It's always hard for me to price for garage sales. I try to price items based on what I would pay for them, but then again, I struggle; because if I wanted them to start with, I wouldn't be selling them in the garage sale. :)
And then there are the "bargain hunters." No matter what the price is, they have to haggle. We are doing Financial Peace University with Dave Ramsey, and he is a big proponent of not paying full price for anything, but seriously. I just sold 3 metal baseball bats for $3.00. Two of them were pretty well used, but the third was used for less than a season. The paint wasn't even marred. We had priced it at $5.00 the other two for $1.00 each. I am not exactly sure what the going rate for a metal baseball bat is at Target, but I would bet that $7.00 for three is a pretty good bargain. The good news is that the three metal baseball bats are out of our garage. I guess that is a win for both of us.
Our goal in having this sale was to work on the debt-reduction snowball plan that we set up with our FPU materials. My "nerd" husband was very excited about that. His "free-spirit" wife found a futon at a neighbor's garage sale that she wanted for the basement. So our snowball may or may not have melted just a bit. And, no. We did not haggle on her price. We paid what she asked, because we thought it was already a bargain - and we paid in cash. :) Hopefully with the addition of a couple of bigger ticket items today we will be able to recoup our "loss" even though I am really, pretty sure the futon was a gain. :)
I think this sale will be the catalyst that will help me get through the rest of the stuff that is overtaking our house. Although we will be finished by 4:00 this afternoon, Pathway has an annual garage sale that benefits the True Vine adoption ministry of our church. I wish I had a few days to devote to touching everything in my house and garage and make a decision as to whether to keep it or donate it, but unfortunately, that isn't going to happen. Where is that Clean Sweep team when you need them?!
There is just something about getting rid of "stuff" that is freeing. It creates margin, and margin is something that I just don't have enough of. Granted, some of it is self imposed. In an effort to add some margin to my personal life with things like Bible study and small group, I have over-committed my schedule. I love the fellowship these things provide, but when added to sports schedules and homework schedules, I wouldn't be honest if I didn't say that there are times when I am thankful for cancellations.
I think some of it is emotional though, and that kind of margin is a lot harder to create - and a lot easier to lose. It's called the weight of the world. In my case, it starts with a desire to please others that I care about - wanting them to be proud of me. Then comes the pressure of having a child that struggles with visual processing issues (which unless someone has dealt with this kind of issue, most people just cannot understand.) Then there are the normal concerns (because it sounds much less Christian to call them worries). Am I being a good parent? Am I making the right choices for my family? Am I really doing what God is calling me to do?
I sometimes wish that getting rid of the calendar and the emotional clutter was as easy as having a garage sale. But, I think that it is in the purging of those things that I really grow - looking at each decision, circumstance, crossroad and option and making a choice. Although it may not always turn out to be the best choice, it is always a step of faith. No "haggling" or "bargains," but the results are priceless.
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