It’s yard sale season! At least around here. Some of you in hotter climates may have them more often in the spring or fall or even through the winter, but here in Utah, it’s prime yard sale time. Yard sales, or estate sales, moving sales, farm auctions, or any other variety of “get rid of stuff” sales are the perfect place to pick up a few preparedness supplies. Here are a few tips to make good use of those yard sale days.
1. Plan your strategy and route the day before. Check for ads in your newspaper, on craigslist, or other information source (like the post office boards or wherever else people advertise events in your area). If you live in a populated area, you may only get to the first couple of yard sales because there will be some unadvertised sales along the way. That’s okay, but if there are ads that specifically mention the things you are looking for, try to hit those first. Worst case–if you don’t plan ahead, just get going early and drive around looking for signs. This works better where there is a larger population. More rural places, it’s best to look for ads first so you’re not using all your gas to find there aren’t any sales that weekend.
2. Start early. Lots of time the best items go quickly. Don’t be rude and show up before a sale’s advertised start time, but it’s best not to wait too long to get going.
3. Make a list of things you’re looking for and how much you’re willing to spend. Here is my usual yard sale shopping list. Don’t be afraid to ask for a better price if there’s something you want. The worst they can do is say no, but if they say yes, you’ve just scored a better deal. Also, be open to items that may not be on your list, but might be useful for preparedness. Maybe someone has some chicken equipment or bee hives or whatever that weren’t on your list, but you know you could use.
4. Leave the little kids home if you can. I know this is hard and usually mine have to come with me, but it is way easier and faster to peruse and leave if you don’t have all your helpers finding things they think they need!
5. It’s okay to leave without buying anything. Sometimes you might feel obligated to purchase something just because someone’s having a yard sale, but remember you are on a mission and you’re looking for specific things. You don’t want to acquire a bunch of stuff that you’ll just be selling in your own yard sale.
6. And speaking of your own yard sale, go ahead and have one. Invite some friends and advertise as a “multi-family” sale to get more traffic. Get rid of stuff you don’t need. Use the money you earn to get some preparedness goods you’ve been wanting.
Keep preparing! Angela
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I found a wind-up radio and a wind-up flashlight, obviously cheap, but both work. I find candles (tapers, votive, tea candles) that are not scented all the time. Candles are not my preference, but used outdoors for illunimation, they work for me. I will use one in sink and one in tub while I set up everything else. Usually, I try not to store batteries in many of the flashlights and stuff. I found aluminum pots to use on the grill for heating water. I was given on freecycle about 6 or more cast iron skillets of different sizes. I consider those perfect for cooking on the grill. While I use them all the time inside, I don’t really need 9 pieces of cast iron cookware! However, that was the deal–it is free and take it all.
A garage sale that was actually mostly an estate sale, I got 2 complete sets (one still in a sealed box) of toaster oven cookware (to be used in solar ovens), and I think a complete set of BWB canning stuff in black ceramic? metal (like camping pots are made of, but in black with white specks).
I also got 3 corningware casserole dishes with glass lids (I’m rough on those glass lids apparently). These casseroles could also be used in solar ovens for slow cooking on clear, hot days (which Houston is having PLENTY of).