Things You Should Never Buy New
Today, most people try to save money whenever they can, but for some items, buying new will certainly not help you achieve that objective. In many cases, a new item can cost double or triple than that of its used equivalent. Obviously, it makes sense to buy certain items new, but many things depreciate rapidly with a great deal of useable life left. Do yourself a favor and choose to be the second owner of some of the things you buy.
Below, we list 7 items where it pays to buy used.
Books
In virtually all instances, books are read just one time. So, unless you need a book as a reference source that you’ll refer to again and again, it’s always best to purchase books used. You can buy books of all topics and interests online and at yard sales and used book stores.
CDs and DVDs
Save considerable money by buying your CDs and DVDs online or at used music stores or yard sales. Movie rental stores are also good sources for used DVDs. Check the discs for scratches and if they’re clean, you can expect the same performance as a brand new recording, but at a much better price.
Children’s Toys
This is one area where considerable amounts of money can be saved. By all means, visit thrift stores and especially garage sales because, in many instances, they’re conducted by families who may be offering toys for sale that their children once used. Don’t forget your friends and relatives with children. They’re excellent sources for toys that you may land for free!
Jewelry
The markup at retail jewelry stores can easily reach 200-300% and more. That means you’ll realize only a fraction of what you paid for your jewelry if you should ever decide to sell. Your better options include visiting pawn shops, perusing online sites and checking out newspaper ads.
Sports Equipment
Most of the time, you won’t use a weight set or golf clubs until they wear out. Keeping that in mind, why not visit used sporting goods stores where you can save over 50% of the original cost on equipment for the sports you like to play. Even treadmills can prove to be wise purchases because despite the fact they have an electric motor that wears out eventually, most are hardly used.
Vehicles
It is often said that the largest expense of a new vehicle is depreciation. Depending on the model’s resale value and reputation, most will lose 50% of their value in the first 2-3 years. Let someone else take that hit and buy a low mileage used car, truck or SUV that still has many good years left.
Software and Console Games
When you buy used, you will usually experience at least a 50% saving. An added advantage is that if you wait say a few months after a new release becomes available, you’ll gain the knowledge of which games received the best reviews and you will still have a game that’s in demand.
