Garage Sale Finds Make My Day But Leave Me in a Frugal Conundrum

There is so much to do to get ready for this move, and so much we still need.  It’s somewhat ironic that after spending lots of time and energy to get rid of things from my Dad’s house – like a microwave oven, a kitchen table, televisions and a patio set – what we most need to replace are the microwave oven, kitchen table, a television and a patio set.  I don’t feel the need to fill all the rooms, but there are some things we’d need and/or want right away.

My community’s annual garage sale was today, and since I decided not to participate as a seller that means I was free to be a shopper!  I love to go “garage saling”.  Son and I will get up early, go to Dunkin’ Donuts and make the  rounds.

We’ve not gone in awhile – part of my campaign to divest us from clutter instead of collecting more – so this was a treat.  Heck, this move has almost made it imperative that I hit the garage sales.  Snort.

Son and I were up and ready to go by 7:15 am.   I put a huge “FOR RENT” sign on our front door as we left (hey, you never know), armed with cash,  my cell phone and my huge Vera Bradley tote.  Son was armed  with a Hotwheels car.  Priorities…

There are 300 homes in my community, but only about 40 owners participate in a good year.  At 7:30 this morning I only saw a handful, but from experience I know that some people skip the professional garage-salers (or sleep off one too many Cosmopolitans) and set up as late as 10am.

In my first (of four) tours of the property I found someone offering a microwave oven for $25.  I was going to buy a new one, but after pricing them at the size we need I realized it was going to cost over $100 – something I was not doing. The oven being offered was white, it was clean, it was big enough.   The owner had never even removed the protective plastic covering over the keypad, making it seem in worse shape than it was.  I bargained down to $18, and the first thing I did when I got it home was remove the plastic covering.  The darn thing looks brand new! Cha-ching!

I needed to take Son to his Karate class, and after we returned I took another tour.  This  time I found a 19″ television that will be perfect for either Husband’s office or Son’s playroom.  They were asking $25 – I got it for $15 and they threw in a VCR for free.  Cha-ching!

On my third tour I picked up four DVD’s  – two Thomas the Train and two Spongebob Squarepants for $5.  That’s better than the usual going rate of $2-$3 per DVD, but I think I got the “cute kid” discount.  Whatever works!

On my fourth tour I came across a kitchen table and chairs that may work for us.  It’s  from Pier 1, made of Brazilian  wood and I could  probably get it for $150 or less.  Here is a very lousy photo showing some of it:

It’s very rustic looking, and  it comes with 4 chairs.  The table is marked up a bit, but it is a great deal.

I didn’t buy it, but I did get the owner’s phone number.  Why not?

Well, I don’t love it.  I love this:

But THAT set will likely set us back $750 – $800.  But it does include the hutch and 6 chairs.

But I love it.  It’s so preeeeeeeeeeetty.  And well made!

I want to make a good decision, and sometimes that’s hard to do.

We may only be living in my Dad’s house for 2 years.  Do I spend an extra $600 for something I love, something that won’t  fit well into my townhouse (if we wind up moving back), or do I buy the inexpensive, not quite as nice rustic set?

That’s a good question.  What would you do?

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Self Storage Part 3 – How to Be a Smart Self Storer

This is the last in a three part series on Self Storage.

Check out the other articles in this series:

Self Storage Part 1 – When Paying to Store Your Stuff Is a Good Idea

Self Storage Part 2 – When Paying to Store Your Stuff Is a Bad Idea

Now that you’ve made a decision to store your items there are things you can do to make sure you store smart.

1. Gather and Cull. Again. Once you’ve gathered all the items that need to be packed, go through them again and weed out any items that can be thrown away, given away, or actually used. Don’t be afraid to get rid of unnecessary items in order to have room for the stuff you really need to store.

2. Pack smart. Don’t close up half-empty boxes. Make the most of the space you have since the more space your stuff takes up the more you’re going to pay to store it. Make sure breakables are well-cushioned, too!

3. Make an inventory. Just writing “kitchen stuff” on the outside of a box is not the best way to go. When I recently put some items in my in-laws’ hangar I modified my Relocation Packing System (I’ll post that soon!) to keep track of what was being stored. Who wants to look all over the house for something that you forget you put in storage, or have to go through fifteen boxes to find your lobster pot?

• List loose items (treadmill (really, just sell it!), canoe, crib, etc.).
• Inventory each box individually. You don’t need to go into excruciating detail. Instead of “12 blue highball glasses, 12 lowball glasses, 12 blue juice glasses, Proctor-Silex Toaster Oven” simply write “blue glasses, toaster oven”.
• Assign each box a number. This will help you find things quickly, and save lots of tape wasted by looking in the wrong box.
• Place your name and contact number inside and outside each box and attach a tag or label to each loose item.
• Save list in a computer file.

See how easy? This can save you loads of aggravation. Loads. Trust me.

4. Figure out how much space you really need. You don’t just have the space on the floor, so don’t forget to go vertical. Err on the side of too small, as they’ll be happy to sell you a bigger unit if all your stuff doesn’t fit. And if it doesn’t fit perhaps you’ll want to cull some more!

5. Look for the right facility. Don’t store your grandmother’s fur coat in a facility without air conditioning. PODs can also be a good alternative to traditional storage. Consider location, price, condition of the facility, security, service, and access. Here is a list of questions to guide you:

• What kind of security system do they have?
• Are the grounds patrolled, and if they are, how often?
• Have they had any break-ins and if so, how did it/they occur?
• Are there smoke alarms in each building?
• Is there a sprinkler system in case of a fire?
• Are there any limits to your access?
• Can you rent space on a month-to-month basis? If so, how much notice do you require to vacate the storage unit?
• If you can’t tour the facility yourself, can you see photos of the facilities, including a picture of an empty unit?
• How is the climate controlled?
• Will my items be safe from the elements? Leaky roofs ruin stuff. Visit on a rainy day.
• Are the grounds and inside the facility well taken care of?
• Are there large bushes or overgrown vegetation along the sides of the building? This may be a deterrent if you plan on accessing your storage unit at night.
• Are both the inside and outside areas well lit?
• Is the security fence intact? Make sure you walk around the entire perimeter to make sure.
• What is required for someone to access the storage unit areas?

And, finally, the gut check:

• Do you feel comfortable leaving your things in their care?

6. Buy the best lock you can. The better the lock the better your chances of your stuff staying where you put it.

7. Use tarps. Put one (or two) on the ground under your stuff, and put one (or two) over your stuff. If there’s a roof or plumbing leak you’ll be really happy you did.

8. Visit your stuff monthly. Make sure that all is well secured. Look at the units on each side of yours to make sure there are no leaks, pried locks or other red flags.

9. Get your stuff out as soon as possible. Don’t let it languish there past your initial target removal date without revisiting the wisdom of paying to store the items. Are you ready to let go of the items? Can you sell or donate them? Can you find a place to store them for less, or no charge at all? Are they worth the money you’re spending?

10. Pay. Your. Bill. The most un-frugal self storage mistake you could make would be to stop paying the storage bill. They will lock you out and sell your stuff. I once picked up a beautiful solid wood bookcase for $10 at a storage company’s abandoned stuff sale. And they’ll throw out your childhood memorabilia and paperwork, leaving you vulnerable to identity theft. Really, pay your bill.

That’s it on self storage. I hope this series helps you make the smartest choices for you.

Self Storage Part 2 – When Paying to Store Your Stuff Is a Bad Idea

This is the second in a three part series on Self Storage. Look for Part 3 tomorrow. See the bottom of this post for a link to Part 1.

In Self Storage Part 1 – When Paying to Store Your Stuff Is a Good Idea I listed some scenarios in which paying to store things can not only be a decent idea, but can also be a frugal one.

I admit it. I have a “thing” about paying for storage. I hate the idea. If I don’t have room for it I should get rid of it.

That frugal, sensible part of me wars with the other part of me: the part that doesn’t like to let things go. It’s hard for me, but I’m getting better. Before you decide to pay to store stuff, ask yourself these questions. If these are true for you, you may want to think twice before agreeing to rent storage space.

1. If you don’t even remember what’s in the boxes. Spend the time to go through them. Sell, toss or donate anything you don’t really need or want. If you still need to rent space you’ll likely be able to rent a smaller one, for less money. Who knows, you may wind up with little or nothing to store after all…

2. If you don’t really want the item(s) you are planning to store. Don’t store something out of a sense of duty or obligation if you don’t want or need them. Just because Aunt Bernice left you her taxidermied pets doesn’t mean you have to keep them. And just because you lost your…fruit…on that couch doesn’t mean it shouldn’t support someone else’s grapes. Memory box items should be smaller than a breadbox, so take a picture and put it in a scrapbook. But not of the pets. Please.

3. If the items to be stored aren’t valuable. Do the math. Spending $150 a month to store $1000 worth of stuff is a bad financial decision. Spending good money to store 1000 Gatorade sports bottles just doesn’t make sense. Donate them to a local school instead.

4. If you have room to store it in your home already. Maximize the storage space you already have. We have very little storage inside our townhouse, but we do have a small garage. Husband has built shelves in the garage to keep things neat, organized and off the floor. He’s built shelves that hang from the ceiling. We store things under our beds, use a toy box as a bench, built extra shelves in our closets. Get creative with your storage solutions.

5. If you can store it somewhere else for free. Okay, I’m know that I’m lucky to have in-laws that rent an airplane hangar. But that’s not the only way to store for free. Can someone else use the item? I have friends trying to sell their empty condo. We made a deal that they can use some extra furniture of ours to make their condo look lived-in, and therefore more attractive to buyers. It’s a win-win. I have less clutter, they have a more salable property. If someone agrees to store stuff for you at no charge make sure you discuss ahead of time how long the arrangement will last, and don’t take advantage. If you agree you’ll get it out of there by July 1st, then get it out of there by July 1st.

6. If you don’t know how long you’ll be storing it. If you don’t have a plan ahead of time you greatly increase your chances of spending an enormous amount on rental fees that doesn’t make financial sense. Have a plan. Really.

If you’ve answered these questions and you still need to rent storage space you can still save time, money and grief by renting smart. Read Part 3 of the series for great tips on how to be a smart self-storer.

Check out the other articles in this series:

Self Storage Part 1 – When Paying to Store Your Stuff Is a Good Idea

Self Storage Part 3 will be published tomorrow.  Come back to read it!

Self Storage Part 1 – When Paying to Store Your Stuff Is a Good Idea

This is the first in a three part series on Self Storage. Look for Part 2 and Part 3 over the next two days.

Nearly 1 in 10 US households currently rent a self storage unit. That’s 10.8 million of the 113.3 million US households, an increase of approximately 65 percent in the last 12 years.

Wow. Americans have a lot of stuff !

So when is does it make financial sense to rent storage, and when is it a waste?

When it makes sense:

1. If you must return to the nest. I’ve rented storage space twice in my life. Both instances were in my twenties after misguided attempts to flee South Florida that turned out not-so-great (though I’m confident that my next exodus will lead me to the Promised Land, or at least Georgia) . Both times I’d had to shack up with a parent temporarily, so placing my stuff in storage made sense. I figured I’d spend less in storage rent than I would have to replace the items that I stored.

2. If you are putting your house on the market. We currently store a few things at a hangar rented by my in-laws, and they generously don’t ask us for money. We’re getting the house ready to go on the market, so I’ve packed up some items I want for the new house (the one that at this point is just a twinkle in our eyes) but don’t need here in a clutter-reducing move. I also had stored some garage sale items there. Storing them there makes the garage less cluttered, but if we needed to, or if my in-laws needed the space, we could store the items here. All of the real estate experts say to get rid of clutter to make the home more attractive to buyers and sell quicker. In this market you need every edge you can get, so a few months in storage fees could save you time and get you more money.

3. If you are renovating. Home renovations are stressful enough without trying to squeeze the target room’s furniture into every available nook and cranny elsewhere in the house. It also protects the items from damage.

4. If you are relocating. If your house won’t be ready when you get there, or if you want to rent first to get a feel for the area before committing to buying a home, renting a smaller, less expensive apartment and storing all but the necessities can help you save for your dream house. Oh, I just remembered a third time I paid for storage: when I was in college the local storage company always did $99 Student Summer Specials. I’d store all my furniture and stuff for the summer break. It would have cost me way more to schlep it all home and back…

5. If you are traveling. Taking the family for a year-long trip around the country in an RV or circumnavigating the world in a sailboat? Yes, storing your household items makes sense.

6. If you are experiencing family challenges. Death and divorce are emotionally exhausting, tumultuous ordeals. We often don’t make our best decisions when we’re still raw. Placing your stuff and/or inherited items until you’re ready to make good decisions about what’s next can save you from making a decision you’ll regret later.

When the idea for an article on self storage first came to me I was sure I was going to write an article with a very negative slant; that paying to store stuff is mostly a bad idea. But as I began composing the piece in my head I kept coming up with situations where it’s a good idea, or at least one that makes sense. Hence a series was born.

But don’t worry. Tomorrow’s article covers when it’s a bad idea. Check it out!

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Part One of today was a success. I participated in a garage sale at my sister-in-law’s house, and arrived back in my less-cluttered home with some money in my pocket and a smile on my face.

Being out in the hot sun always saps my energy. Add schlepping stuff from our house to their house, and then schlepping the leftovers to the nearest donation site and I was left exhausted, and a little dehydrated. After relaxing to try to renew my energy I counted the money and put it aside to deposit into our long term savings account. Woo hoo!

Part One of the day was now complete. The Part Two I wished for was a long soak in a hot tub followed by a nap. The Part Two the world served up instead offered a birthday party at a local gymnasium with twenty three and four year olds. G-d is cackling. I love a good sense of humor.

So I trudged upstairs and settled for a quick, warm shower. As I waited for Son to wake up from his nap I gathered the clothes I’d been wearing along with what was in the hamper and threw them in the washer. I’m so efficient!

After son awoke I rushed to fill out the birthday boy’s card, grabbed it, the present, the invitation and Son and off we went. As I waited at the light I glanced at the invitation for the first time since the say we got it and realize I didn’t know exactly where the facility was. So I reached for my cell phone to call the facility and……….

Uh oh.

My phone was not in my purse.

Uh oh.

No. No, no, no no NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

I knew exactly where my phone was.

In the pocket of the shorts I’d been wearing to the garage sale.

The ones I’d thrown into the washer.

The blood-curdling shriek inside my head thankfully did not come out of my mouth. Son would have been terrified.

I turned around and headed back home. I knew the phone was a goner, but I still needed to find out where the dang party was.

Still, as I walked up the stairs I couldn’t stop myself from hoping against hope that I’d realized the phone was in the pocket and placed the phone on my vanity.

Alas, my hope was for naught.

And the washer was already on the spin cycle.

I stopped the machine and pulled out the shorts. There in the pocket was my phone.

It was very clean. Very beautiful. And very, very dead.

I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it.

It could happen to anyone, right? Sure.

But this isn’t the first time I’ve made this brilliant move. I did the exact same thing six months ago. That time, though, Husband was the one who actually threw them in the wash without checking the pockets, but I can’t really blame him because Son had just thrown up all over me.

Sigh.

So now I have to buy a new phone. Again. Luckily I was able to “buy” one for free, and it only cost me $18. In the world of cell phones and doublespeak the phone itself is free, but I have to pay to upgrade.

Whatever. I don’t have it in me to argue about the $18. I got off easy.

Watching Son’s face as he raced around the gym was enough to ease my stupidity-induced angst. So, Part Two turned out okay in the end, too.

Good thing there’s no charge for stupidity.

I’d have had to take out a second mortgage.

Today I Went Shopping In My House for Tomorrow’s Garage Sale

I’m taking a break from getting ready to do another garage sale, this time at my sister-in-law’s house.

I’ve written before about how to have a successful garage sale, so I thought I’d jot down a few notes about what I’m doing today.

I had several things left over from our last sale, so all of those items have already been schlepped over to my sister-in-law’s house. That gives me a good start, but frankly much of that stuff is crapola, so if I got $20 for everything that’s already there I’d be surprised. If that was all I had to sell I wouldn’t bother schlepping.

Now you may be thinking, “But she just had a sale a few weeks ago. How much more crap can she have?”

Oh my. A lot, it turns out.

Over the past few days I’ve gone shopping in my own house. I’ve gone from room to room, selecting things I may like, but am ready to let go of. I went through the junk drawers and got rid of lots of junk, either in the trash or in a box destined for the garage sale. I also found a light bulb for our refrigerator, which was serendipitous because we just had one burn out a few days ago. I have no memory of the bulb burning out before this week, but it must have since I found a 2-pack with one missing. Good thing I looked, otherwise Husband would have made a trip to Home Depot tomorrow and I’d have two 2-packs with one missing from each.

Even though we just went through our drawers and closets a few weeks ago, we’ve done it again. I don’t know about you all, but I often am willing to let go of things on a second or third pass that I wasn’t willing to let go of on a prior pass. Ergo another pile of clothing sits ready to make the crosstown trek very, very early tomorrow.

Husband was supposed to go to my father-in-law’s airplane hanger, where we’d stored the last garage sale’s leftovers, and take them to his sister’s. Since I was already in the area I went and did that, while he went and took everything out of the closet we have under the stairs.

I hate that closet. While it’s great to have the extra storage in our closet-deprived home, Son and our dog are the only ones who can walk upright through the door or stand on anything but one’s knees. As a result it gets cleaned out only once every few years. One of the things that’s stored in there is my old PC – the one I bought less than a year before Husband moved in and declared us a MAC only household (well, at least until I got my laptop). It’s now eight years old, and though we were thinking of saving it and putting it in Son’s room when we move, at this point I think it’s time to just let it go. Sure, I didn’t get my money’s worth out of it, but you have to know when to cut your losses. Now it’s a frugal blunder AND clutter. Bub-bye!

Also going from under the stairs is a huge box of candles we’ve not opened in six years, some baskets, photo frames from my old office and crafts I’ll never do. I also cleaned out some junk boxes (methinks I have two many areas in my home whose first name is “junk”), and culled the rolls of gift wrap (which I keep in a kitchen-size garbage pail). Lots of recycling, lots of garage sale treasures. Do we know how to have fun or what?

Next I went through the drawers in all of the nightstands in the house. Heck, we may as well call them junk drawers, too. I have lots of half-used boxes of stationery, a few old hand-held games and piles of miscellaneous crap. More for the garage sale, more for the garbage.

Ahhh, I’m feeling good.

I almost forgot to look under the beds. Husband’s old drafting table lives under one, my grandmother’s antique headboard and footboard under the other. Which one do you think is going?

While I clean out my makeup and toiletry drawer (don’t we all get those great gift bags with a to-die-for eyeshadow but lipstick in such an awful color we wouldn’t even use it to write “flick me” on a sleeping drunk at a party?) I ask Husband to go through his desk. I come away with a box of treasures, he comes away with a pencil.

Sigh.

Things are well in hand. Then I take another walk through the house, my goal being to take ten more items from every room to sell at the garage sale. Our Eiffel Tower clock has chimed it’s last minuit. The kitchen was easy – I just opened the utensil drawer and removed everything I’d not touched in the last three years. Except the Mickey Mouse egg forms. Son will love them. But at least now I remember that I have them.

I have Son’s toys to go through and then I’ll call it a night. Tomorrow morning I’ll get up before the crack of dawn, go through the house and find five more things to sell and head on over. We always have such great fun, and I’ll be exhausted at the end of it. I’ve limited myself to one box coming back into the house, as I always throw a few things in the box with the disclaimer, “if I get the price I want I’ll sell, otherwise back it comes”. One box. That’s it. The rest will go to Women in Distress.

And on Sunday I’ll start collecting things for the next garage sale. We’re going to be doing a two-weekend sale at my Dad’s after he decides what he’s taking to the new condo. Whoppee!

Too Much Clutter? 20 Tips for a Successful Garage Sale

I love garage sales. I love going to them, and I love having them.

If you’re lucky enough to live in a warm climate garage sales are possible all year long. PaidTwice has told me before that she’s jealous that I can take advantage of garage sales all year long. I can understand that. The garage sale season for the rest of the country is starting soon, so it’s time to start preparing!

Our little community only allows one per year, but it’s a doozy. Ours was today, and I was ill-prepared due to illness and procrastination. That said, I made $130 on stuff I would have donated or Freecycled anyway, so it’s all good.

Here are my tips for a successful garage sale:

1. Gather goods all year. Keep a box on each floor of your house, or even in each closet. When you run across something that no longer fits, or you no longer want or need, toss it in the box. Clean or repair things first; it’s much easier to do this as you go than to try to spend the night before the sale doing it for everything! When the box is full close it up, mark it “garage sale” and store it away.

2. If it’s of value, try Craigslisting it first. Garage sale shoppers are looking for real bargains. I try Craigslist first. If I’m unsuccessful then it goes in a garage sale box.

3. Don’t assume no one will buy it. Husband had a nasty, moldy shower shelf thingy in his old house. He was sure no one would buy it and wanted to toss it. I got $2 for that sucker. I’ve sold half-burned candles, wagons with broken wheels, games missing parts, single earrings… Never underestimate the garage sale buyer.

4. Choose a date and time. Not too cold, not too hot. Make it just right. And understand that people will start coming about 1/2 hour before the time you advertise to start it, so plan accordingly.

5. Recruit friends and neighbors to join you. Being able to put multi-family or community-wide in an ad or on a sign will absolutely get more people to your location. When I’m planning my garage sale route I always choose these before I visit any single-family sales.

6. Call your city to find out if you need a permit. Getting a citation would sure eat into those profits. Also ask if there are any special ordinances or rules about putting up signs. Some municipalities dictate where/when you can and cannot post them.

7. Advertise. Placing an ad in the newspaper brings people, and if you are doing a multi-family sale and splitting the cost it’s a good investment. That said, I’ve had plenty of successful garage sales just placing signs at major intersections and placing free ads on Craigslist and other garage sale forums.

8. Put up signs, and lots of them. Put some up the week before, if possible, at least in front of your house. Use black ink on a bright background. Make sure the letters are large and thick enough to be easily read from a car. Put as little info as possible while still getting the point across. I usually just put “Garage Sale”, Sat 8-12 and a large arrow pointing the way. Put up enough signs on the route to your house so people don’t wonder if they are lost. I can’t stand it when I can’t read a sign, or all it includes is the address. Often times I’m not familiar enough with a neighborhood to find it just by the address, so I don’t go. If you like, attach balloons to the signs, but make sure they don’t block drivers’ views.

9. Get change, plastic bags and newspaper. Nothing is more frustrating than having a customer with cash in hand and not being able to make the sale because you don’t have change. I usually get $30 in singles and $20 in fives plus a roll of quarters. I don’t bother with smaller change. Also save your grocery or other shopping bags, and have newspaper on hand to wrap breakables.

10. Don’t price anything. I know, this goes against popular wisdom. Every garage sale how-to article I’ve ever read tells people to price everything. I never do. First, I don’t want to work that hard. Second, I like to be able to change my prices on a whim. Sure, it gets hectic at the sale sometimes, but they’re hectic anyway. Besides, no one pays the price marked; everyone wants to haggle. At least here in Florida. Seriously, I can count on one hand the number of times people paid the first price I quoted, and then I think I asked too little.

11. Organize your stuff. Put like things together by category; tools, toys, clothing, home decor. You can do this in advance to save time the day of the sale.

12. Have plenty of tables. People don’t like to bend. If you have everything at table height people will buy more.

13. Merchandising counts. Make your stuff look nice. Wipe off any dust and arrange as prettily as possible. If you hang clothing you’ll get more for it. Place premium items (brand new items, large tools, baby items, nice furniture, etc) close to the street so people can see them from their cars. Put most clothing on hangers and hang them from a clothesline strung from trees or from your garage ceiling near the door (or on a clothes rack if you have one). You’ll get more money for them. They’re also easier to look through, and you won’t have to worry about refolding them on the table.

14. Have giveaways. I always have little trinkets to give the children of shoppers, and I’ll often toss in some little thing for free for customers who buy a lot. I get lots of good feedback from that.

15. Set up a refreshment table. Because ours is a community sale I always sell coffee, water, sodas and some type of homemade baked goods. My banana bread is always a big hit. I’ve made a nice profit on these items. If you like you can also offer coffee and cookies free – it’s a nice touch.

16. Be an active seller. Running a garage sale is a lot like working at a retail establishment, so bring out the salesman (or saleswoman) in you. Greet your customers with a friendly smile as they arrive. You want people to feel comfortable at your sale, so greet them as you would if you were a business owner. Tout your wares proudly. Offer package deals (if a person buys a blender, for example, why shouldn’t they buy those margarita glasses as well?), and reward big buyers with bulk discounts. Don’t just hope things sell themselves.

17. Negotiate with hagglers. When asked the price of something I always say it’s more than I’m willing to sell it for. Play along; haggling can be a fun experience, and you’ll likely make a lot more sales if you’re willing to reward these bargain hunters. Don’t be afraid to decline an offer, but consider all offers. After all, you’re trying to get rid of this stuff.

18. Offer last-minute deals. If you’ve still got things left over during the final scheduled hours of your sale, go ahead and slash prices. Offer buy-one-get-one deals or bulk discounts. Do everything you can to make the sale, especially if you plan on throwing away or giving away the items anyway.

19. Don’t bring anything back into the house. Donate or give away whatever is left. If you donate the items you can get a tax deduction. If you don’t want to schlep everything somewhere put an ad on Craigslist of Freecycle telling people that everything at your curb is free, first come, first served. I have to admit that I occasionally break this rule, like today. My sister-in-law is having a garage sale in two weeks, so I’ll take what I didn’t sell today over there. But it’s still a good rule.

20. Take down your signs and clean up. Your neighbors will appreciate it.

Now you can count your money in your less-cluttered home.

Friday Night Fever

Our once per year community garage sale is tomorrow.

I am totally unprepared.

It’s supposed to rain tomorrow. During the garage sale. That we’re only allowed to have once per year.

We have a 1 pm birthday party twenty minutes away for Husband’s cousin’s twins, and I have not wrapped (or decided upon) their gifts yet.

My cough still sucks. Last night I was so miserable (constant body-jerking, hacking spasms, so violent they caused severe headachey-type pains in my head, plus made breathing difficult) Husband wanted me to go to the ER. I went to the (45 minutes away) doctor today and got the steroid I asked for the day before but she wouldn’t just call in, so hopefully this will be the end of it (and yes, I’m going to get a new doctor, but that’s a whole other post).

I’m exhausted.

We have a clogged toilet and Husband fell asleep before fixing it. Plus he hasn’t done any of the things I asked him to do to prepare for the garage sale.

Son, who until this week would not pick up a crayon to save his life, now wants to write numbers and draw trains ALL THE TIME. Threw a tantrum at bedtime (no nap today) because he had to draw “one more CABOOSE!!!!!!!!!!”

Sunday is Pete’s grandmother’s 95th birthday, and I also need to find time before 1 pm that day to make a corn casserole and cupcakes.

Wake me on Monday, somebody.