Ten Things To Consider Buying Used

Do you want to save some money? Sure you do. However, that’s a little hard to do if you’re a snoot who insists on buying new everything all the time. While buying used is not always a good thing (Never, ever, buy used undies), it does make sense to step away from the high-end fashion store and hit the local Goodwill in a lot of cases. In the name of saving a few bucks, be sure to shop around for these quality used items.

DVDs and CDs: Well-cared-for used DVDs and CDs will play almost like new. If there are a few scratches, look into a good way to buff them out.

Books: You can save a few bucks on that best-seller by waiting a while, and then looking for it in the thrift shop bins. Or support your local library and take advantage of their free reading material.

Video Games: You can usually find used video games on Amazon or Ebay a few months after the release date. Or if you’re good friends with a video game buff, you can offer him a few bucks for titles that are simply yesterday’s news. (Or just spend some time playing video games with him.)

Special Occasion and Holiday Clothing: People will usually take good care of clothing they’ve only worn once or twice. Look for good formal wear at thrift stores, yard sales, online sellers and even some secondhand clothing shops that offer fantastic buys on used clothing.

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Jewelry: If you’re into social causes, you never, ever, ever want to buy new diamonds because a lot of diamonds come from sources that sell them to fund civil wars. Check out estate sales and reputable pawn shops for deals.
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Ikea Furniture: Shop around on eBay, Craigslist or Freecycle. Best time? Summer, when college students are moving out of their dorms and dumping stuff they don’t want to store. Yes, there will be some assembly required, but that’s as easy as getting the pieces in the right places and sorting out the screws.
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Games and Toys: Like in Toy Story 3, children tend to outgrow their favorite toys. Shop at Goodwill, the Salvation Army stores, garage sales, and thrift shops. You can even cut down on the famous “But my friend has this toy!” syndrome by offering to trade toys your children and their friends have grown tired of.

Maternity and Baby Clothes: Again, only useful for an all-too-brief period of time. Shop at thrift stores and garage sales.
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Musical Instruments: Many budding junior musicians pack away their instruments for good after high school band. Find bargains on Craigslist and Amazon for used instruments.
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Pets: Sure, that puppy in the pet store window is cute. But how much is he going to set you back in vet and kibble costs, even if you get a bargain on him at the store? Search your local paper for people who want to get rid of their pets, or go to your local animal shelter. These animals will usually have had their initial shots and, in the case of animal shelter pets, will be spayed or neutered.