11 Tips for Planning a Yard Sale – 52 Week Money Savings Challenge
We’re at week 18 of our 52 Week Money Savings Challenge! I don’t know about you but it’s nice seeing that number creep up in the savings account each week. It felt a bit slow at first, but now, as we deal with larger deposits each week, the amount increases steadily. Last week we talked about paying with cash and this week, we’re going to talk about having a yard sale to help boost those savings.
Yard sales can be tricky. I believe a lot depends on what kind of area you live in. If you’re out in a really rural area, with little traffic, all the yard sale tips in the world might not help you. And that’s okay. Don’t waste your time with planning a yard sale. Just enjoy your spring/summer weekends.
If you live in an area where you do get traffic and people don’t have to drive miles on end to find you, well, maybe it’s time to plan a yard sale and here are a few tips to get you started:
11 Tips for Planning a Yard Sale
- Check for Permits – Some cities/towns require a permit to have a yard sale. The last thing you want to do it get shut down or fined for having a yard sale before you can sell anything.
- Pick a Date – Give yourself some time but not too much time. You want to be able to gather your goods and take care of business without stressing out, but you also don’t want to keep putting it off. Give yourself a couple weeks, maybe even three if necessary.
- Advertise It – Look into placing ads in your local newspaper, Craigslist and other online yard sale resources.
- Gather Your Stuff – If you’re able, put all the yard sale items in a designated spot that’s not in your way. It will help keep things organized, keep you from getting frustrated with stuff being in the way and make it easy to find when setting up.
- Enlist Help – Ask family and friends to help you and offer for them to bring their stuff to sell as well. You never know, maybe your best friend has been wanting to hold a yard sale but doesn’t want to do it alone!
- Gather Supplies – Have a table for the cash box and chairs for sitting. Maybe even tent or sun umbrellas to keep the sun off you. You’ll also need stickers for pricing, change for breaking bills, pens for updating prices, etc. Make your signs stand out, but don’t add too much info on them.
- Offer Refreshments – I’ve been to several yard sales lately where I noted they were offering coffee and donuts for breakfast, as well as hot dogs at lunch time. Guess which yard sales had a much, much larger crowd?! Just make sure you keep it simple and inexpensive.
- Pre-Price, Don’t Over-Price – It’s easy to over price items, especially if they have sentimental value to us. You have to remember though that the next owner won’t have those connections and therefore, it’s not worth the money to them. Pre-price your goods, but don’t be afraid to lower that price if you notice people aren’t buying it. You’ll be much happier at the end of the day with less stuff to pack up and haul off to the thrift store. You’ll also have more money in your pocket if you lower the price and sell it instead of donating it.
- Electronics or Battery Operated – Have extension cords and used batteries on hand for people to try out electronics or battery operated items. If they’re interested in buying the item, your sale might be dependent on if they can see if it truly works.
- Organize Your Yard – Group similar items together, but also give yourself some space. Don’t clutter things together making them hard to see, but don’t have they spread out all over either. Plan how you’re yard is going to be laid out. Make sure people can see some of your more prominent goods as they drive past. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve driven past a yard sale because it looked like they just had small, knick-knack style items.
- Donate – This might be hard, but be prepared to donate all the leftovers. You do not want to bring that mess back into your home/garage. You’ve gone through the work to get it out of your home, make it stay away.
Overall, give yourself time. The last thing you want to do is become so stressful over your yard sale that you lose the joy from getting rid of stuff and making a little extra money in the process. When you’re done, you’ll be however much ahead and just that much less in your home.
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I’m so glad to have you on this journey with me. I’m looking forward to each week and I hope these posts and the emails are not only helpful to you, but encouraging as well.
- If you are new and just now joining, subscribe to the weekly email and download your own copy of the 52 Week Money Savings Challenge printable. All current subscribers are entered into an Amazon drawing held at the end of the month.
- If you want to catch up on the reading of each week, go to our 52 Week Money Savings Challenge page and check out each week listed, as you’re able. Don’t worry about catching up on savings amounts unless you’re able to, just start with the current week and add extra if/as you’re able.
- Want to open an online bank account to help keep things separated? I personally use Capital One 360 and have for years. It takes a few days for transfers to complete if you’re using a local bank
Before we wrap up this week, I want to hear from you! 1) What are you most excited about in participating in this challenge? 2) What are your concerns or frustrations about setting money aside?
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