As a long time teacher who comes from a large family, I am very familiar with the concept of saving money. I always try to find the lowest price possible, no matter what I'm buying. One of the best ways to do this is to buy used items that are good condition. You never know what kind of deals are available if you don't look around, right?
I'm in the process of making the transition from a traditional classroom teacher to in-home provider later this year. One of the major things that goes along with this is purchasing many items. Since I plan to care for children ages infant-kindergarten I must purchase a wide range of items to serve each child's individual developmental needs. In order for this to be cost effective for my family, I need to keep my budget in line and make sure my start up costs stay at an absolute minimum.
So, today I went in search around my local neighborhoods for infant/toddler items for my soon-to-be in home center. I was so pleased with what I found. For under $60 I was able to purchase nearly all of the large items I needed to accommodate my infants.
At the first garage sale I hit I purchased
- Bumbo Chair for $3 which retails for $40
- Safety First Highchair for $3 which retails for $20
- Boppy Lounge Pillow for $3 which retails for $25
- Fisher Price Baby Swing for $10 that retails for $150
At the next couple sales I purchased
- Fisher Price Tummy Time Mat for $5 that retails for $25
- Fisher Price Vibrating Chair for $8 that retails for $35
At my favorite thrift store I purchased
- A table top easel/chalkboard/white board for $10
- 3 bags of toys for $3 each
All of these items were in "like new" condition without any rips, broken pieces, stains or other imperfections. I was completely overjoyed to find these essentials at such a low cost!
Next weekend I plan to continue my search in hopes of finding a pack-n-play or portable crib, toys for various ages, small coffee tables that can be converted to preschool tables, and storage solutions such as book shelves, dressers and other bins.
Do you garage sale or raid the thrift shops? What are your best finds yet?