Tips for Having a Garage Sale

We had our garage sale on Friday and Saturday. I admit, I was disappointed that there wasn't a better turnout, and that we had so much stuff left when we were done, but it was a holiday weekend, and I think that was a bigger factor than I had imagined it would be.

After it was all done, I felt reflective. It was so much work. Was it worth it?

Well, yes and no. In two days, we made a little over $100. We went in with another family and they made a little over $150. In terms of how much money we made per hour, it was pretty pathetic. So what did we get out of the whole experience if it wasn't money?

First off, I think we had a couple of things really going for us. We had a great location, great weather, great advertising, and great goods. Going in with an older couple meant that we had diversity in our sale. We had several people compliment us on our sale, saying it was well-organized and had great variety.

Cleaning out so much stuff from our house was exhilarating for me. Surprisingly though, one of the best things about it was hanging out with the other family and chatting with our neighbors. We really did have fun! The boys loved playing outside all day, though admittedly, the store in our front yard was a little stressful for them. I think it was good and concluded that it was worth it. I can see where it may not be worth it for some.

But if you do decide to take the plunge, here are some tips on making it a success!

• Advertise. Take out an ad in a local paper, especially if there is a classified type paper that is known for listing garage sales. List your sale on Craigslist. Make posters.
• Choose a good location. If your house is way out in the sticks, you probably won't have very many people show up. Try joining up with a friend that lives in town if possible.
• Wake up very, very early the morning of the sale to start setting up. Expect people to show up a couple of hours before your sale officially starts. If you don't want people to do this, write, "No early birds" on your advertisements.
• As much as possible, get things laid out in an attractive way, preferably on tables. Spreading things on blankets on the ground is ok too. People aren't going to want to dig through boxes though.
  
• Price your stuff. Even people who like to haggle like to have a ballpark idea of what you are asking. Shy people like me just won't buy things that aren't priced unless they are really desperate.
  
• Price your stuff to sell! I get very annoyed going to a garage sale and seeing consignment store prices. It tells me that people really don't want to sell their stuff. Devoted garage salers will not pay high prices at a garage sale. People who go to garage sales like great bargains, so give them what they want! If you have expensive clothes or antiques, take them to a consignment store instead.
• Price in simple increments. The lowest price I have is $.25, and everything is in quarter increments. It makes it so much easier to calculate in your head and make change.
• If in doubt about how to price, shoot for about 1/10th of the original price if something is still in good condition.
  
• Clothes do not sell well, especially adult clothes. It's so chancy that someone will come who wears just your size and likes the style you are getting rid of. In the past, I have priced different items with different prices and it just made more work for me. Now, I make ALL clothes $.50 each and offer to sell a grocery sack full for $3. Again, if you have nicer things, take them to a consignment store if you want the money.
• I make all books $.25 too. You could ask more for hardcovers, but I'm willing to let that go to keep things simple.
  
• Hang clothes on a rack. They are much easier to go through than when they are on piles and you will sell more that way.
  
• Don't try to make money. Do try to get rid of stuff. If someone offers you a lower price, give it to them. We had a piece of furniture that we were asking $5 for and before the sale even technically started on the first morning, a woman asked if I would take less. I hesitated and said, "We haven't even really started selling yet, I don't think I can go down on the price right away." I ended up not selling that piece and setting it out by the curb for free when it was all over. I learned my lesson. Take whatever anyone offers, whenever they offer.
  
• Before the sale, get about $50 in change - mostly $1's and quarters. A few fives are good too.
• During the sale, keep all money on your body. Never set it down. If you get some large bills, put them in your house in a safe place. Cargo pants are handy for storing your change.
  
• Have a little table where you keep supplies like labels, tape, a couple of sharpies, tags, bags of bags, etc...
  
• Plan simple meals. This is one of the only times I break down and buy lunch meat. If I'd really been thinking ahead, I would have had some sandwich fillings ready, but I didn't. Expect that you won't feel like cooking at the end of the day. Make pita pizzas or something else super simple.
• Have a free box, but try to keep it easy to rummage through. I like to throw in cheap little toys for the children. It makes their day!
• I like to advertise that the last hour of the last day, everything is free. It didn't work out so well this time around, again, holiday weekend, but during my last sale, I only had one large box of stuff left to donate at the local thrift store. Everything else was gone! It was soooooo nice! And it really made people's day to get free stuff. I had several people trying to give me money because they felt badly about it, but I reassured them that they were helping me out, since I didn't have to haul everything away when it was all done. It's a win-win.
• Plan and advertise a rain date, just in case! Trying to sell in the rain is rather miserable and you won't have as many people show up. Better to just postpone the sale for better weather.
• Wear sunscreen!!! Drink lots of water!!!
  

That's all I can come up with off the top of my head. I'm sure some of you have some great tips to add, so please share!

"Purer in Heart, O God"

Purer In Heart, O God

Purer in heart, O God, help me to be;
May I devote my life wholly to Thee:
Watch Thou my wayward feet,
Guide me with counsel sweet;
Purer in heart, help me to be.

Purer in heart, O God, help me to be;
Teach me to do Thy will most lovingly;
Be Thou my Friend and Guide,
Let me with Thee abide;
Purer in heart, help me to be.

Purer in heart, O God, help me to be;
Until Thy holy face one day I see:
Keep me from secret sin,
Reign Thou my soul within;
Purer in heart, help me to be.

by Fannie Davison

Psalm 24:3-4
Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
And who shall stand in His holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.

1 Timothy 1:5
The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

1 Peter 1:22-23
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.

Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Mashed Potato Casserole

Potluck Saturday

You'd better make two pans of this one if you take it to a potluck... it goes FAST! It is a huge hit with kids and teenagers, and is great if you need a dish to make up in advance. My mom, who gave me the recipe, likes to serve this one for holidays so she doesn't have to make mashed potatoes last minute.

Enjoy!


Mashed Potato Casserole

• 12 medium potatoes, cubed and boiled with a diced onion

Mash with:

• 1 brick of cream cheese
• 1 c. sour cream
• 4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. each of garlic powder, dried parsley and paprika

Spread in a 9x13 pan and top with 2 c. cheddar cheese.

Bake at 400* for 35 minutes.

Speaking with Grace

Ephesians 4:22-32

Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Take a walk outside with me...

Lots of progress in the garden these past few weeks...

1) The peas are up between 6 and 8 inches high and are climbing the supports. We just used metal re-bar and sisal rope. Preacher Man wants to keep his eyes out for an old volleyball net to use for this purpose. When planting, I did two rows about 6" apart that can climb on the same supports. Nice way to maximize our garden space, and if they get too heavy, they can also lean on the fence.



2) The lettuce buckets are loving all of the rain we've had. I've thinned them out since I posted this picture, but they are still quite thick. I've got baby spinach leaves we can eat now! First produce of the year! Hooray!



3) In the herb garden, I had to give the parsley a heavy pruning. It had stalks like celery! It's seriously taking over! I'm getting some cilantro nearly ready to pick and eat. The annual seeds are taking their dear sweet time.



4) My favorite, favorite thing growing right now is my Mother's Day clematis. It's BEAUTIFUL! Bursting with gorgeous purple blooms. In a couple of years it will be gorgeous climbing all over the fence.



5) The front of the house got a facelift... trimmed shrubs, fresh mulch, and we removed a very sickly looking rhododendron that stuck out like a sore thumb. I'm rather proud of the front of our little house now. The littles have enjoyed watching birds come and go in the feeder.



6) And I think our front steps are rather inviting now that they are lined with flowers. Makes me smile. :) I hope it gives the mail carrier a smile too.



The vinca vine, begonia, and impatiens are a winning combination.



7) No picture yet, but this week or next, we are finally planting warm weather plants. Tomato and pepper seedlings are going out into the ground, and the green bean seeds, basil, and oregano are going in too.

Next week... compost! What would you like to know about it?

Linked up with Frugal Gardening 101: The Busy Mom's Guide.

Kid Stuff

Sorting beans with my helpers. One of my helpers was enjoying hiding his toy soldiers in the beans, while the other thought it was hilarious to pretend to eat the dried beans. The rule is: Keep the beans in the bowl. I let them play until there are too many beans on the floor, and then we pick them up and I go wash and soak them. They always get very excited to help.

So, have you ever used code words when talking about certain things in front of your kids? Do you spell things out? Preacher Man and I do this quite often. Big little picked up on it and has started asking, "Can we ZYWQ today?" and such things. Funny, funny. Anyway, some of our secret codes are:

• Exploded maize = popcorn
• take laps = go for a walk
• two wheeling = go for a bike ride

I know our secret plotting can't last forever, but we are enjoying the time that we can get away with it.

What are some of your code phrases?

Three Summer Salads

Deja vu?

Yes, it is likely you have seen this post before! Blogger had some very annoying problems a week or two ago and I thought this post was lost and gone forever! Then I remembered that I subscribe to my own posts on Google Reader and wondered if it was still there. I copied/pasted and am so happy to be able to salvage this post.

Thanks for your patience!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The weather is finally warming up and it is oh-so-satisfying to dig into a nice cool salad for supper without having to turn on the oven! Adding meat to a salad can make it stand on its own as the main course, and in the summer, I love getting the Preacher Man to do some grilling for just such an occasion. In fact, every time we grill, I try to give him a couple of boneless skinless chicken breasts to throw on the side. I slice them up after they are cooked and freeze them in ziploc bags to make it easy to add them to a salad or pasta dish. These are especially wonderful to have in the winter when the snow makes grilling a bit more of a hassle. There's just nothing like that wonderful charcoal grilled taste!

Think of these recipes as inspiration. These are my three favorite "company salads" that I like to bring to a potluck or serve to guests because they are more distinctive than our every day green salads. I use a recipe because it helps my poor addled brain to remember what worked and what we liked in the past, but I don't make any of them the same way twice. Use the ingredients you have on hand, what is in season, and hopefully by June or July, whatever is fresh from your garden for the best tasting salad.

These salads are sometimes made up ahead of time, but do be mindful of your company. When we have guests in our home, I'm usually chopping veggies while we are visiting and I try to ask if there is anything they would prefer to have on the side. Some people have strong aversions to certain things, and I am happy to indulge them.

Which also reminds me... working alongside someone in the kitchen is a wonderful way to break the ice. Handing over a cutting board, knife and a few veggies to prepare may help someone feel more at home with you and it will free up your hands to finish up the dressing, wash up a few dishes, or something else that needs doing.

Enjoy your salad with some southern sweet tea, some bread, and dine al fresco if the weather cooperates. Sounds like the recipe for a delightful evening with friends.



Chinese Chicken Salad

• 2-3 grilled boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced
• 2 oz. slivered almonds
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 Tbs. sesame seeds
• 1 head lettuce
• small can mandarin oranges, drained
• 2 pkgs. crushed Ramen noodles (uncooked)
  

Dressing -

• 1/2 c. sesame oil (or use part olive oil)
• 1/2 c. rice wine vinegar (may substitute plain white vinegar)
• 1 Tbs. sugar
  
• 1 Ramen flavor packet - I like oriental
  

Toss the salad, toss in the dressing, let it all marinate for up about an hour in the fridge before serving.

Corn Salad - the fresh corn really makes this salad!

• 3 ears corn
• 1 english cucumber
• 1 small red onion, sliced in slivers
• 1 c. grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 heads of lettuce, torn

Dressing -

• 3 Tbs. red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Cook the corn in a pot of boiling water until tender (8-12 min.) Run under cold water to cool completely. Slice off the kernels. Peel the cucumber and thinly slice. Combine all of the vegetables in a large bowl. Just before serving, drizzle with the dressing and toss.



Classic Pasta Salad

• 1 lb. cooked and drained pasta (I like the tricolor rotini the best.)
• 1/2 c. diced carrots
• 2 stalks diced celery
• 1 diced bell pepper
• 1 diced english cucumber
• 2 lg. diced tomatoes
• 1 diced red onion
• 1 small can sliced black olives
• 16 oz. bottle Italian dressing (or make your own)
  

Toss it all in a large bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.


This post is a part of the Four Moms Linkup on Summer Hospitality.

You may also enjoy reading How HGTV and The Food Network Have Killed Hospitality and More on Hospitality.