Estimated reading time: 14 minutes
Learn how a community garage sale can simplify your life and help you earn money by decluttering your space this summer.
Last week we received an email from our neighbourhood group about organizing a massive community garage sale this summer once again.
Hosting a garage sale is an excellent opportunity to shed some excess stuff that’s been collecting dust around the house.
Sell With Neighbours To Drive More Garage Sale Traffic
My wife and I often joke about how our home has become filled with so much stuff, especially since our son was born almost two years ago.
Before then, we moved into this house with clothes, an air mattress, and a dining room table and chairs.
That’s it! Oh, and our computers and a treadmill.
There wasn’t much to our move from a basement room we rented to our now quiet haven, since we couldn’t stash too much stuff.
In no time, thanks to our passion for second-hand shopping, garage sales, and people gifting us free items, we’ve got too much stuff.
Our basement is just over 1000 square feet, and it’s full…and I mean full.
It’s not all junk and stuff.
We purchased mainly renovation materials before our son was born, including bathroom vanities, mirrors, hardwood flooring, and other items.
The amount of baby stuff cluttering the basement is quite large.
Although we hope to have another baby, we aren’t going to hang onto things we no longer need or believe we will need.
Besides moving boxes from the UK that are still full of my belongings, a stockpile from couponing, two queen bed sets, and about 20 boxes of baby boy clothes, our basement is still a walkable maze.
So, when our neighbourhood group emailed us to see if we wanted to participate, we thought we might do that this year.
We would sell most of the baby stuff, as that is our main clutter issue.
There’s one thing missing, though…
Essential Things You Need For A Garage Sale
We have two 8-foot tables, a money box, and lots of stuff to sell, but we don’t have the time.
One thing I noticed since moving to Canada is that neighbourhood community garage sales are becoming more fashionable in the frugal buying and selling industry.
Since our neighbourhood group leader asked for suggestions to support this year’s community garage sale, I considered how to improve this summer tradition.
Over the years, fewer neighbors have been participating, hoping that will change this year.
Welcome to the neighborhood
A few weeks ago, I shared with you some of the best secret staging tips for a garage sale, which are just as important when you host a community garage sale.
If you plan to host a community garage sale, here are tips I’ve compiled from our experience moving into a new neighbourhood with an established community garage sale tradition.
Network the Neighborhood
New families are moving in, others are passing away, and some are downsizing and moving, but for whatever reason, a neighborhood always has new faces coming and going.
Over the years, many older people have left the area, and you are getting familiar with it creeping in.
Although house prices on our site are very high, the amount of for-sale signs this year has brought in many new faces.
Who are these new neighbors?
Most of us are nosy when we see new people on the block, so why not introduce ourselves and welcome them to the neighborhood?
Another great way to say welcome is to bring the neighbors together with a community event, such as a community garage sale.
You NEED this!
Spread The Word
Just about everyone has an email address unless you’ve sworn away technology.
Create a neighborhood email list to send notices and messages to the people.
A Facebook group is also a great way to send notifications to people in your local neighborhood.
Put Yourself Out There
One thing we noticed when we moved to our neighborhood was that it wasn’t very welcoming until we attended a local gathering at the school with our son.
However, we made a point of saying hello to neighbors; that was as far as conversations would go.
We almost felt like people didn’t have the time for us, or maybe they didn’t like us.
At this extravaganza of children and adults having fun, we filled out our information via email to ensure we were included in all the neighborhood events.
On this ballot, we left our name, address, phone number, and email address so the community group could contact us about what’s happening in our area.
We only completed this five years after we moved in because we didn’t attend these functions before our son was born, nor did we know about them.
My tip is to remember that not everyone has children or wants to participate in community events.
Getting out there and welcoming newcomers to our little neighborhood is essential.
Well, it’s a good size, but the more people you meet, the closer it seems.
Keeping track of house sales in the area, going door-to-door, or posting memos on the community mailboxes are great ways to spread the word.
If a neighbor has yet to sign up for an email subscription, this is the time to leave one of those pull-off tabs with instructions on how to email their address or a phone number to call.
Encouraging residents to be friendly and welcoming to their neighbours and spreading the word about what’s happening in the community are other successful ways to network.
Word of mouth works very well.
Planning A Community Garage Sale
You can’t just email one week before you plan to host a community garage sale.
If you plan to encourage neighbors to host a yard sale on their property or at a destination like a church or a school parking lot, you must involve them beforehand.
Things To Consider
For example, If you are hosting a neighborhood community garage sale in a school parking lot, you may want to address questions similar to these ahead of time…
- When can we bring our garage sale items? Time?
- Will there be bathroom facilities?
- When will the event start and finish?
- Who is the event coordinator?
- Will we need tables and chairs?
- Can we sell our vehicle?
- Will there be food and drink, or can we sell our own?
- Where can we park?
- Are there any rules we need to know before we join?
- Will you provide price labels for items for sale?
- Can we dress up for the event?
- Will there be any games or entertainment?
- Do you need volunteers?
- How much money should we keep in our money box for change? Will you have rolls of coins and bills available if needed?
Leftover Garage Sale Items
Any garage sale MUST have advance prep and a solid foundation if you want it to succeed, especially if you need permission to use a parking lot or indoor facility.
Besides garage-sale prices that should be reasonable and learning the art of garage-sale negotiations, you don’t want your neighbors bringing stuff back into the house.
Most homeowners leave what they don’t sell on the curb for free, but then consider doing that from the start if you don’t plan to put effort into the garage sale from the get-go.
I am creating an accessible online WordPress website or Facebook page where the community group can share blog posts and develop newsletters with tips for new garage sale shoppers.
If your community leader is too busy with other agendas, maybe appointing a neighbor to manage such pages, blogs, or newsletters is a great way to involve more people.
Related: How to price items at a garage sale
Event Information Is Crucial
Whoever is in charge of the community group must set a reasonable date for the community garage sale.
Our neighbourhood holds its community garage sale during the May 24 weekend, when most people are on holiday from work.
Although plenty of people head to the cottage or go camping, many families do a stay-cation, open the pool, or do general cleaning and landscaping, so they stick around the house.
These people will visit your community garage sale.
Give them plenty of advance notice, and the vendors will ensure that the calendar is free so they can plan and participate.
I’ve seen people throw a garage sale together in the morning without advertising and posting a few signs.
Although that worked in the past, this form of advertising alone is not enough.
Once details of your community garage sale are finalized, send the information to those on your neighbourhood email list.
If there are any questions, you now have time to answer them.
There is more, though.
How To Create A Community Garage Sale Ad
Neighbors are coming together to see if they can all host their garage sales on the same day to drive more traffic to the neighborhood and sell more stuff.
It’s always hit-or-miss with a garage sale, depending on the weather, the time of year, and the advertising.
The good thing about hosting a community garage sale is that word of mouth has a broader network, meaning more people will be reached.
Garage sale advertising signs on posts MUST be visible; a bit of humor can help drive traffic to your sale.
Remember that technology has taken over the world.
So, if you want customers to visit your community garage sale, you MUST advertise it online.
You can post or find garage sale listings on Facebook, Kijiji, and other community pages in your local area.
Print media shares the community garage sale or yard sales in small numbers in the local newspaper or a free community newspaper.
The more places you can advertise the community garage sale, the more you will increase the visibility and likelihood of a successful mass sale.
Overall, a community garage sale held as a neighbourhood affair or in a large parking lot or field is a super opportunity to meet new people, get out of the house and downsize contents you no longer use.
Whether you are a new neighbor or have lived in the area for a while, take the opportunity to say hello to those you pass by during your walks.
You don’t have to become best friends with your neighbors, but having a community that cares about its neighborhood is lovely.
Discussion: What other tips can you share from earlier community garage sale events?
Please leave your suggestions in the comments below.
My Week At A Glance
This week was a write-off for us, as our son had appointments and soccer practice, which didn’t go well.
It was practice two of 12, and he just freaked out.
Granted, he had napped late in the day for only 30 minutes, then slept for three hours, and we rushed him off to practice when he got up.
It wasn’t ideal for the little guy, so next time, if it happens, we won’t bother going.
I’m sure it was similar to getting up late for work, jumping in the shower, and going without coffee.
We did manage to squeeze in haircuts and a couple of new recipes this week, so not all was lost.
I got a few more bits done around the house, but I’m focusing on my job for the next two weeks as I have a big assignment that needs to be completed by mid-month.
We also donated the basketball net we picked up for free to a little boy.
He was so happy.
Posts I Published This Week
If you’ve missed any of my blog posts this week, I will share them all below.
Top performing CBB Post this week: How Much Should My Grocery Budget Be?
- How Cooking Classes Can Save You Big Bucks
- Crispy Baked Parmesan Coated Zucchini Chips
- The Poorest People Are Often The Most Generous
Fan Budget Brags
Submit your Deal or Brag:
Saving money while grocery shopping is essential in the CBB family, so we share our grocery shops weekly in The Grocery Game Challenge.
Hi Mr.CBB,
Check out these awesome garage sale deals I found!
- Baby gate (older one in front with blue handle) $2
- Baby gates (two in behind, like new!) $5 for both (they were asking $10 for both)
- Clothes (all brand names – for my friend’s daughter except for the purple shirt and blue headband that are for me) – blue headband (Lulu lemon) $.50, under armor shirt, Lulu lemon pants and sheer purple shirt 3/$5, the remainder of the clothes $5 (they were asking $6)
- Cars traffic light $2 (they were asking $3)
- Two espresso wicker baskets for $2
- Books $.75
- Puddle Jumper floatie $2
- Pylons – free!
- Clock for learning time $.10
- Magnetic calendar whiteboard with markers $1
- Disney tea set $3
- Shrek character stuffies are $1 (they were asking $1.75)
Total spent $29.35 (not even the cost of one baby gate retail! Lol)
Frugal Recipe
Food and grocery shopping are relevant because food is a large part of the budget, which people struggle with the most.
Not only will you save money, but you will be proud of what you’ve accomplished, and you’ll see that from the smiles on those you feed.
I’ve had a second Facebook page, The Free Recipe Depot, for the past two years.
This week, our Top Recipe Pick goes to Mari over at Inspired By Familia for this fabulous Watermelon Rice Krispies treat.
I’m sure the kids will love them, as would any adult.
DIY Project Of The Week
If you’re planning a Back-Yard Party this summer, you will want to check out this incredible display of Fruit Kabobs on a Watermelon Grill.
This is brilliant and will undoubtedly be a show-stopper and conversation piece among your guests.
Editor’s Choice
Every week, I will pick a blog post of the week from around the web that I found interesting and want to share with all of you.
Please head over and read the post and let them know that Mr. CBB sent you if you comment. Thanks.
Editor’s pick (That’s me, Mr.CBB) This week, I read a post at Moneyzine about How to Enjoy the Weekend When You’re In Debt.
This is perfect timing for all of you stressed about debt when everyone else is having fun.
You still deserve to have fun, but sometimes it’s not about the money; it’s about the imagination.
If you want out of debt, you’ll find a way to pay it off while enjoying the freedom of life.
It’s a great read with lots of tips.
Financial Quote Of the Week
CBB Google Search Terms
Every week, I get thousands of people visiting Canadian Budget Binder because they did an online search and found my blog.
Any spelling errors below are because I share with you how they typed their search engine query to land on my blog.
Some of them are serious, and others are meant to laugh.
- ATM gave me $10 too little– Tell them not to search online about it.
- Kids are eating us out of the house– That’s what they do.
- I bought a house for 7K and renovated it- WOW, that’s cheap.
- How to avoid paying OSAP back? – Really…pay your bills.
- I never ask for help– You should
That’s all the fun for this week.
Thanks for dropping by.
See Ya!
-Mr.CBB
Thanks so much for choosing Life and My Finances’ article as your Editor’s Choice this week! We try to meet people right where they are financially (I’m a staff writer for Derek). Thanks for the great tips on having a community garage sale. I really liked your garage sale sign. 🙂
No problem it was a great read. Thanks Laura
There is a website where garage sales can be added, if it’s a whole town or even one suburb of a town. This is one way to bring people into your neighbour of garage sales.
The website is http://www.townwideyardsale.ca/.
In the past, I’ve been part of garage sales, especially when New Dundee has their on Victoria Day Monday but now, I’m just a spend my time looking over other people things.
Brilliant thanks Dee.. I had no idea.
Thanks for sharing your community garage sale tips. We had a garage sale 2 years ago and since we share driveways with our neighbours we talked to them before and had one together. While we didn’t make a ton of money but it was great to clear out the basement to prepare for our renovation that we started later that year.
That’s great!! I don’t think a garage sale is meant to make a tonne of money but some do depending on what and how much they are selling.