Yesterday, for the first time this season, I went "yard saleing." This is a sport I love to participate in each year, though when I was working full time, I didn't have much opportunity. (Now, I don't always have the money! LOL)
It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of a good sale and come home with lots of items you don't really need, spending far too much money that you don't have... So I've developed a life saving strategy to make the most of my YS experiences.
1. I check out the list of yard sales and make a round trip route based on how far I want to travel and what items they have for sale.
2. I go to the bank and take out only a certain amount of cash - when that's gone, I'm done, (though I always take the debit card and have a list of nearby ATM machines so I can get more out if I find something I absolutely have to have and can justify with my budget, but it costs just a little more than I have with me. LOL)
3. I go armed with a list of items I need or want - usually children's clothes for the grand kids, with a complete listing of sizes and types of clothing I need (seasonal, etc.) or specific household items (anything from microwave safe cooking dishes to household decorations). Of course there's always a miscellaneous line item for things I see that I didn't realize I wanted or needed before I started out.
4. Occasionally, I take a friend with me so they can tell me "NO," and hold me back if I'm tempted to buy something absolutely unnecessary. I'm available to do the same for them. but what usually happens is that they help me find reasons to justify the purchase.
5. I have a date in mind so I can set up my own yard sale near the end of the season to get rid of all the unnecessary items I bought that year or the things I was able to "replace" with new/old YS items.
Okay - I guess I don't really have a strategy for YS survival. So the moral of the story is, "Let's just have FUN out there!"
No comments:
Post a Comment