Sunday, October 10, 2010

Five *More* Things to ALWAYS Buy Used

I'm thinking buying used is the easiest way to save money. Well, after not buying. But what fun is that?

1. Blenders. It doesn't take that much effort to find a blender at a yard sale. And you definitely want to buy it for $3 used as opposed to new for - I don't know, how much do blenders run these days anyway? I bought a blender the other week, with the intention of making healthy smoothies and my own frappucinos (to save $) all the time. Yeah, that didn't happen. Blenders are like hats. Almost always a bad idea, unless it's a baseball cap or a toboggan, or unless you're British and dating Wills. Back to the point. I very rarely use my blender, but it's ok because I only paid $3.

2. Kids clothes. Much like toys, little kids don't care what they wear or what brand it is or how much you paid for it. The BFF and I were at kids consignment sale this past weekend. She loaded up - everything in there was $1-5. And it was supah-cute :) I'm thinking you can probably get away with it until they're at least 5 - that dreaded age when they go to school and they learn, not that 2+2=4 or "u" always follows "q", but that clothes from Wal-Mart are somehow not as cool as clothes from the mall. Seems like a no-win. Kind of makes the case for home schooling. Or uniforms.

3. Cars. You can literally save thousands by buying used. Don't let it make you nervous. If you buy from a car dealership, they usually certify it or offer some type of warranty. And here's a tip they probably don't want you to know - you can talk the price down on a used car much easier than a new one. There's barely any mark up on a new one (believe it or not), but TONS of mark up on a used one. I have a source. So trust me, there's lots of wiggle room on price on a used car. But you didn't hear it from me.


4. Art. I'm not smart enough to understand art. If it's too abstract for me to tell what it is, I'm not interested. My taste in art is very unrefined - I like movie posters, retro signs and wooden game boards. Lucky for me these can all be found for pretty cheap if you buy them used. And in my lowly opinion, it's more fun and your home will ultimately have more personality if you buy a cute used piece here and there that really "speaks" to you (oh, listen at me, I sound so artsy), than by filling your walls with generic prints from Bed, Bath & Beyond (at full price...boo!). But again, that's just me.


5. Furniture. Not all furniture. But things that don't require any cushion - like the dinner table and chairs, side tables for the couch, book shelves, dresser drawers, desks, etc. I'd also like to lump exercise equipment into the furniture category. You'll feel less guilty when the treadmill turns into a coat stand if you don't pay full price for it.


"Music to drown by. Now I know I'm in first class." ~Titanic (It is imperative that you say this movie quote with an Irish accent.)

1 comment:

  1. and a #6 that I have learned from experience: appliances. Our 20 year old dryer (I know that is really old!) died - suprised? Well, new washer and dryers are pretty pricey if you want to get something with large capacity and multiple features. Frankly, we couldn't afford it, but we had to have it. So, we searched craigslist.com and it didnt take more than 1 day to find something used, not very old, in working condition, and for a whopping $80. Most people getting rid of appliances are doing so because they wanted to upgrade. For instance, I work with a woman who wanted to go from black to stainless steel appliances "just because". The people I bought the dryer from moved into a house where the previous owner left behind his appliances. Long story short, they had a newer model and wanted to get rid of his, and that's where I come in. We've had the dryer now for about 4 months and it hasnt given us any problems. I actually love it and I love it even MORE because I didnt shell out $500 for it. BTW - both of our refrigerators were second hand and I didnt pay a dime for either. Booyah.

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