10 Things I Hate that I Learned from a Simple Yard Sale

We’re having a yard sale today and tomorrow. I know that sounds strange. In Florida, people had them on Saturday and Sunday. But here in Georgia they have them on Friday and Saturday.

We’re broke and we have a lot of stuff we my wife wants to get rid of. I like to say that we have a Berggren Liquidation Warehouse. We like to buy stuff at full price and then sell it for 90% off a year later.

So here are a variety of helpful lessons about life inspired by our yard sale. Hopefully one day I will take my own advice:

1. DON’T SPEND WHAT YOU DON’T HAVE. Although that sounds obvious, all (I mean ALL!) our economic woes would be a zero-issue if people observed this simple principle.

2. EVEN IF YOU HAVE IT, WAIT A MONTH BEFORE YOU BUY IT. Hold off until the emotion wares off. That will tell you if it’s what you really want or need. If not, in a couple years you will easily have spent $20,000-50,000 in small doses with very little to show for it.

3. TRY TO BE CONTENT WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. Heard of the 10 Commandments? Almost all of them deal with us wanting something that doesn’t belong to us.

4. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE RICH TO BE GREEDY. Read that again and let it sink in.

5. PLAN AHEAD. Both in what you want in life and also your yard sale.

6. ASK FOR HELP. Get advice for major purchases and take it. Most people don’t. I know someone who just bought a house on one of the most congested streets in the Atlanta area because they wouldn’t listen to anyone. In a few months they will hate it. And they won’t be able to sell it in our current market. And get help the day of your yard sale, too. You can’t do it alone, especially if there are kids running around (yours, that is).

7. PUT SIGNS OUT BEFORE RUSH HOUR THE DAY BEFORE. Don’t put signs out two days before. People (either code enforcement or jerky neighbors) will take them down since it’s so soon in advance. Use white signs with black letters and a red arrow. Write neat. People have learned to tune-out the store-bought signs.

8. DON’T COME DOWN ON PRICE. At least not much until half-way through the second day.

9. INVOLVE YOUR KIDS. Take you kids with you when you put out signs. Sure it will turn a 1 hour task into 2 hours. But it’s good for them to learn to work for stuff (pay them $.50 for helping). And when they ask why you are having a yard sale you will have a teachable moment. Like, “Do you like to eat? That’s why!” Or, “This is what happens when you buy stuff you don’t need”. So really think about the things you want. And try to be happy with what you have. Maybe you don’t really need the GI Joe with the kung-fu grip.”

10. SELL IT. Try to sell it no matter how much of a piece of crap something might be. You’d be surprised what people will buy. And don’t let people leave without buying something. A yard sale will make you feel fractionally better about all your
stupid decisions in purchasing as people antie up a little cash for
your old stuff. Plus, it’s good to get rid of the reminders of your mistakes.

So there you go. Maybe I’ll wise-up one day.