These Are the 4 Best Secondhand Purchases I've Ever Made

I'm not a big shopper. I often go months without buying anything other than essentials, and most of my hobbies are pretty cheap. When I do need to spend money, I want to get as much bang for my buck as possible. I shop around to make sure I'm getting the best deal, but I don't just focus on new items. I'm more than happy to buy things secondhand if I can find a great value. Here are four of my favorite secondhand purchases so far.

1. My car

I bought my first car at 22. It was already used at that point and 10 years later, it's still on the road. It's a little bit banged up and it's missing some of the bells and whistles newer cars have, but it still drives just fine. I haven't felt any incentive to shop for a new one because I own this car outright and haven't had a car payment in years. The fact that it's not new has also helped keep my auto insurance premiums reasonable.

Even though I have had to spend money on maintenance over the years, I've still paid a lot less than I would have to upgrade my car every few years. I know it won't last forever, but I intend to drive it until I can't anymore, and then I'll shop around for another used car.

2. My wedding dress

My dream wedding involved a quick trip to the courthouse and maybe a casual dinner. But my husband had other plans, so I found myself in need of a wedding dress. There was no way I could stomach the $1,900 average wedding dress cost, though. So I improvised.

I got online and shopped a few used clothing sites until I found a simple, white dress for $25. I realize that's not an approach everyone would find appealing, but I was happy with it. It enabled us to hold onto more of our hard-earned cash that we could put toward our other long-term goals, like remodeling our home.

3. Books

When I was a kid, relatives would often give me $100 gift cards to bookstores for my birthday or holidays. And I considered myself lucky if I could buy more than 10 books with that amount. 

Then, one day, I wandered into a Goodwill and realized just how many books they have for less than half the retail price and I've never looked back. It's become a fun treasure hunt for me when I travel to other towns too. I check out what used book stores are in the area and see what they have. I even found a first edition of a classic novel that way.

I know I could do things even cheaper and opt for a free library card instead. But since I prefer to have my own books, this is my best option. And if I'm ever in the market for anything in particular, I look at used book stores online.

4. Kids' clothes

I'm about to welcome my second child and I know that means we'll be going through a lot of clothes over the next few years. I do get a few new things for my kids since there aren't a ton of used clothing stores where I live. But I always make sure to check out what I can get at garage sales or Goodwill, especially since I know they'll only fit into it for a few months.

This is far from an exhaustive list of secondhand shopping deals, but it hopefully gives you some ideas of your own. See if you can brainstorm additional savings opportunities and then try them out. Track how much you can put into your savings account over a few months and then decide if it's something you want to continue.