4 Reasons To Break Up With Garage Sales
May is the beginning of garage sale season in the Midwest. Traditionally I would spend most Fridays browsing garage sales for hours for rare finds. This month I didn’t attend any sales, which was a win, but I replaced going to sales with searching Facebook Marketplace for deals. As the month progressed, I noticed my thinking shifting to fear, fear that I was missing out on a big opportunity or that we don’t have enough. This was the 2x4 moment I needed to realize I need to break up with garage sales/ Facebook Marketplace.
Four reasons I am breaking up with garage sales:
Have More Time
I want to be present with my family/friends and have time to do the things I enjoy. Spending half the day driving around to sales or browsing on my phone for hours takes away from that. Time is not infinite; we can’t earn more time. How we spend the time we are given is up to us. We are intentional about how we spend our money, budgeting, and planning for big expenses, yet we live as if we will live forever and will always have time for what we want to do. We need to practice being intentional with our time and not let it slip away.
Save Money
Garage sales may be costing you more than you think. For myself, I buy stuff at garage sales I don’t need which leads to spending money I didn’t need to spend. Then, add in the cost of gas to drive to garage sales. That $5 item might have cost you closer to $20 when you add in the amount you spent on gas driving around. For most items, you likely could have bought it brand new for that cost.
Avoid Over Consumption
When stuff is cheap, I accumulate more because I can get more for my money. I buy in excess, then a few months later complain about having too much stuff and having to declutter... again. I buy most Christmas gifts at garage sales, which leads to me over buying (not overspending) and burdening my family. Example: My sister has 5 children. If I spend $10 each and buy 1 item each, that is 5 new items in their home. But, if I go to garage sales and get more for my $10, now giving each kid 3 items (still spending $10 each), that is 15 new items to their home!
Differentiate Wants Vs. Needs
When items are affordable, we buy without thinking if it is a need or a want because “why not get it? It’s so cheap!” Have you ever heard the story of the 2 wolves ? When we act on this impulse, purchasing whatever we want over and over again, we feed the wolf of greed. Even though it was a great deal it will never be enough, we keep buying, looking for the next best deal. If we refocus that energy into not spending, only purchasing our needs, we feed the wolf of peace, joy, and contentment.
To replace my habit of shopping I will focus on being grateful for what we have, making summer memories with my family, and remind myself of these four reasons to not shop.
What are you going to do this summer to break old habits that are costing you time and money?