From the book: EnJOY Freedom From Financial Stress

1) Do: Plan ahead. Search the internet and your local news paper. Church consignment sales are often advertised on the internet. Sometimes there will be a site that will list all the consignment sales in your area. Yard sales are sometimes listed on line, but more often you can get a listing of them in your midweek newspaper. Get a map and plan your route to hit as many in one morning as possible.
Don’t: Drive around endlessly with your beloved but cranky family members in the car listening to you say “I know it’s around the corner here somewhere. Becky told me it was in this neighborhood.”

2) Do: Bring a large bag or plastic laundry basket with you. Get there early and fill your bag or baskets. Then find a quiet corner to sort your “loot” before you check out.
Don’t: show up with out a container. I tried this in my novice consignment days and had permanent hanger dents in my hands from trying to carry around my load. I also had to stop shopping once I had run out of body parts to hang them on. Also, do Not hang items on the back of an umbrella stroller and then pick the baby up out of the stroller. : ) I learned that one the hard way.

3) Do: Leave the kids at home. If at all possible, let Dad or a neighbor watch the kids. Many times, there is not room for strollers to maneuver between rows of clothing. You’ll also save your toddler from getting a flying elbow in the head from a fellow bargain frenzied mom.
Don’t: bring said child and endure a melt-down every time you pass the toy pile. The same child that will cause you to end up leaving 10 minutes after arriving because of earlier mentioned frenzied elbow to head injury.

4) Do: Ask if you can be a consignee. Often, if you are also a “seller” you will get a preview or first dibs before the doors officially open to the rest of the public. I once consigned a bridesmaid’s dress that was 5 sizes bigger than my usual size.( I was in a wedding right after having our first baby.) Whew, I was glad to get rid of that dress and make money doing it.
Don’t: keep a bride’s maid’s dress under any circumstances. Sell it as soon as you step out of it and never look back. You will never have that perfect dinner party that will call for a full length magenta dress featuring large waist-line bow in back with matching full length gloves and shoes. Even if you did “cut it off” into a cocktail length dress like the bride swears you will be able to do.

5) Do: Get there early and come back later. Get there early if there is a specific item or piece of equipment that you need. Also, come back later for the deeper discounts. Many consignment sales have a deeper
discount after lunch or on the second day. I bought my winter wardrobe on the second day of the sale when they had the $2/bag deal. I bought five gorgeous sweaters for $2.00!
Don’t: Don’t forget to fill up the gas tank the night before so that you can avoid arriving an hour after opening time and covet all the loot that the other moms ahead of you are clutching on their way out.

6) Do: For yard sales, negotiate and bring lots of small bills and change. If you feel strongly about asking for less than a marked price at a yard sale, ask if they will take less. They almost always will. I know that when I have a yard sale, I have already emotionally departed with the item and I just really want to get rid of it for anything anyone will pay. Carrying small bills and gobs of change makes the negotiating process a lot smoother.
Don’t: Negotiate a $5 item down to $3 and then whip out a ten dollar bill and ask for change.

7) Do: While shopping at consignment and yard sales, remember that your kids are always growing and so go ahead and buy several seasons ahead, especially when there is a good quality to price ratio.
Don’t: Buy something too small just because it is a dollar and then stuff your daughter in it like a sausage only to learn a month later it was class picture day. You will have to live a life time of justifying that one.

Re-claim the JOY
©2008, 2009 Kathy Kline Danner