Budget: Christmas Decor

Getting Christmas décor on the cheap is a specialty of mine. Sure, everyone flees to the big box stores after the holidays to grab next years wreaths and lights, maybe even wrapping paper, but there are better places to find those one of a kind décor items. You know…antique stores.

A couple of years ago I was in French Lick, Ind. and found myself sauntering around the small town looking for something I couldn’t live without. For more on that trip click here. Anyway, vintage Christmas decorations are my second weakness (first being Brownie Cameras). While browsing, I stumbled upon a glorious box of ornaments that were unmatched in detail, color, size and shape to anything I had ever seen. 

They’re stunning, right? They were marked for $6 each ($30 for all) but when I approached the counter I did one better than to haggle. One thing you’ll learn about owners of antique stores is that they’re just as interesting as most of the items within the walls. Smile, greet the owner and LISTEN. They’ll talk and talk (make sure you have time for this) about the ‘old days’ and how ‘things aren’t made like they used to be.’ They’ll tell you about their kids, the town and probably a little history about what you’re buying. After you’ve learned more than all of your history classes combined from grade school to college, see what they’ll do on the price. I walked out with these beauties for $20. 

Now, off of my vintage soapbox, here are some items that are from a box store (sorry, there are some vintage pieces too) and how I’ve used them to decorate. I’ve approximated the cost and location of the purpose for your post-Christmas thrifting game plan!

Finally, to top off my holiday pieces, by request, here is the tree skirt and stockings that my grandma made for me. They were inspired by Pinterest and are probably my most cherished Christmas items. 

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock! Do come back :)

Cara

Host: Yard Sale

To this day my mother refuses to have another garage sale. Partly because it was so much work and it took up an entire Saturday to conduct. But I enjoy a good purge and jump on the opportunity to unload useless items with the hope of a slight financial return. 95% of the year I donate my unused items to friends, Goodwill, and repurpose via crafting. But this weekend, we had our very first garage sale in our new home. Here are my 2¢ on having one of your very own.

The Prep

I spent a cumulative 5-8 hours organizing my sale. I had friends and family bring over their contributions as well - so I had to take time to unload, organize and price their stuff too. Allocate an evening or two to get all of your items corralled and priced.

Do. Not. Skimp. On. The. Marketing.

People need to know about your sale. Make yard signs and put them out one full week in advance. We live in an area with high church and school traffic so you'd better believe we want every mom in a 10 mile radius to know of our sale and put it on their calendars. Additionally, repetition is key. The more they see the sign the more likely they'll be to remember it.

Here is my Craigslist ad

Then, get your neighbors on board and gain hyperlocal support. The more the merrier! Besides, more sales in your area means more interest. Once you have a band of supporters, divvy up the advertising tasks. Put an ad in your local newspaper, drop an ad on Craigslist(repost it a few times), put a blurb out on the most relevant Facebook group for your area (county garage sale sites) and pass out flyers to other neighborhood mailboxes.

Know How to Haggle

I covered this in How To Haggle a few months ago, but seriously, negotiate. Before your sale even starts there will likely be men who show up early looking to snatch up good tools. Know how to speak their language and make a deal. For instance, when you're receptive to their offer come down another $5-$10. When you're not ready to come down you can move just $1-$2 or stay firm on your asking price.

Don't Be Afraid to Bundle

If someone is picking up lots of items to buy you can bundle their items and give them a better deal. For instance, if someone came up during my sale with $20 worth of Christmas items and $30 worth of clothing I may say: "I can do everything for $40." That way, they feel like they're getting a deal and I'm still making money.

Organize!

Gather Best Practices

Before my sale I grilled my friends on their garage sale experiences. The best advice I received was the coding for a multi-person sale. Instead of trying to remember what items belonged to who, the price tags were color coded for easy identification. Additionally, we pulled tags off as items sold and put them onto a giant notepad to tally up later. Talk about easy!

Market

One of my favorite product marketers is Target. That company could sell a box of toothpicks for $10 because of the way they present the product. Be sure that your sale is organized well and things look neat, clean, and are easy to find. For instance, I had sections for Christmas decor, tools, clothing, furniture, games, kitchen items, and formal wear. When someone approaches your sale and sees organization, they know that you know what you have. They also know that they better be prepared to haggle hard because you probably know what it's worth too.

Remember: market! 

Answer Only What You're Asked

NEVER tell the seller why you're getting rid of an item. We had some rocking chairs at our sale. The selling party told the interested buyer that the vintage rockers weren't conducive to over weight guests and they didn't rock well on a porch with wooden boards. Do you think the buyer left with the chairs? She certainly didn't. When you wait all day for the perfect person to show interest in an item so specific, you don't want to let them get away!

The End Result

This year we was the most profitable yet and I hardly have anything left to take to Goodwill. One of our shoppers also told us about a phenomenal group at our local high school that collects dresses for students with disabilities. Did I forget to mention it's a great way to get to know those in your community, have unique conversations, and learn what buyers are looking for? Invaluable information for the next sale!

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock and looking around; do come back!

Cara

Deal or No Deal

Sometimes our wallets need a break. If we paid full price for everything we couldn't sustain livelihood; or maybe we could, we'd just be in lots and lots of debt. Debt becomes more terrifying than the monster under your bed ever was, and you quickly find that looking for deals and scraping around for bargains is as important for survival as hunting buffalo was for settlers of the United States.

I like to think that the deals I find aren't by coincidence - they're instinctual. Knowing what days are best for sales and staying out of stores on those other days is critical. NEVER have I EVER paid full price for anything and today you're going to find that you won't have to either. Let's start with my favorite bargain spots and what I get there.

• Kohl's carries home decor and an array of clothing and accessory options. I love the LC Lauren Conrad line as well as Vera Wang, but sometimes the prices are a bit steep. Of course you can spend $50 and get $10 in Kohl's cash, but there are BETTER ways to save, people. Swallow your pride and hit the 60-80% off rack. Start there and you won't get into as much trouble. Now, once you've fallen in love with a few things, open the Coupon Sherpa app [referenced below] and find a coupon. I know Kohl's pitches these credit cards in store and I vowed never to succumb to getting one. Instead, I signed up for the Kohl's rewards program and get lots of great coupons through email.
• Dollar Tree [Yes, that place where all kinds of poor people go to get whatever poor people get]. Get over yourself - the Dollar Tree has lots of good finds for a fraction of the price of wholesale giants AND you can shop online. My favorite items include: holiday decorations, cards, wrapping + gift bags [their selection is awesome!], basic cleaning products [sponges, rags, knock-off Swiffer wipes], cheap cups/plates/bowls for everyday use, scented closet hangers and water beads, and of course craft supplies! Be aware however that since everything is $1 you get charged sales tax on that dollar. If the item is less than $1 at another store, don't get it here.
• Thrift Shops - Seriously, these hole-in-the-wall places often have vintage articles, neat decorating pieces, and unique items. It's also my go-to place for Halloween costume materials since I make all of mine. Wise up, Goodwill isn't as cheap as you'd think. Look for the Salvation Army and small Mom & Pop shops to get the good stuff for garage sale prices.

This costume came together from Goodwill, garage sales, and with the help of a little elbow grease.

I thrifted for these costume pieces and made the Bubba Gump Shrimp hat .

• Garage Sales -  Not only have I found a 1980 Schwinn bicycle for $20, but I've also picked-up new riding boots, Christmas decorations, furniture, and plenty of good books. On the flip side, I enjoy having garage sales and using my earnings to find new pieces for my closet and decor.

Going at the end of the day to garage sales is wise. This bike was priced at $50 earlier in the day!

Before going into a store to purchase a groceries, gifts, or goods I do three things:

1. I open the Coupon Sherpa app on my iPhone to see if there are any deals at stores I'll be visiting.

2. Get online and print coupons for big ticket items

3. Collect any coupons I have handy from the newspaper to use at the grocery. 

I'm not a "super couponer" but the small savings of 10%-20% help too. 

Other ways to save cash?

• AAA discounts save you 10% off of regular priced items at lots of places; including Target and Shoe Carnival!
• Carry your college ID - some places love giving alumni or students a break.
• Know days you can save - Goodwill for instance has different 'color' deals every day on their product tags.
• Understand markdowns and final sale. Final sale items cannot be returned, but often times you can negotiate the price even lower if it's damaged. I bought a $50 collar necklace that was marked to $10 but talked it down to $2 since it was broken in two places. I came home and used a pair of pliers to tighten the loosened links and fixed it good as new!

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock and looking around; do come back! 

Cara