TILT # 33: Buy gently used items as much as possible (frugal tip #4)
- Dreamer
- Jan 4, 2021
- 5 min read
Before I start procrastinating in 2021, I figure I better finish this series with the last 2 posts. I know my weaknesses.😉
The fourth tip I have for frugal living is to be opened to using second hand or gently used items. This habit took root in my first year in Canada. From the very beginning of my life here, my wardrobe was made up of items from the Salvation Army Thrift Store and a store called Phase Two on Princess Street in Kingston, Ontario. Any furniture we had was also from thrift stores or from garage sales. In my first two years as an international student, my bed was simply a mattress on the floor.
In my 2nd year, we were four girls in a 1-bedroom apartment. My bed was in the living room. I had a box spring in addition to a mattress and my bed doubled as the sofa that year. We had coffee tables as our working desks and we sat on the floor. Honestly, you can't buy much when you only have $425/ month to spend on rent, food, and necessities. This also meant we rarely invited Canadian friends to our place as it's quite hard to "entertain" the Canadian way when you don't have much to offer.
This habit of buying used items followed me into my years as a mom when I realized how quickly my babies grew out of clothes and how expensive kids' clothing would be. I refused to feel shame for not being able to afford many things some of my acquaintances bought. I felt pride for every good deal I found. I felt gratitude for every hand-me-down outfit that was shared by dear friends further along the journey as moms. My daughter especially received truly beautiful, gently-worn clothes. There seemed to be more girls born into my circle of friends than boys. We continued the circle of giving by passing down my children's clothes to some younger moms and their kids behind me, especially the lovely brand-new summer items that came from my loving and generous mom who loves to shop back in Asia.
I spent three of my four years at McGill volunteering at a second-hand book sale and getting many of my books that way to stretch my book budget from my sponsors, leaving extra money for spending on myself instead. One of my most precious second-hand buys? My compendium of Shakespeare plays, a heavy volume I have kept all these years. I still have it three decades after graduating with a Bachelor of Education. ❤️
I taught my kids early, to buy things on sale or second hand, to stretch their money as far as it would go. In recent years, my teenage daughter caught the bug of finding something precious yet gently used at the thrift store. She also learned not to buy something unless she truly loved it or unless it fit her perfectly. Interestingly enough, my daughter would now major in design at university and has a heart for sustainable fashion as she dresses. She continues to ooh and aah at every bag of hand-me-downs she receives, especially from a very generous Olympian athlete we know who loves shopping.
As for myself, waiting for a perfect deal landed me my dream car. In December 2016, Nissan unveiled its 2017 Limited Edition Star Wars Rogue One Nissan Rogues. This was in conjunction with the opening of the then newest Star Wars movie, Rogue One. I am a huge Star Wars fan (read: nerd), having seen the first movie in the cinema as a child in 1977 and growing up with the Star Wars storyline throughout my life.
5,000 cars were made for sale in the USA and 400 for Canada. Each Limited Edition Nissan Rogue came with custom features like logo carpeted mats, Star Wars logo illuminated kickplates, etc. Last but not least, it included an exclusive, numbered, full-size replica of a Death Trooper helmet. On e-Bay, this helmet alone was fetching about USD$1,000. We were about ready for a new car around then. When I heard that the price tag for the special edition car meant an extra $3,000, you know what happened, right?
If you guessed that I went ahead and bought the first Star Wars Nissan Rogue that came on the market, oh my! You have not read me very well, dear reader. 🤣 I may be a huge Star Wars fan but I am first and foremost, humble and frugal. This would be the year we had a planned trip to the other side of the world to celebrate a milestone anniversary of my parents. There was no way I could choose to spend an extra 3K just for some extra cool Star Wars stuff on a new car. I chose to spend on experiences instead (hint: it's the next tip) and we had a terrific trip to the East.
Well, almost a full year later, during Boxing Week, we went out car-shopping. Remember I mentioned that a year earlier, we were starting to look for a new car? Of course, one of the stops was at Nissan. This time, I had my heart set on a red car. I did not care which one. I just wanted a red one. 🤣 We started negotiating on a red Nissan Rogue. The Boxing week pricing was honestly, quite good, about $3,000 off their cars. Out of curiosity, I asked if they had a Star Wars edition and what the discount was on it. Well, la...di...da! The salesman was surprised to discover that the discount was an additional $5,000 off a Star Wars Rogue, more than any other car they were selling! And wouldn't you know it, they had one sitting in their showroom and it was actually the very last one left in Canada! They were trying hard to get rid of it. It seems like all the fans had already gotten their cars early in the game and this one had trouble finding an owner who would actually appreciate all the Star Wars thingamajigs in it.
So, waiting a year scored me a brand new, actually, a one-year-old barely driven Limited Edition Star Wars Rogue One Nissan Rogue for at least $8,000 off the list price. The Star Wars fan in me whooped and hollered quietly even though the downside was the car did not come in red. Dang! Can't have it all, eh? 😉 Regardless, this was one of the best "gently-used" items I have ever bought. Three years later, I still smile when I see all the Star Wars extras every time I get into my car. ❤️
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