This, for me, falls under Melissa's post "Is This Worth it or Not?" so much so that I decided it deserves it's own post. My answer to Mel's question? A resounding, "YES!"
Okay, I know I probably don't need to be quite so excited about garage sales, but I will admit I might have a slight addiction. In fact, I haven't had time to go to any in the last few weeks, and the side effects on my psyche are almost physical withdrawal symptoms. As we used to say in IV @ ISU, "I'm not gonna lie. It's a true story."
Ahem. Okay, enough sharing about the effects my addiction. Why are garage sales so worth it for me? There are a few reasons:
1. Financially, I can get lots of almost brand new, brand name (though I don't really care about brands honestly) items for my family: books, clothing, toys, household items, etc. for up to 90% off of their retail price.
2. It's a restful activity for me. With 2 toddlers at home, it's one of my 'me-time' activities, typically on a Saturday morning. It just so happens that it not only benefits me, but also my family: score.
3. I've gotten my 3 yr old son in on my addiction, and it's a bonding experience for us. The last time I took him w/ me (I do this only on occasion), he was right there with me saying, "Let's do just one more, Mama" (which really meant if we see another one w/in a block or 2 of the last one we were at, we'll go, even though it's getting a bit late...). Love it.
4. I get to meet interesting people, learn my way around new parts of town, figure out which neighborhoods have the best sales (still learning this one), and see some rather interesting (read: unique or sometimes odd) things. In short, it's sort of a sub-cultural learning experience, and I have always loved getting to know other cultures.
5. I don't always find what I'm looking for. Sometimes this can be frustrating, because I may have an item in mind that I know I can get for X price at a sale and will cost me a lot more even on Craigslist or worse, if I have to purchase it retail (even on sale).
Wait a second, why is that beneficial?
1. It teaches me patience.
2. It reminds me to pray. I can't tell you how many times I've been frustrated that I haven't found an item, then realized I didn't even ask my Provider for it. Often when this happens, I stop and pray, and voila: I only had to ask.
3. This patience and prayer working together make me really think about that item a little more clearly. If God doesn't provide it, do I really need it? After I've prayed about it, I may realize I don't.
I probably have a lot more reasons why the time and effort involved in garage sale-ing is worth it for me, but these are just a few. If you are a fellow sale-er, why is it worth it for you? What fun things have you found from sales that have made the experience valuable for you?
This post is dedicated to Mary Ayers and her daughter Megan Johnson. Mary taught me the art of garage sale-ing, when I tagged along w/ her and Megan for hours and hours each summer of my junior high and high school years. We honestly couldn't go w/ Mary to the store for a gallon of milk w/o it turning into a 1 hour trip because Mary just had to stop at every sale along the way (and back, lol). Though we teased and complained about it at the time, I think both Megan and I now both truly appreciate the lessons gleaned from those days.
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P.S.: Just wondering, I've also considered writing a post on how to make your garage sale-ing experience successful. Would anyone like to see something like that? I won't say I know it all, but I think I may have a few things to share w/ those who may new to the world of garage sales.
As a fellow garage sale enthusiast (who is getting ready to head out this afternoon to Thornridge sales in Morton), I also find garage sale-ing to be relaxing and fun! I love refreshing my wardrobe with cheap clothes, and I feel like I hit the jackpot when I find a sale with pants in my size (long).
ReplyDeleteI have also seen God provide through sales. This summer, my mother-in-law and I are doing a small group for 8th and 9th grade girls. We are using Dannah Gresh's books "And the Bride Wore White" and "Secret Keeper." Recently, I found several copies of these books (in near-mint condition) on a sale for 25 cents each!!! Also, when the girls "graduate" from the study, we give them a teacup (to remind them that they are treasured and valuable... and to dress/act accordingly). This year, we have over 20 girls, so that means finding lots and lots of tea cups. More than once, we have hit a sale that has multiple tea cups to sell, and we are able to share with them about our study and what the tea cups signify. God not only provides the tea cups that we need, but also an opportunity to share Truth with the sellers.
Plus, this one time, I found a super-cute pair of boys' overalls with an adorable farm print. I bought them, even though I didn't have any kids, and now they look super-cute on a certain little boy I know :-)