The dribs-and-drabs effect

A huge check off our to-do list: The moving sale is done, done, done!


It was a bit of a debacle. We started at 10 a.m. instead of 9 because I simply couldn't face the idea of getting up early enough. So we had a slow start and probably missed out on a lot of customers.


By 1 p.m., I was shaky as hell (everything took longer than expected so no time for food) and dejected. Sure, people came by off and on, but there had been almost no sales over $10. I was wondering if we would even make $100. And the idea of having another sale the next weekend was beyond horrifying.


Towards the end, as we were packing up, several more people stopped by which helped pad things a little. Still, I was sure we'd have no more than $70. If we were really lucky, perhaps $100.


Instead, we ended up with $165.


This just reminds me of what I like to call the dribs-and-drabs effect. That's when small amounts quickly add up to a rather astounding total. Usually, this is a less pleasant experience -- one we've probably all had at the end of the billing cycle. A bunch of small purchases with the card suddenly become $300.


You are sure there's a mistake, perhaps even pull out the calculator. But it's correct. It's just that seemingly cheap purchases total up quickly to a not-so-cheap amount due.


It's an important lesson to remember when you're trying to pay down debt and/or live frugally: Even the small stuff can take a big bite.


That is, perhaps, the mixed blessing of yard sales. On the one hand, you get money for things you no longer want. On the other hand, you are reminded just how much money you spend on items you don't use.


We did have a few of those. The $70 cashmere sweater I got and wore for a whopping 3 hours before having to take it off. The suede skirt I got for $20 but never wore, with the $80 tag still attached. A few different things that I got at garage sales, for such is the cycle of yard-sale life.


But I'm proud to say that, for the most part, we had gotten our money's worth from our stuff. For example, at a Museum Store going-out-of-business sale 8 years ago, I snagged a Greek- or Roman-style, metal horse figurine, plus a small Grecian-style urn (no ode included) for $40. Both were on display for about 6 years. So I'd say I had gotten plenty of value from those purchases. Similarly, a lot of the jeans we were selling had served Tim faithfully until steroids meant he had to go a size up. That simply meant they were in good shape when we decided to get rid of them.


Other items were gifts that simply weren't getting used, or at least not enough to bring with us. That included clothing, tchotchkes and other miscellanea.


Still, it is humbling to realize just how many of your possessions are disposable. That is yet another area of life where the dribs-and-drabs effect hits: a couple pieces of clothing, those books you'll never reread, a few toiletries you'll never use and suddenly you've got a veritable mound of unwanted items. Not only is it a solid argument for a more minimalist lifestyle, it is a harsh reminder that even people like Tim and I are sitting on a lot of potential money.


At one point, I had tried to make money buying/selling on eBay. (Yes, yes, not terribly original.) When I sold off four of the bigger items, I made just under $200. I still have a few more to list and those should bring in another $70 or so.


Even selling my beads at prices beyond the craziest clearance sale, I made nearly $100. And the yarn that I'm bothering to list should bring in a minimum of $30. If it's remotely close to regular eBay prices, perhaps twice that.


I also listed a bunch of Aveeno Eczema Care that we had stocked up on shortly before Tim switched over to hemp. I don't know what, exactly, the final price will be but I'm expecting at least $20, hopefully closer to $50.


It's all just another part of the dribs and drabs effect. You look at an item or two that you no longer want, but you don't bother to sell it on Craigslist or eBay. What's the point? It would only bring in a few bucks and isn't worth the hassle. And, for busy people, that's a pretty understandable point of view.


Still...


What would happen if you went through your house for two or three hours? Took a good, long look at your belongings and grouped them all together? Wouldn't those "few bucks" add up pretty quickly?


My advice is to make a pile of unwanted items and then take a good long look. Wouldn't that extra $5 against debt be nice? And are you so sure that's all you'd get? If the item isn't too heavy, go on eBay and look up completed listing prices.


Also remember that eBay now offers you 5 free listings every 30 days. That's not huge -- you still have to pay final value fees and for any listing upgrades you choose -- but it may be enough to get you online and listing.


Still don't want to bother with eBay? There's the ever-popular garage sale option. Check with some friends and neighbors and you might have enough to garner some interest. (Multi-family and neighborhood sales are always one of the best ways to get people's attention.)


Or you can donate. If you're itemizing anyway, it's a nice little boost to your charitable contributions section. Remember, you don't have to list what it would go for in a thrift store. You can use fair market value. (The IRS defines this as what two reasonable parties would settle on, if neither were under pressure to make the sale.)


Donations at fair market value add up quickly. Like any other list of items, the dribs-and-drabs effect applies here, too.

• A few pieces of furniture, for which we would probably get $10-20 each.
  
• Several pieces of art, nearly all with some form of frame, $7-25.
  
• A formal (ie prom- or fancy-party worthy) dress from London, $30.
  
• A few random dresses, $15 each.
  
• A few jeans, $5-10 each.
  
• Some textbooks, $20-30 each.
  
• A whole bunch of stuffed animals, $2-$7 each.
• Various random items, from unopened makeup to used clothing to some issues of Vogue Knitting.
  

It probably doesn't sound like a lot, but it took over 120 lines to record it all, so probably about 200 items total. And it added up to an even more impressive amount: nearly $1000 (!!!)


Of course, if you're not moving, you're less likely to get rid of furniture. (Though the furniture you do get rid of will probably be a lot nicer than ours.) But those fancy dresses you never wear anymore? The $60 shoes that are gorgeous but hurt you to wear? You may be surprised just how quickly it all adds up.


It's just the dribs-and-drabs effect in action.

A new way to save money

There is nothing quite like the cast-offs from the affluent to make for good bargain hunting.


Moreover, it’s humbling to see the detritus from nearly 900 people’s families. It makes me realize just how wasteful we are as a society.


As I pawed through the discarded toys and games, I wondered why more parents don’t visit rummage sales. Not just because they could save money by buying there, but also because anyone at these sales quickly sees patterns that are very telling.


After the third, bulging Ziploc bag of Harry Potter Magic Trading cards, I began to wonder why parents even bothered. (I also wonder how Hoyle makes any kind of profit on playing cards – there were at least 20 packs of them there, and there’s usually two packs at any given garage sale. Who buys these things new anymore?)


Don’t parents know that what they’re buying will be quickly discarded? Most trends are. Remember Furbies? Tamagachi?


Then again, maybe the parents aren’t paying attention either. It would explain the three bread machines I saw for sale. And the five sewing machines last year. I won’t even try to guess the number of still-packaged candles and holiday decorations that filled various tables.


A lot of frugal bloggers talk about buying fewer things. Fewer buys means you keep more money. You also encourage less waste, which is good for the environment. Some PF bloggers advocate a very minimalist lifestyle.


For me, it’s a matter of being aware of my own limitations, as a procrastinator and a woman with a disability. I could buy a bread maker for $10 at a garage sale and call it a deal. But is it a deal if I never use it? Shouldn’t I take my cue from the fact that so many women are trying to get rid of these things?


I’m sure that there are plenty of women who consider their bread machines to be culinary staples, like a good set of knives. If that’s you, great. But it’s not me.


If I bought a bread maker, I would never use it. It would take up space and be a constant reminder that I wasted money. (This, ironically, makes me more determined to keep the item, since if I can make myself use it – which I so will any day now – then it wasn’t a waste of money.)


The fact is, my resources are limited. And I’m not just talking about money. We live in a one-bedroom apartment, so it’s easy for small items to become clutter.


I also have a very limited amount of energy. I don’t want to spend it feeling stressed and guilty about clutter. And I really don’t want to spend it cleaning up the clutter so that I can relax.


So I try to be conscious about what I buy. If I can’t be sure I’ll use it, if I can’t figure out where I’d put it, I don’t make a purchase. Whatever the item, I can usually get another one. I can’t get more energy or more space, at the moment.


I guess I just wonder what if more people thought this way. Folks into economic theory predict all sorts of fire and brimstone: businesses closing, fewer jobs, less money being spread around. But we didn’t limit ourselves and isn’t that what’s happening now?


I think that perhaps it would just lead to more competition in the more basic businesses. If people thought more about their purchases, it would lead to fewer unnecessary, easily discarded baubles and gadgets.


But that doesn’t mean the complete eradication of the entrepreneurial spirit. People who want to go into business for themselves can always find an industry. They can repair cars. They can offer computer support. They can sell any number of consumer goods that will always be in demand. And competition is always good for the consumer. So I guess I just really don’t see a downside to all this.

Just a random thought...

As it's Friday, my thoughts naturally turn to garage sales.


I'm wondering, with the economy in the tank and so many families hurting financially (or just plain scared they will be):


Do you think we'll see a much-extended garage sale season?


I think, here in Seattle, at least, we already have. It's not quite the bustle that occurs in the summer, but I still see more signs than I'd expect to.


Perhaps we will all be able to nab some extra yard-sale deals this year, for gifts under the tree, etc.

I love yard sales

I *heart* yard sales.

Yeah, that's right: I said *heart*

Because there's no other way to emphasize just how thrilled and excited I get from glimpsing "yard sale."

It's the unknown.

You might find treasure (like when I found most of the serving trays for the weeding for a total of $13).

You'll probably find trash. (People don't want this stuff, after all.) But it's also good for a chuckle.


Mom and I were both manic about hitting as many as possible each weekend last year, to make sure we got all sorts of great stuff for the wedding. Between illness, vacations and generally bad timing, we've been pretty poorly organized this summer.

Still:

• A full set of ionic curlers (and clips) for $3
• A fab Christmas gift for Tim (can't say what because he reads this blog). Suffice to say, he'll have a hard time figuring out which is from a store and which I got from a yard sale.
• Ankle boots for $1 (After 8 years, my Payless ones are beyond dead.)
• A pair of jeans for 25 cents. (Technically, 75 cents, since the other two pairs didn't fit.)

Sadly, yard sale season will be dwindling soon. And I'm not up for too much scouting in this current heat wave. (Seattle folks are not cut out for this weather -- we have fans, no air conditioners.)

So let this be a reminder to shop early and often for birthday and Christmas gifts. You'd be amazed what you can find -- for yourself and for others.

What have you found this year that you just love? What's your favorite yard sale coup?