I go to estate sales early—I’m typically one of the first ten people in line. One major bonus? $1 items (rung up as “chemicals” are typically clustered in the garage (it’s Texas, so most houses have garages) and include brand name cleaners full or mostly full of product—and they are usually “mega size” containers full. At this point, I have so much back-stock that I’ve stopped buying. This includes everyday items like Finish dishwasher pods AND stuff like WD-40, silver polish, or shoe polish that you don’t need as often. I could make a whole other post about how to be frugal shopping estate sales, but this $1 steal is my favorite category. People buy from the big box stores around here. Is it the same where you live?
Get there early and buy “Chemicals” from estate sales
byu/help-this-sucks inFrugal
Posted by help-this-sucks
14 Comments
Makes sense. The best deals I’ve found at estate sales are things in the $5-20 range for a dollar, or bulky items that are annoying to dispose of like lumber. Chemicals are both.
What’s a good way to find estate sales?
I’ve mostly found online ‘auctions’ and not real estate sales
Good tip. I need to remember this.
Ymmv. In my area, estate sale managers have jacked up prices, and sometimes the stuff you find is 20+ years expired.
Yes. I also buy bars of soap assuming they are still in the package. And other kitchen essentials like tin foil, parchment paper, baggies, etc.
I do this, the chemicals and household products are always the last things to sell here so they go for 50% off. Can be a money saver if the packages are full. I also suggested this in another thread.
Good way to become a hoarder.
Are people talking about garage sales, or actual estate sales, which around here are auctions.
very smart!
I used to cruise by a few and head straight for the garage for large plant pots and stakes and tomato cages etc. That stuff is expensive at the garden center. I even got a few large bags of compost soil.
We like kitchen consumables like aluminum foil, plastic, wrap, ziplock bags, garbage bags, etc. saves money
Check out the cars if they have one for sale. Grandmas old Cadillac that she lovingly took care of for all those years and suddenly for sale by their grand children who don’t want it at all ! There are deals out there
Keep your eye out for bottles of Sta-Flo liquid laundry starch. It has been discontinued and the resale value (even for partial bottles) is astronomical right now.
put gardening supplies on that list also.
I’m an avid gardener, and fertilizer, seeds, pots and even whole plants tend to be given away.
Typically when someone passes away by me, relatives dont want to deal with the maintaince of plants and give that stuff away. Fertilizer something cant be put in regular garbage, bags of mulch get in their way, etc.
They all seem to think the shovels and rakes are the stuff to sell. Go figure.