Successful Garage Sale Shopping…Kiddo Version (Garage Sale Series, Part 2)

July 9, 2010 at 8:36 AM · Filed under Garage Sales Series, Out and About ·Tagged Garage Sale, Grand Rapids

Note: This is a repost of a great article from the Old Sandy’s Spot blog.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “It’s just so hard to shop garage sales with the kids in tow.”

Ain’t that the truth!

I must say that this is also an anxiety of mine.

I can just see one of the boys picking up some heirloom vase that someone’s Aunt Edna gave them, and then the boys will smash it to smitherines…

…and I end up paying for it.

No, really…we need to work on not touching everything.

But a few strategies have helped me get to some awesome sales, and snag some awesome finds.  I’m hoping these will help you too.

1.  Have a game plan.  Don’t go out shopping all willy-nilly.  Find the sales with items you’re looking for and hit those first.  If there’s left over attention span and good will (on the kids parts), hit a few that may look good later.

2.  Give them a list of things you are looking for.  This gives them a job and makes the garage sale shopping experience feel more like a treasure hunt than a chore.

3.  Divide and conquer.  I have a friend on the SW side of Grand Rapids, and I live on the SE side.  We each have a list of things that we are looking for.  If she sees something I could use, she’ll either call or text me and I can pay her back later.  She’s snagged some great GAP jeans for Adam!

4.  Team up with a friend.  I have a few friends who are GSB’s.  (Garage Sale Buddies).  Twice a month they team up, and pile all five kids into one van.  They have a DVD player for the kids to watch movies, and they pack snacks and travel games.  Each lady takes turns getting out of the van while the other quickly looks through a sale.

5.  Find neighborhood sales. Have you noticed that the calendar portion of www.grkids.com has neighborhood garage sales?  Yeah, these are pretty awesome.  You can park the car once, pull out the stroller and walk the neighborhood.  This eliminates all the in-and-out of carseats, and the fresh air could do us all some good.  *Don’t forget to bring some snacks!  Keep those pudgy little fingers busy and their tummies full.  Nothing screams, “YOU’RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A GOOD TIME!” like a kid with low blood sugar.

6.  Give the kids money.  Oh yes….I am soooo not above bribery.  While I do believe in the power and awesome-ness that goes with letting my sons earn their own money, I’m also willing to do a little *bonus* pay for mommy’s sanity.  I usually give each boy $1 to do with what they choose.  If they choose to bring more of their own money along, that’s fine too.  At the end of the day, if they haven’t spent the dollar, I allow them to put the entire thing into the spending jar for later (instead of splitting it up like normal).

And last, but not least…when all else fails?

7.  Leave them home with daddy or a sitter.  🙂

What are some of your successful strategies for garage sales shopping with kids?

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