MASKED THE PLAY

Archive for August, 2011

Americans have been barraged with so much bad economic news over the past four years that almost nothing fazes them anymore. Dreary unemployment and economic growth figures have fundamentally changed the way most families handle their money. Shopping with coupons or buying items secondhand have lost any stigma they once had. When dollars are tight, most families look at the bottom line, rather than the name brand label.

This new found frugality has increased the popularity of traditional places to find bargains, like garage sales, and give us new places to find them online, like Craigslist.

Garage sales are the perfect place to find fun, barely used items are fun, at rock bottom prices. Items like portable basketball goals and gently used bicycles are readily available at garage sales for a fraction of the price charged by a sporting goods store.

Online resources like Craigslist are another treasure trove of bargains for the cost minded consumer. On any given day Craigslist is packed with bargains on basketball backboards, sporting equipment and almost anything else you can think of.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with buying secondhand merchandise. Just give it a thorough checkup before buying and then go ahead and enjoy your bargain purchase.