Garage Sale Shopping Tips

Garage sale season is winding down. As the summer ends and fall begins to show more and more the typical weekends full of yard sales seem less and less frequent. But you can still take advantage of those sales to get great bargains on things you need. With patience and an eye for a discount anyone can save money by visiting garage sales. Here are some tips to help you:

• Find good areas and stick with them. Driving all over town trying to find deals can end up costing you time and money. Instead find an area that you know has the best selections. Often high class areas will have items for sale that are of higher quality and used less. Also stick to areas that you know you can get what you need. if you are looking for children's clothes an area populated by singles or elderly is less likely to have what you might need.


• Shop with a list. Often we can be dazzled by all the things for sale that we end up walking away with far more than what we need. Instead keep a list of what items you are looking for and try to stay with that.
  


• Set a budget for what you will spend. Make a note of how much total money you have and are willing to spend. Keeping that number in mind will help you not to go overboard. It also helps to keep an individual budget. Make a list of what you are willing to pay for certain items and stick with that. For instance, you might make a note of not spending more than a quarter on a book or more than $2 on a pair of jeans.
  


• Don't be afraid to haggle. One of the joys of garage sales is being able to haggle down the price. This takes balance, as trying to go too far down is seen as rude and can make the seller refuse to sell to you. But haggling the price down some, especially if you are buying multiple items, is a great way to save a little more.

Shopping at garage sales can be great ways to get items you need, find gifts for friends and family, and even find items that can be resold for a small profit. By being smart about how you shop at garage sales and yard sales you can save money and still walk away with what you need.