9 Items You Should Always Buy Second Hand
When you tighten your budget, you may realize that you’ve been ignoring secondhand stores and the value of buying certain items used.
Consider these ten items, which are much cheaper secondhand, and you don’t even have to sacrifice quality – or pride.
1. Gold and Other Jewelry Instead of going to the stores, individuals and families are often looking to sell valuable used jewelry on their own, and they can give you a great rate and still get more than they would at a store. Check out our jewelery section to see our deals.
2. Baby Clothes Every new parent wants to dress their kids in the very best, but kids – particularly infants – grow out of their clothes at a frightening speed. In fact, most parents end up with baby clothes that their kids never even get to wear. That means you can find good-quality, hardly-worn used clothes for your kids for about a quarter of the cost of new ones.
3. Furniture Used doesn’t mean ugly or worn out. With how often – and how suddenly – people move or just change their minds after a purchase, secondhand furniture stores and flea markets have plenty of high-quality sofas, tables, desks, and evencheap baby furniture.
4. Cars If you’re shopping for a new car, you have a lot to read about the importance and benefits of buying a used car. The bottom line is that when you buy used, you save a lot of money in depreciation. You can talk with a dealer if you know one you trust, but remember, it’s always best to buy from an individual if you’re looking for a great deal.
5. Sports Equipment If you’re going skiing for the first time, it simply doesn’t make sense to invest in a new pair of skis. When you or your child is playing a new sport, try used equipment from a used sporting goods store first. From skis and snowboards to tennis rackets and baseball equipment, you can find the right size at the right price.
6. Tools For tools that don’t have moving parts or electrical wires, you’d do well to buy them secondhand. Let’s face it, a hammer is a hammer, and there’s simply no sense in buying one new when you can get one for way less at a flea market, garage sale, or pawn shop. The same goes for pliers, saws, screwdrivers, and wrenches.
7. Books and Textbooks Unless you’re planning to display a book on your coffee table or buying it as part of a collection that you intend to keep for years, you don’t need to pay more just to be the first one to crack the spine. Used book stores all over the country sell books at discounts of 50% or more.
8. DVDs and CDS The way DVDs and CDs are constructed, they can easily last for years. They still scratch, but the days of discs commonly skipping and stopping are behind us. People who get tired of songs or movies start looking for extra cash and sell CDs and DVDs.
9. Musical Instruments If your child needs a musical instrument for the school band or if you’ve decided to take up violin music lessons, you can find a top-quality used instrument for a fraction of the cost of a new one. Kids often take on instruments for only a year or two at a time, which means secondhand options abound and you won’t want to invest in something new until you or your child are ready for a serious commitment.
There’s no shame in trying any reputable store for a good secondhand deal.
From books to belts, retail stores often charge you hundreds of dirhams to be the first to own an item. With linens and swimwear, or even cell phones and computers, you don’t want to be the second owner. But with items that you use once and leave on a shelf, why pay a premium?
Over the course of a year, you’ll save hundreds if not thousands, creating a budget surplus you can either use for your emergency fund or to reward yourself and your family by indulging in a worthwhile, valuable new purchase.
