It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year…for a DEAL!

No, you didn’t lose track of time and unknowingly find yourself in December.  I’m talking about the other most wonderful time of the year:

Garage Sale Season!!!

My heart races just thinking about all the sweet deals I am going to nab this year.  My husband’s heart is also probably racing thinking about all the “sweet deals” I am going to nab this year.

I don’t know about you, but I scoff at the thought of paying full price for anything  In fact, I get the shakes at the thought of paying half price for anything.  So obviously, garage sales are right up my alley. To help you get the best deal, I have come up with (well, if I am being honest, my friend Allison came up with the majority of this) a list of area garage sales so you can start prepping your calendar for a spring full of savings! We even created an awesome Garage Sale Guide printable for you to reference!

Disclaimer: This list was put together to the best of my knowledge based on internet searches and previous sale history.

•  St. Henry: April 9-11
• New Bremen: April 17-18
• Minster: April 24-25
• Anna: April 24-25
• Centerville: April 30-May 2
• Tipp City: May 2 weekend
• Coldwater: May 1-2
• New Knoxville: May 8-9
• Southern Hills Neighborhood in Kettering: May 14-16
• Englewood: May 29-30
• Brookville: June 4-6
• Covington: June 5-6
• Huber Heights: June 11-14
• St. Paris: June 20
• State Route 127: August 6-9
• Versailles: August 7-8
• Ft. Loramie: September 11-12

Did you get a cramp in your hand from writing all these down??  Now that you have the dates of the garage sales, I think you need some tips as well!

Garage sale do’s:

• Bring cash in small dollar amounts for haggling purposes-if you haggle from $5 to $3, it is in poor taste to then hand them a $5 to make change.
• Wear comfortable clothing and shoes
• Leave the kids at home – getting in and out of the car with little ones is a hassle.  Trust me.
• Bring a friend – I like to bring a friend so that one of us can drive and the other does a look out for sales with quality goods.
• Check out Craigslist ahead of time or get a map/list of places that are included in the sale.  A lot of time, people will list their sale on Craigslist so you can check out if they will have anything you need.  A list of people participating in a sale is also vital because you can narrow down where you need to go.  You can usually find these at a local grocer or restaurant.
• Make a list prior to going out of all the things you’ll need.  You’ll forget about those things if you don’t.  You’ll be distracted by all the half used box of breast pads (I actually bought this once) and jars of Chi-Chi’s salsa (actually saw this at a sale) otherwise.
• Be willing to haggle.  Let’s face it, people tend to value their belongings higher than other people do and usually price tags show that.  Haggling is uncomfortable at first but once you walk away with a great deal, you will feel glorious.
• Bring water and a snack.  The last thing you need when you are on a garage sale high is to get a blood sugar low.
• Go early as you can, because people are crazy. I’ve heard many stories of people waiting outside of someone’s house for a sale to start. It’s pure madness.

Garage Sale No No’s:

• Don’t pay more than $1 for baby/kid clothes.  I just can’t even handle when I see a onesie priced for $2.  People, they are just going to puke and poop on it.
• Don’t purchase items like car seats and cribs at garage sales. I’m all for a good deal, but I’m also all for safety.  These items are best bought brand new.

Am I missing any good community (not individual) garage sales? 

Please SHARE the ones I left out!

CLICK HERE to download your free printable!