Yard Sale Treasures & Tips

If you’re planning on hitting the yard sales this weekend, either as an obsessive enthusiastic shopper such as myself, or as a first-timer trying to see how yard sale shopping can enhance a tight budget, I have a few simple tips for you:

• Shop with a list: Just like at the grocery store, you’re more likely to only buy what you need and avoid overspending when you shop with a list. Last summer, I shared my list with you, and this year I’m looking for a small wooden desk for my son’s room; sleds; snow pants, boots, and winter coats for all 3 kids; puzzles and games to get us through the summer; and anything I can make into “wall art” for my bedroom.
• Set yourself a budget: Instead of going in with the attitude of “I’ll know it when I see it,” use your list to estimate what you’ll spend, or set a price you’re willing to spend (i.e. no more than $3 for a “new to you” lamp).
• Plan ahead: Check Craigslist or Garage Sales Tracker to find sales in your area. Don’t waste gas/money driving too far from home.
• Don’t take the kids: It’s faster to get in and out of sales, you’re not arguing over whether the toy with missing pieces is worth the price, and you deserve a little alone time on Saturday morning. Grab a coffee on your way out and come back in a happy mood. The whole family will appreciate it.

Here are some treasures I found over the past two weekends:

This VHS tape organizer ($3.00) may no longer be needed for movies, but it’s the perfect size for toddler shoes. And now that it’s almost summer, we have several pairs of sneakers, sandals, and pool shoes to keep organized. I wanted to put this in the closet, but my daughters claimed a corner of the dining room with it and now use it. I appreciate not tripping over shoes in the doorway!

These popsicle molds were just $1.00, and I fantasize of making lots of healthy, fruity treats with the kids. Yeah. We’ll see if that gets done this summer, since I have this big project looming…

This behemoth now resides in my dining room. I’d been looking for a good-sized dresser for my twins now that they’ve outgrown their one-baby dresser. I want to paint this one white and decoupage the top with scrapbooking paper, as inspired by this desk. I’ll also replace the hardware. I paid $20 for it, but it’s going to worth a million if I ever get it done.

I paid .50 for this dry erase board with the days of the week. So far, it’s helping me with some of my calendar organization issues. It’s where I post the weekly meals and the things that absolutetly-postively-must-get-done-today. It’s also a nice vertical size that happens to fit perfectly in my small galley kitchen.

My best find was this set of metal trivets for just $3.00. They’re from Southern Living at Home, so I looked them up on Ebay and they’re selling there for up to $25! If I wanted to, I could probably sell them for a tidy profit, but I actually needed trivets and something to hang on the wall, so for $3 I got both.

What treasures have you uncovered? For more yard sale show & tell, head over to Southern Hospitality.