Darn Garage Sales!!

I love garage sales and I love getting deals. But after starting this blog, and taking inventory of the things I don’t need, I realized I have gotten some great deals throughout the years – but most of it is stuff I didn’t really need. Things like picture frames, decorations, clothes that I don’t wear, etc.

I have been staying away from them this summer and I have conditioned my foot to not hit the brake pedal when I see a fluorescent sign on the side of the road. But while my son and I were out walking to the gas station so he could buy some penny candy (it was cute – he searched the entire house for pennies and found about 10), right in my path was a garage sale.

I wasn’t planning on stopping, but my son quickly saw one of those play kitchen sets. He has been wanting one of those so before I knew it we were checking it out. It was only $4.00 dollars, and they easily retail for over $30.00. He proclaimed that he was going to buy that with his pennies. I tried to explain that he didn’t have enough but he still doesn’t quite grasp that concept yet.

You guessed it. I caved in and bought it. It wasn’t an impulse buy either because I actually had to walk back home and get my checkbook and come back (I rarely have cash – not even a few dollars). I even had to carry it all the way home. But my son was just so excited.

I also had to look at other things, and I resisted some things that caught my eye but I couldn’t resist some old magazines for ten cents a piece. I bought all of the Women’s World magazines that they had ($1.60 worth). That is the only magazine I really read and it amazes me that a weekly publication can always have so many interesting stories and recipes.

I feel like going garage-sailing tomorrow morning and I probably should go at least a few days this summer. It’s time to purchase more clothes for my son because he is growing like a weed. I just have to remember the article I wrote and remember to only buy things I need.

That – and go without my son – LOL.

Posted by Tricia on June 9, 2006 at 8:54 PM in Spending Money | 2 Comments »
You can leave a response or trackback from your site.

Newer Posts Older Posts

Karen responded:
Posted: August 15th, 2006 at 5:52 pm
It’s ironic how things are really “relative” – I love good deals as well. I went to some garage sales this past weekend and it was sooo much fun! I also passed up some really cute items that I didn’t really “need.” Although it seems kind of silly to pass up something for $.50 because you don’t need it – it is so much more than that. It’s a mind set. And since I live very frugally in many areas, making coffee instead of buying it, bringing my lunch to work, cooking instead of going out or grabbing fast food, borrowing library books instead of going to the book store, I have to be careful not to sabotage myself with the thought that, hey, I deserve “whatever” – it’s rationalizing and it can undo all the good I’ve already done.
Tricia responded:
Posted: August 17th, 2006 at 7:58 pm
Exactly…I start thinking, “It’s only a quarter.”

But for every quarter I’ve spent with that mindset, I’ve probably spent over $100. It adds up!