Why go to the trouble of putting on a yard sale?

Having a Yard Sale is NOT for everyone. I have talked to a lot of people who, rightfully so, say they can make more money by donating their dejunked items to a charity and writing off the donation on their taxes. My husband and I actually donate a lot of items to charity as well and we write off quite a bit. However, what I love about having a yard sale is the $700-800 cash that immediately enters into my pocket on the weekend of my sale that I then can use to buy something we otherwise wouldn't buy. I don't know why that gives me so much joy but it does.

Some examples of things I have bought with my yard sale money over the last few years are:

 a Nikon camera with extra lenses, battery and case, just like this one. I love it!

a large popcorn popper and candy machine that we keep in our basement to enjoy during family movies and TV time. The popcorn popper makes popcorn that tastes just like you buy at a movie theater! And the candy machine has been a big hit with big as well as little visitors at our house who come to play. Not only do the big kids like to put their own quarters in and get a sweet taste of something but I offer little kids a quarter for the candy machine in exchange for cleaning up the toys they got out and they are usually happy to oblige.

And last year I bought a bimini top for our boat tower so we can enjoy some shade when we are out on the water.

Being able to purchase these items is a treat for me. I love putting some time into the yard sale project and then reaping the rewards immediately. When we donate items to a charity and then use the tax deduction it never feels like the money makes it back to me. I guess you could say I'm an "instant gratification" kind of gal :)

So, if you're game and want to give a yard sale a try, I have a few tips for how to be successful. One of the biggest obstacles in having a yard sale, which I can understand, is the overall magnitude of just taking your piles of junk and making them available for others to come and buy. So jump in but do it slowly and take it one step at a time--just like eating an elephant, right?

Here are 10 steps to prepare for a successful yard sale. In my future posts I will be expanding on each of them and explaining the specifics. So stay tuned....

1.  Pick a good date to hold your sale on
2.  Collect as many tables as you can
3.  Create a clothes hanging rack
4.  Gather a few boxes for small things
5.  Spread out "junk" into general but organized categories
6.  Create price signs and a few labels for larger items
7.  Advertise your sale on the internet and via neighborhood signs
8.  Gather small bills for change
9.  Consider hosting a bake sale at the same time
10. Be up early and ready for the shoppers to arrive