The following is an excerpt from the book Quit Your Job! You Really Can Afford Stay at Home Parenthood! by V. Jeanne Gormick.
The Rich Spend Wisely...So Can You: Before we get judged as grungy, second hand people, let me share some comments from an article in the Los Angeles Times. Rose Apodaca in her "Comeback Castoffs" explains, "Filling homes with used goods is nothing new. But instead of focusing on furniture 100-plus years old and designated antique, the Yokoyamas and Dyson are among those who find high style in a melange of knickknacks, pictures, toys and furniture only a few decades old. The recycling revolution and tight purse strings of the 90's have helped fuel these 'early thrift shop' interiors that are as unconventional as they are comfortable, as quirky as they are endearing. Dyson and the Yokoyamas don't discount the financial advantages of their eclectic decorating styles, but their decisions to fill their homes with secondhand finds also is rooted in the fascination with living among furnishings that are different, rare and have a little history--albeit often unknown to them."
Are you getting a little more comfortable now? This was in the prestigious Los Angeles Times, after all.
The article continues, "'Easy and cheap' is how he now describes his interior theme. 'People get so over concerned with brand names, but a lot of basic stuff is better made,' he said. 'It's American made. Now I'm almost obsessed with buying old."18 (And another one bites the dust of the second-hand shop!)
Some of Our Unbelievable Buys...We've accumulated many secondhand treasures over the years, but I realized we might be in trouble, when Tim looked around our living room and asked me if anything in the room had been purchased new. It took me a minute, but some of the stereo equipment was the first purchase we'd made as a married couple, (before we got hooked and realized what a waste of money it was to buy anything new).
Over the years we've gotten antiques, camping equipment, desert bikes, radio controlled cars, a tile cutter for $1, office supplies, even a $500 Cadillac for our daughter (she didn't like it, so we sold it for $1,000), skis and winter clothing; furniture; a freezer; toys; how about a near-new lawn mower for only $5! Some of the greatest things we've gotten include a ring Cal fell in love with. It cost him 50c. It is the ugliest, big fat ring I've ever seen! But, as we discovered later, he made a true investment with only 50c. We cleaned it up and found an antique rose gold and brass Spanish or Mexican family crest ring. Thank goodness Cal didn't wear it, but I still have it as a symbol of our "saling" conquests. We were told it's worth at least a couple of hundred dollars. A neat benefit of purchasing these things is that when we are finished with them, we can usually sell them for about the same (and sometimes more, like the Cadillac) than we bought them for. You can't hate that!
My favorite acquisition came in a $1 bag of old books. At the end of a flea market up in Idyllewild, California on a camping trip, we could fill bags with anything and pay just $1 a bag. I headed straight for the old books. As we drove home, I started looking more carefully at my books and found one was from the library of Cecil B. DeMille! It isn't worth much to anyone else, but it makes a great story and I really enjoyed reading it. It's entitled, "The Revolt of Modern Youth" and was published in 1925. Very interesting!
Maintain Your Standards and Still Save Money: I jokingly say that I'm cheap, but I'm really not. I do have my standards. I don't buy food products at garage sales unless it's a lemonade sold by entrepreneurial kids. I may be a bargain addict; but I never buy used drugs or cosmetics. I never buy used things for gifts, unless the receiver enjoys antiques. Oh, dear, did I say, "never?" I picked up a whole box of beautiful, hand-crafted wooden Christmas ornaments. I placed them into three separate bags and saved them for each of the kids' first Christmas as a married couple.
Consider buying gifts (new ones!) throughout the year. This is great for gifts to be given to grown family members and friends. Children are harder to do this with, since their likes and dislikes change so often. I shop at sales and purchase gifts for birthdays and Christmas all year round. This not only provides for overall savings, but it doesn't put such a burden on our holiday budget and it saves a lot of time. By the way, I have picked up some nice quality gift wrap, bags and cards at a number of garage sales. That saves much more than you can imagine!
Save at Swap Meets: In our area swap meets have changed over the years. They used to be like giant garage sales with almost anything you could imagine. Now, they've become big business and are more like strip mall shopping. The same vendors are there week after week and, though prices may be less than retail, you need to be cautious. Unlike outlet stores, these vendors have purchased items in large quantities and they aren't always as particular about their reputations as larger retailers are. Swap meets can be fun to attend. Always get there early and be prepared to do lots of walking.
Many items aren't marked, so be ready to ask and bargain on everything! Many of these vendors love the sport of the deal. Check out each aisle before you buy. Sometimes the same merchandise is being sold at other booths for less.
Save at Auctions: Cal and I owned a Goods and Services Auction business that benefited the nonprofit community. If a charitable organization is planning an auction, you can offer to get something donated and go bid on it yourself. Everybody wins. The merchant gains community exposure, the nonprofit organization makes money and you'll probably make your purchase for much less than the retail price. Sometimes, however, items do sell for more than retail because the audience is supporting the organization. To save you money, this technique works best on unique or specialized items. That generally reduces competition on the bidding.
There are all kinds of auctions. Real estate, art, antiques, junk, office equipment, and automobiles are auctioned on a regular basis. School districts, police departments, cities and other government agencies hold auctions all the time. EBay and other Internet sites are another fun way to buy or sell things. Check the appendix for further information on auctions. Be sure to be prepared with proper payment. Some require cash, while others require cashier's checks just to obtain a bidding number. Always go prepared, so you aren't disappointed. Also be sure you know the conditions of the sale. Many times your sale will be final -- no returns, no refunds. Most of the time you will be buying the items "as is." Know the price range of the items you will bid on. If you're not sure, set a maximum figure in your own mind and stick to it. Auction bidding can be very contagious, which could be costly in terms of dollars. In other words, control yourself.
Be particularly cautious at auto auctions. We recently attended our first one. Some cars didn't even start and those that did were started only. You couldn't test drive them or even see if the transmission worked. This could result in major repair costs on your otherwise "great deal." Some were from a towing yard and had no keys. That is an additional expense to consider. Also be sure you know about any tax, licensing or other fees that might be added to your final purchase costs. We recommend you go and watch the first time and take your money only if you feel comfortable. Many times used car dealers will be bidding against you. The prices may not be as good as you would expect. Just go with your eyes open and listen to the Holy Spirit for guidance.
