. If I’m lucky, I find a sale or two like this each summer and can stock up on a whole year’s wardrobe for my big guy.

I raced over to a townhouse development and literally swiped an entire table of boys’ clothing into a trash bag (kindly offered by the owner of the home). The price marked was $1 per item. I had 32 items – all in excellent condition including shorts, jeans (still stiff with barely any wear), swimwear, collared dress shirts and all from name brand establishments.

Tip 4:  Try to make a deal. Prices aren’t fixed at most sales, and sellers are willing to barter to get rid of their junk.

I was actually willing to pay the $1 per item despite my typical efforts of bartering. This was quality stuff - Old Navy, American Eagle, Levi's, Gap! The owner of the home was so happy that I was happy, she told me to take the bag of clothing for $25 rather than $32. That would have been one pair of jeans at Old Navy.

This is CRAZY savings! And my son has an entire wardrobe for the next year (which includes a  from the Gap!).

Last year I found a Ralph Lauren down "puffy" coat, which would typically retail for $79.99. I got it for $2, and it looked like new.

Here are a few other testimonials from avid yard salers:

Ann Richards of Bath told me she loves yard sales. One of her best finds was a heavy-duty Tonka truck, which would normally retail for about $100. She got it for $5.

Sarah Nemitz of Salisbury Township said she was thrilled to find a Pottery Barn Kids “Anywhere” Chair for just $10. They retail for over $100.

Sue Patterson-Zacharda of Emmaus said she has yard “saled” for many years. It’s the only way she really shops for her kids’ clothing, shoes and toys. Having four children, it makes sense. Her best deal was a Step 2 Swing Set/Climber, which would have retailed for about $350. She got it for $20.

Though they require a little legwork, no one can argue these savings are tough to beat.

Tip 5: Stay tuned for “Community Yard Sales.”

Some boroughs and townships waive the yard sale fees one or two days each year to allow the entire community to hold a sale.

Because there are so many homes participating, it’s often easy to find good deals.

Emmaus is hosting its semi-annual “Community Yard Sale” on Sat., June 4. Hellertown’s is potentially going to be .

Check out other yard saling tips offered by the “Yard Sale Queen." Another fun blog to read is “The Queen of Fifty Scents."

If you have a free Friday or Saturday morning, go for the hunt. You might find a treasure worth keeping!