Summer has arrived and with it has come YARD SALE SEASON!! Have you been looking forward to it as much as I have?  I love scavenging to see what I can find on the cheap.

If you are on the fence about whether or not you should be yard sale shopping, let me help you make the jump!  There are countless reasons why you should, but I am going to go over just a couple of them here to get you out and about and shopping!

5 Reasons Why You Should Be Shopping at Yard Sales this Summer

You will save money  

If you stroll through some yard sales before you hit the mall or even the thrift shop, you are going to save some money!  Oftentimes yard sales have tables full of shirts for $0.50 or jeans for $1. This can even be on high-end name brand clothing!  Just be sure to do your yard sale-ing in nicer neighborhoods.

It helps the environment

I bet when you think about environmentally friendly behaviors, you don’t really think about shopping at yard sales, but the truth is that shopping at yard sales actually helps the environment!  When you buy something second-hand, you are keeping it out of a landfill, and you are creating less need for clothing which creates less waste and less use of natural resources.

You are helping another family out  

Most sales are held for one of two reasons: the seller is looking to raise money (either out of necessity or they are looking for extra money), or they simply want to get rid of clutter and stuff that is no longer needed.  Whatever their need is, just know that you are helping someone else by shopping at their sale. Doesn’t it feel good?

You can find amazing treasures  

Additionally, one great thing about shopping at these sales is that you can find some really amazing items. Regardless of what type of item it is, you are more likely to find something that is unique.  If you like to be an individual, this is a great way to shop!

You can make money  

Yard sales are a great way to find deals on items that you can resell.  There are people who make seriously good full-time money doing just this.  If you are looking to resell items for profit, start here. Be sure to work on your negotiating skills, bring your phone along for researching the item, and get out to the yard sales early so you get the first choice of buys!

If you haven’t started hitting the sales this year, it is time!  It seems like I see more and more yard sale signs each weekend as we creep toward summer.  How about you? Are you seeing a lot of yard sales in your neighborhood or community?

Sometimes coupons don’t save you money.  Not convinced? Coupons can be a big money saver when it comes to your budget.  If the store you shop at doubles those coupons, the savings can really add up.  However, coupons don’t save you money sometimes and actually end up costing you money.  Before you head out to the store with your coupon binder, check out these three sneaky ways that coupons don’t save you money.

3 Sneaky Ways Coupons Don’t Save You Money

Buy Now!

Coupons tend to create a sense of urgency when it comes to shopping.  Unless a coupon has no expiration date, you have a limited amount of time to use it.  You may already have plenty of that product on hand, but a discount on something you use regularly is often tempting.  Just make sure the savings are worth it.  Try and pair that coupon with a sale when possible.  If you don’t really need it before it expires, pass the coupon along to someone else.

Coupons Make You Spend More

Let’s say you have a coupon for $1 off two items.  If you only need one of the items, buying two just to save a dollar actually makes you spend more money.  Coupons off a single item work best in this case.  Unless you need more of one item, only buy one.  Coupons don’t save you money if they make you spend more money.

Buying Things You Don’t Need

Sometimes it’s tempting just to use a coupon on an item just because it will make the item really cheap.  However, if you don’t ever use that item, you are still wasting money.  For instance, if you had a coupon that made a tube of toothpaste 99 cents, buying that toothpaste you won’t use is pointless.  It will sit in your cabinet for months (maybe years!) and expire.  Those little expenses on things you don’t use can add up.

A better idea if the savings are really good is to purchase items to donate.  This costs money as well, but if you regularly donate to a shelter or another agency, this is a good time to buy.

As you can see,  sometimes coupons don’t save you money.  Be sure before you buy that you really need the item and the savings are good.  There are also other ways to save without using coupons.