When Second-hand Can Be Best For Your Family

Buying things second-hand is more popular than you might think, with American resale stores alone achieving an annual growth of nearly 7%. When you have a family to support, there are lots of smart ways to save money. With young children involved, buying certain things second-hand can make a lot of difference. With various opportunities to buy used or unused items – whether it be online, in store or at events – there is a good chance you will be able to find something suitable for your needs and circumstances.

Family vehicles

Research shows that new cars depreciate by a third of their value after the first year of purchase. They often lose 10% of their value as soon as they are driven off the sales yard. With this in mind, it makes a lot more sense to buy second-hand, especially when it comes to buying a family car. Do your homework on different types of vehicles and there is a good chance you will find something appropriate for you that is modern, with relatively few miles on the clock and with at least a third of the first-hand price. Just be sure you are given the full history of the vehicle you purchase, for safety and insurance. This also lessens the risk of you from being hit by unexpected maintenance and repair costs.

Children’s clothing

For families with young families, it is wise to go for second-hand clothing – particularly for newborns and older babies, who will outgrow an outfit within two to six months. When you consider how often babies’ clothes will end up stained with drool, milk or food, saving money on their clothing seems a sensible move for all. Better yet, this doesn’t necessarily mean forking out any money for them; often, people are more than happy to donate hand-me-downs that their own children have outgrown.

Young children’s equipment

In addition to children’s clothing, it is worth buying certain children’s gear second-hand. For example, you can get great deals on second-hand strollers and, considering how quickly babies grow out of them, they are likely to be in good condition. The same is true of bicycles and bulky home and garden toys. This means you can find something of high quality, and often a recent model, for a snip of the price. Cots and cribs are other examples of items that will set you back a fair bit at full price, which are often available at a steal second-hand. In fact, often parents or grandparents are so eager to free up space in their homes that they are willing to part with such things for free, with your only ‘cost’ being to sort out collection.

Second-hand is often the smart choice

Raising a family is expensive to say the least, so making sensible financial decisions is important. Buying certain products second-hand is certainly sensible, especially when you consider the savings you can make on good quality products (and in some cases, unused). So do your research, keep your eyes peeled and you may well find yourself some very worthwhile second-hand bargains.