13 Garage Sale Shopping Tips for Bargain Hunters

13 Tips for Successful Garage SALE Hunting!

Garage sale shopping can be a Fabulessly Frugal way to save money! It is amazing the treasures that you can find shopping at garage sales.

However, if you’re planning on just going out and hoping to find garage sales, you’re going to end up wasting a lot of time. Follow the garage sale shopping tips below to increase the chances of finding what you need for a great price.

P.S. Planning your own garage sale? Check out these garage sale tips and tricks for organizing a sale.

Garage Sale Shopping Tips

Time is something I don’t have a lot of right now. I need to make the most of my morning. Here are some tips to POWER SHOP GARAGE SALE STYLE!!

1. Make a list. This will help you stay FOCUSED. Do you need shirts for your 2-year-old? Put it down! Looking for a black bookcase? Add it!
2. Learn how to find garage sales easily. I like to look on Craigslist for garage sales. I think a lot of people are turning to this for their advertising because it is FREE! You can also check out your local paper and a few new tools I’ve come across: Yard Sale Treasure Map and Garage Sales Tracker.
3. Leave the kidlets at home. (sounds a lot like couponing so far!) I mean, do you really want to drag them in and out of the car? You know they’ll find 127 things that they will want, and YOU won’t!
4. Carry a lot of change. Doesn’t giving exact change sound better than waiting for the seller to find cash back for you? Plus I think you are more likely to get the price you want if you can hand it to them right away. I always have coins too for little random clothing items or books.
5. Fanny Pack? Eek! It doesn’t have to sound so bad, I wear one of these Hips Sister Hip Packs when I work out. They have pockets just like a Fanny Pack but they stretch and fit snug so no one even knows you are wearing it (I usually put my phone in it). They sure are handy if you’re going to be jumping in and out of the car! Who wants to mess with a purse?
6. Take along some snacks and water. Remember you’ll be out for a bit – you don’t want to waste your precious quarters on fast food, do you? We’re trying to stretch our dollar here!
7. Just ASK! Sometimes the seller may have what you’re looking for and they have it tucked away, forgot to set it out, or you just overlooked it!
8. Negotiating IS an option! You’ve got nothing to lose. If the seller won’t budge, you’re still getting a great deal! ALSO – if you’ve picked up a bunch of items and it’s come to $6.75 for example, don’t be afraid to ask if the seller will take an even $6 for them. Again, you’ve got nothing to lose.
9. Be Kind. Seriously… do I have to elaborate?
10. Stick with the plan. You’re not saving money if you’ve spent your whole wad on things that you really don’t need! Don’t get it just to get it. Ya know?!
11. Wait it out. For those garage sales that have GREAT STUFF but seemed a bit overpriced, make a note of it and head back later in the day. Often times you’ll find sellers are slashing their prices in order to part with their goods!
12. Have FUN – Relax and take your time. When you finally find just what you’re looking for, it makes it all worth it!
13. Find a subdivision sale. You can cover a lot more ground if you hit an entire neighborhood that is having a sale.

Conclusion

Garage sale hunting is not only a great way to find bargains, but it’s also a lot of fun. You never know what kind of treasures you’re going to find at the next yard sale!

I hope these tips help you make the most out of your garage sale shopping trips!

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Do you have any garage sale shopping tips that you’re willing to share?