I was watching an interview with the Duggar family the other day, you know the family with all of those kids, and the reporter asked them how they afford all those children. Jim Bob said a few things but the one that stood out was, buy used.

There are so many things that we can purchase used in order to save money. Over they years our family has purchased used cars, furniture, appliances, electronics, clothing, baby items, and moving supplies, just to name a few.

With the internet, the options for purchasing (or even getting for free) used items is amazing. Some online resources for used items are:

Craig’s List

Ebay

FreeCycle

Half.com

Amazon

Local Classifieds

Perhaps at you or your spouse’s work there is a bulletin board for employees to buy and sell items. Where my husband works there is a huge online classified network for employees. We have bought and sold several items through this system over the past several months.

There are also thrift stores, yard sales, consignment shops, flea markets, swap meets, as well as dumpsters. Aside from food and consumable items there is no reason you could not meet all your other needs and wants with used items. Sometimes the second-hand items are actually brand new. Last year I went to a yard sale where a woman was selling toys, still sealed in the box for $2 and $3. I have also purchased items on ebay and thrift stores that still had the tags on them.

I realize there are some people who do not feel comfortable buying used items, especially clothes. If you wash the clothes after you purchase them what is the difference? New clothing in the store is handled and tried on by many people before you purchase it. When we are purchasing used furniture we always look for items from a smoke and pet free home. We don’t have pets and we don’t smoke so we choose not to purchase items from those homes.

When purchasing clothing we look for things that are next to new. I know in my house with many growing kids sometimes an item will fall to the back of the closet, or a child just doesn’t like it and it ends up being passed on. These items have usually only been worn once and are a great find for the next person who comes along.

Many toys can be cleaned or thrown into the dishwasher. I don’t look for really dirty toys when I am shopping, but when I do purchase used toys I take them home and clean them before giving them to the kids.

If you are an avid reader the library should be your best friend. If there is a book you just have to buy, check yard sales and thrift stores first. Books are almost always sold for under a dollar. I have purchased many great children’s books for 10 cents a piece at yard sales. Ebay, Half.com and Amazon are also great sites to purchase used books. We now try to purchase all of our books used.

Finally, let people know you are a tightwad. I cannot tell you how many times people have given us a bag of clothes, toys, books or even furniture because they know we purchase used items. People are not embarrassed or afraid of offending us by offering us their used goods. The best price for something is always free and a with great network of friends you can trade items on a regular basis. I have friends who live and shop the sales in a different part of town and they have offered to look for specific items that our family needs. A few months ago I let some friends know that we were in need of forks. They were able to find and purchase some at a yard sale a few weeks later. Remember to give as much as you receive. Maybe you don’t have many hand-me-downs to pass on, but a plate of cookies or a loaf of fresh baked bread for a family that regularly passes items on to your family is always appreciated.

For our family buying used items has been a great way to reduce our expenses. I also feel good that we are not filling our dumps with excessive packaging from new items. If you have not shopped at a thrift store or a yard sale ask a friend who has to go along with you. They will probably know what a is good deal and can help ease you into your new shopping experience.

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