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Creating a beautiful home that is our cocoon from the world or enjoying our favourite leisure activities need not break the bank. Here are 5 things that you should consider buying second hand.
Furniture
Be a little retro cool when decking out your house or apartment. Older furniture is often well made and can outlast new, flat packed furniture and won’t empty out your hip pocket. A lick of paint or paying for some upholstery can give the piece an update, saving you not just money but giving you a unique stand out item that you’ll love.
Hot Tip: Head to garage sales or op shops for furniture. Often furniture that ends up on classified pages (for example, Marketplace, eBay etc.) can become overpriced with everyone trying to snag an authentic vintage Eames chair or teak Parker dining table.
Sports Equipment
This one is a no-brainer. If you are going to try out skiing or stand up paddle boarding (SUP) this year it makes sense not to go and splurge on the latest and greatest gear until you know that your new sporting activity is going to become a regular feature in your life. There are many people out there who have done just that and now you just have to find them and give them that space in their garage back. Another possible benefit is that if you buy the second-hand skis, the money you may save could take you on a few more ski trips to actually use them.
Hot Tip: Set up eBay or Marketplace alerts so when the perfect item is listed you can jump on it and potentially save a packet. Join your local Buy, Swap, Sell groups on Facebook. Often goods will sell for a lower price in these groups than they will on eBay.
Kitchenwares
Setting up a kitchen can be expensive but you would be surprised how quickly you can deck your kitchen out with just a few trips to op (second-hand) shops. Once you have given the silver a bit of a polish and the Pyrex a good wash, you will have a collection that could be the envy of every food stylist in town. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for Tupperware while you are on the hunt.
Hot Tip: Pop into your local op shop a few times a week whilst you are setting up your kitchen. You will find the good things tend to walk out the door quickly and you will increase your chances of bagging a bargain if you walk through more often.
Baby clothes and accessories
When you are pregnant and in full nesting mode, it can be all too tempting to splurge on brand new baby clothes. But when you start thinking about the time that you are going to want to spend with your new baby and without your regular income, saving pennies on baby clothes becomes more appealing. Ask anyone with kids and they will likely tell you, possibly with tears in their eyes, about the beautiful baby clothes (and shoes) that they bought bub only to be worn once because, well, those babies just grow way too fast.
Diamonds
Now before you turn your nose up in horror at the thought of a second-hand diamond, just consider for a moment that diamonds are bought and resold all the time. Diamonds were formed millions of years ago and the diamond in that engagement ring you have had your eye on in the jewellery store may well have been bought and sold many times before being set into its current form. Diamonds don’t easily chip or scratch so you may never know if the diamond had a previous life. Jewellery stores can place markups of up to 300% on jewellery (Source: World Economy 2015). If you are planning on spending a considerable amount on a ring, consider a second-hand diamond and have it reset.
Hot Tip: Do your homework and buy your diamond from a reputable dealer. Consider having the stone reset to give it a personal touch.
In summary
We all like to splurge on new things now and then but when you are looking at buying things for your home and for your lifestyle, you should consider buying second-hand. It can free up your finances a little with the added benefit of not worrying so much when the dog jumps on the couch or your baby pukes pumpkin down their front!
Enquire about a competitive IMB Bank Personal Loan to help with your next big purchase.
