Sometimes its just not worth buying something new. Especially if its value is going to depreciate rapidly. Buying goods secondhand can be a great option and a way to pick up some quality bargains. There are plenty of places to pick up secondhand goods including; yard sales, car boot sales, GumTree, FreeCycle, CraigsList and Local Facebook groups. Today I'll share our top 5 items that we buy secondhand.
Crockery. For day to day use you don't need a royal worcester full dinner service. But even the supermarket basic sets can cost upward of £30. Car boot sales and charity shops are a great place to pick up crockery especially if you don't mind having it all mixed and matched (because lets be honest sometimes this looks cuter). We picked up our crockery for free from some students (our college has a free cycle program) and saved about £40. Furniture. C and I just got a flat and so furnishing is an expense thats hit us recently. We have picked up several pieces of furniture second hand from gumtree including our lovely daybed (which doubles as a couch) for only £75 (retail is £500). There is so much good quality second-hand furniture out there that you'll never have to feel like your settling for second best. Our advice is to pick furniture that is 12-18 months old as this is where you'll get the biggest savings relative to the quality of the furniture.
Designer clothes. I will admit I love my clothing (I'm a big Joules and Boden fan) but I cannot bring myself to pay so much money for their clothes. If I'm going to treat myself to 'expensive' clothing (or even mid range clothing) I will usually buy it from eBay or a Facebook group. Look for gently used clothing or like new to get the best quality. You'll have to come to terms with the fact that it won't be this seasons clothes so it is best to invest in brands and items that are classic and timeless.
Textbooks. Unless I get them for free (which I've managed to do for all my final year books) I would buy books either from upperclassmen at the annual book sale or on ebay. Even better is the fact I can sell the books on at the end of the year and usually make back the money that I bought them for. Look for books without highlighting/markings (and don't mark them either) as they are easier to re-sell and depreciate less.
Tool kits. Simple tools can are a necessity for every house hold but they don't need to be beautiful (or expensive). Pick up a whole kit for a few pounds at a car boot /yard sale or try picking them up for free on free cycle. Tools are something that are easy to find as people are always trying to get rid of them. At the end of the day your tool kit is not something that you bring out to display and show to visitors. Therefore, it doesn't matter how ugly and mismatched it is so long it can perform the job.
What don't you buy new?
