First Person: 5 Things I Always Buy Used
Kris Calhoun, On Thursday January 27, 2011, 8:22 am EST
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I was surprised to discover when I began outlining this article just how much I've estimated saving over the years by purchasing certain items used rather than new. Between the five items on this list, I would guess that I've saved somewhere in the range of $20,000 to $30,000 or more over the last decade and a half.
Probably the most significant savings from that amount came from the cars, clothes, and books categories that I'm about to discuss. However, it's important to remember that buying used has issues of its own, and not every used item is worth the savings it might provide. If you know what you're doing though, know what to look for, and are prepared for encountering a lemon occasionally in your purchases, buying used could save you as much as it has saved me!
Cars
I've had three used cars over the course of the last decade and a half. These cars cost me a total of $5300 to buy. I am making the assumption that had I bought a new car, I would have laid out for just one, probably somewhere in the amount of at least $20,000 to $30,000 depending on the type of vehicle. And that is assuming I made that one vehicle last 15 years. So, on the vehicles I've purchased over the years, I have already saved about $15,000 to $25,000 just by buying used.
Clothes
I have no problem buying nice clothes, and actually wear many name brands, however; I rarely buy these items new and hardly ever pay full price for them. Instead, I seek out the resale shops and Goodwill stores in the nicer areas of Chicagoland. It never ceases to amaze me what great, lightly worn clothing turns up in such spots.
It's hard to estimate how much I've saved on items like shirts, pants, and coats over the years. But if I figure a nice shirt or sweater goes for between $25 and $50 at a retailer, and a pair of jeans or slacks goes for about the same, when I can purchase such items for between $2-$5 at many resale shops, you begin to get an idea of just how much I have saved over the years.
Books
While I'm an avid reader, unless someone gives me a gift card to a bookstore, I rarely buy books new. I can get them at library sales, garage sales, from resale shops or online, often for pennies on the dollar of what they would cost me in a bookstore. Over the years I would guess I've likely saved close to several thousand dollars this way. Better yet, once I'm done with my books, unless I really loved the read and decide to keep it in my personal collection, I can turn around and sell them back at garage sales or Half Price Books for close to what I paid for them.
Dishes
I hate it, hate it, hate it when people ask for dishes as wedding gifts. It's not that I have a problem buying them a gift, or even that they asked for dishes, it's the often outrageous prices associated with these items at the typically upscale retailer at which the couple has registered. Given, most people want a nice set of dishes upon which to serve guests, but this doesn't necessarily mean outrageous sums must be paid to obtain them.
You can get reasonably priced dishes at places like Wal-Mart or Target, but I've found a variety of styles, shapes, and sizes of lovely dishes and glassware at garage sales and resale shops and could have filled my cabinets many times over if I truly desired to do so, for much less than I would probably have paid for one set of dishware at most department stores. And many times, the used dishes at such spots are more unique and have more character to them than most of the newer sets. I'd estimate I've saved at least several hundred dollars not paying full prices for new dishware.
Tools
While I typically don't find many power tools at garage sales, there are often plenty of hand tools and pieces of yard equipment. From hammers, saws, shovels, spades, and similar tools, to yard and gardening equipment, hoses, rakes, and sprinklers, there are plenty of items I've stumbled across in my resale shopping excursions that have saved me plenty of money when I venture off to the home supply stores. While my savings in this category may not be as much as some of those in the categories above, I've probably saved several hundred dollars at least and hey, every little bit counts!
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