One of the best ways I know to save money on items you need is to shop at yard sales, garage sales, or tag sales – whatever you call them in your geographic region.
We routinely shop at tag sales, as they’re called in Connecticut. I always have a running list of items to look for, but I also look at everything with an eye toward other uses. If you have difficulty seeing how items can be repurposed, take a look at my Pinterest board on repurposing and upcycling. There are so many ideas, it’s sure to inspire you!
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I especially love taking a moment to look at the free pile that many people have at their sales.
I’ve found that there are not as many sales in my area this year as there normally were in past years. I would already have had one myself, if it weren’t for the pandemic. And I still may since my area has very few cases right now.
Where to find Yard Sales
Many sales are listed in local papers, so check the classified section of your local newspaper online.
There are several sites available to look up local sales such as yardsales.net, gsalr.com and Garage Sale Finder. I personally use the site Yard Sale Search, and find it reliable.
Depending where you live, you may be able to find sales based solely by signs. If you’re out earlier in the week, you can jot down the ones you see advertised. But I know if a sale is further out from town, you can sometimes end up driving several miles to find a single sale. Gas prices may be low now, but this is still not an efficient use of your gas or time.
Yard Sales During the Pandemic
Whenever you go shopping during a pandemic you need to wear a mask and make sure others are too. It’s helpful to survey the situation before you enter the yard. Is everyone masked? If not, I steer clear of those who aren’t. And I try to stay away from people who aren’t wearing their mask properly. (It goes over the nose too, people!) I bring my hand sanitizer with me so when I touch things, I can use it before I accidently touch my face or mask. I also try to stay outside. Estate sales generally have lots of items indoors.
When you bring items home, you can spray them with lysol, wash items, or simply leave then outside or in the car trunk for a few days. Then any germs that might have been on your purchases should all be neutralized.
Make a List of Necessities to Save Money at Yard Sales
My number one tip for shopping these sales is to look for items I need. I’m certain to find many cute things I want, but that’s not why I’m there, and that’s not how to save money! It helps to have a list written down of the types of things you need to get.
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Negotiate to Save Money at Yard Sales
Many people aren’t comfortable haggling over price. I didn’t used to be either. But having less money to spend when my kids were young certainly helped me get good at it.
Despite the name tag sale, items rarely have tags or prices. I’ve found it very useful to have a price in my head that I’m willing to pay. When I see something that interests me, I’ll ask how much the person is asking for it. Unless they meet or beat the price I have in my head, I’ll put the item back down. That often prompts a question about what I would pay.
Now I know I’m looking for much steeper discounts than many people would dare ask. So I’ll often preface my offer by saying I know it may be worth what they ask or that I don’t want to offend them. Then I’ll say something like, “All I can offer is a dollar.” At this point they may accept my low ball offer or not.
Often, people holding sales will tell you they’ll give you a great deal when you buy a number of items. But many times, I’ve found that’s simply not true. So I haggle on each item I may want. Then when I have everything together, I may simply pay for everything, if I’ve really gotten amazing prices, or I may ask for a better price for everything. For instance, if all my items total $33, I’d say, can you do $30 for all of this. (That’s how I got my new earrings for free!) Though many people hold sales as a way to get rid of things without putting them in landfill, I try to remember that many others are doing it to cover their bills. Especially now.
If there’s an item that we didn’t come to an agreement on price for, I may make one last offer before leaving. Perhaps in between our prices, or just asking again if they’ll take my original offer. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I often say.
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- Earth Day Tips That Will Save You Money (throughout the year!)
- A Summer Kitchen will show you how to keep your house cooler when cooking in the summer.
Bring Small Bills to Save Money at Yard Sales
Be sure to bring small bills when you go to yard sales. It’s not very neighborly to say all you can do is $3 and then pull out a $20! It’s also amazing how often handing cash to someone means they’ll accept your offer. So when you ask for a lower price, have the cash in your outstretched hand!
Our Latest Yard Sale Finds
The sale my daughter and I went to last weekend had many great items. I liked a turquoise leather purse for $5 and admired their laundry washboards and other antiques. But since I didn’t need them, I kept moving. Our main purpose was to get essential furniture for my daughter’s apartment. (Before we even considered buying anything we “went shopping” in our own attic and found tables, chairs, mirrors, and more.)
Here’s what we got at the tag sale.
A bed frame for $15
A cherry wood accent table for $5
Tall corner shelves for $10
Earrings (not a necessity!) for free!
Thrift Shops
My kids went shopping at thrift shops last week. Thrift shops have a much wider selection than yard sales, so you can make great buys on more items you need. But unless you pick items that are discounted that day, you won’t save as much as at a yard sale.
My son got a nice table lamp for his new apartment for just $5. He already has most of what he needs, but he plans to do more thrift shop searches at Savers closer to his new place. We’re big fans of Savers stores.
My daughter got the cutest tea kettle for $8, a very large painting she loves for $11, a mirror and shelf with hooks for $9. And an adorable dress for $6. She also bought me a fun and thoughtful gift for “not much.” Previously we bought most of what she needed at shops in her college town instead of hauling everything out there. But this year, we are trying to avoid that since COVID-19 is spiking there.
Tea kettle from thrift shop 
Large framed print 
Mirrored Shelf with Hooks
Wooden table lamp 
A wrought iron rooster made from a horseshoe – a gift from my daughter!
I guess I could compare the cost of buying these items new to show how much we saved. But by buying used, we were able not only to save money on the purchases, but to get higher quality items than we would have bought new.
Shop Often to Save Money at Yard Sales
The best way to purchase a lot of the items you need at yard sales is to hit a few sales each week or two. Since each individual sale will have a limited selection, you can find more options by frequenting more sales.
We tend to shop sales within our own town, so we often run into people we know which makes it even more fun. It’s also fun to see what people charge for their items, especially if I have something similar I may want to sell.
But right now, the best part of tag sale-ing is getting back in the car, removing the mask, applying more hand san, getting a big drink of water and blasting the AC while celebrating the deals!
What’s your best yard sale find? Please comment below.
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