It’s The Absolute Ultimate!! #19 ~ Get What You Need Cheaper

You know the saying, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure…

Well, there are many ways to get what you need, even if it is a name brand item, for less money. A while back I wrote about how a friend bought brand-new Pottery Barn crib bedding for a great deal by buying it second-hand.

Using these “reusing” methods, not only help out our wallets, but also the environment. Just because we’re done with something, doesn’t mean someone else couldn’t use it!

Here are some resources for getting what you need while spending less money:

• Craigslist ~ I like to think of Craigslist as a big, online garage sale, for selling, buying and giving/getting free stuff. You can find anything from a pile of rocks to a stroller. And, if you’re looking for some cheap entertainment, just browse the “free ads” for totally random free stuff- it can be very funny. It’s free to list items and it’s separated by states and major cities.

• Freecycle ~ Freecycle is an archive of Yahoo groups for cities/towns/communities where members offer or request free items. It’s awesome! People will take anything you list and that’s less junk going in the landfill, and you can also find what furniture, household & baby items, odds & ends and more in your group. It’s free to join!

• Freepeats ~ For baby, kids & maternity items, Freepeats is the way to go. It’s owned my one of my favorite bloggers and she often runs sales on membership (subscribe to Baby Cheapskate, one of her blogs, as she often lists membership sales there). Otherwise it’s only $4.95 for a lifetime membership, and they are open in 45 U.S. cities right now.

• Hand-Me-Downs ~ I literally just found this site via Real Simple magazine, so I haven’t tried it yet but it looks great. Again, it’s a classifieds site to buy, sell, give or donate to charity your goods (and services), and it’s organized regionally, and free to join.

• Rent-A-Toy ~ This is a relatively new site that offers monthly plans to suit your needs (fees start at $24.99/month) to be a member and “rent” toys for your kids. Think Netflix/Blockbuster Online for toys.

• Ebay ~ By now most of us know all about eBay, the auction site where you can buy and sell items. Did you know you can also find items available for local pickup? This is great for larger items that would normally have high shipping costs.

• Thrift Stores ~ Don’t be afraid, shopping at thrift stores can be fun and very affordable. Simple Mom had a great article recently with tips for making the most of thrift store-shopping.

• Bartering ~ Think outside your wallet. You can offer to trade services with people to get something you need, or trade a product you need to get a service. Get creative with this!

• Exchanging ~ A new trend among women is having clothing/accessory/etc. exchange parties. I’ve yet to make it to one, but really want to. Basically, get a group of friends together and have everyone bring something (or a bag of stuff) you don’t want anymore, and then everyone gets to “shop” their friends’ stuff!

Please share your ideas for shopping second-hand and getting things cheaper in the comments!

Tagged as: frugal, go green!, reuse, save money, second-hand, shop