Today’s money saving tip regards an occasion that most people these days are probably not aware of in their “have it now, and have the best” lifestyle and attitude…the “swap meet”. Now, for those of you too young to know the term swap meet, it is an informal get together to exchange or sale your used goods. I know, it sounds a little odd, but it is a better idea than you think…read on!
No matter how “good” we try to be, we will always buy things, even when we are trying to save money. We are out somewhere, and see something awesome that we just HAVE to have. A shirt, a necklace, shoes, or if you are a man, some tools etc. Then, you take it home, and you like it, but not as much as when you were in the store. Or maybe you lose some weight and the item no longer fits…either way, at some point, you decide you don’t really want it anymore. Over a little time, you will gather up several of these items, and instead of throwing them away, you should have a swap meet party with some of your close friends!
Now, there are a few Do’s and Dont’s you should know about when you plan a swap meet:
First, DON’T be offended if some of your friends turn you down…some people just don’t like the idea of wearing things other people wore…it’s just a fact of life. so, don’t get your feelings hurt, simply move on and concentrate on the friends that DO want to participate!
Second, DO decide ahead of time on the items that should be brought. Rule out items that those attending feel too private or inappropriate to swap (i.e. undergarments). Some might also want to exclude items like shoes (the whole sweaty stinky problem), so make sure you inform the guests of the items to be excluded!
Third, DO decide how things will be exchanged/purchased and let the guests know ahead of time. For example, if you are having a jewelry swap meet, you could say that the exchange will only be for equivalent items (necklace for necklace, earrings for earrings) unless otherwise agreed upon by both people at the party.
Fourth, DON’T forget to have some money on hand in case a guest needs change to purchase something!
Fifth, DON’T forget to have some food for people to snack on, but make sure you wait til after the swap to feed them…you don’t need sticky fingers touching the merchandise!
Lastly, once all the items have been exchanged, DON’T feel that you have claim to anything you have swapped with a friend, so make sure you REALLY want to swap it in the first place!
Overall, if you have a group of friends that like to (or need to) save money, a swap meet can do double duty…you can get together with friends (which everyone loves to do) and go home with some really awesome loot for little or no money AND get rid of stuff you don’t want anymore! I hope this idea will help our readers get want they want and still have “Mucho Moolah” left over!
Tags: budget, saving money, Swap Meet
