When you’re looking to buy something new, what is new to you doesn’t always mean it has to be new to everyone else. In fact, some of the stuff you can buy now is not as good a quality as it once so used items could not only be cheaper but actually better quality than new.
Large Appliances
If you’re looking at large appliances for the home, then make sure you do some research, find out from the sellers how long they’ve been using it for, and make sure you test it to make sure it works before you commit to anything. You could also head to an appliance repair shop to see if they’re selling refurbished items, this is also a good way to see if what you’re looking at is a good price and in good condition.
Bikes
Bikes often last a lot longer than people use them for, especially children’s bikes. They are available to buy from so many places too such as eBay, Gumtree and in bike shops too. Bikes are great to buy used, however buying helmets is a different story, and something you should always buy new as even a little crack or dent in a helmet can be extremely dangerous for your safety if you crash.
Clothes
From babies to children to adults – all clothes can be bought second hand, and you can get some great ones. Babies often wear things once or have outgrown them before they even wear something, kids continue to outgrow their clothes as they get older and they do so quicker than their clothes get worn. You can dress the whole family in clothes from second-hand stores and save yourself plenty of money at the same time as all looking fab in some good quality gear from really good brands.
Books
Even at university, never buy new textbooks, it’s a total waste of money, and there are tonnes of used books in great condition lying around ex-students rooms. You will probably only use your textbooks a few times during each semester and then never open it again so you really will regret buying new. Used textbooks have the same information as new ones, and you can find used textbooks on Amazon or through other sites like Thriftbooks and Chegg. The same goes for fiction books or just books you actually want to read. Plenty of people don’t like to hang onto the books they have bought, they like to read them once and give them away. This boosts your local bookstore economy, saves a lot of money and still gives you the same joy from books as ever. Also, hanging around second-hand book stores means you can find some real treasures, books you might not have ever read before but then giving them a chance gives you so much pleasure.
Don’t be afraid to look for used before you buy anything new, just to see what your options are and you could put away the money you save towards something else you need to buy new.
