Our Lions Club had a community yard sale a couple of weeks ago. There used to be a bigger selection of things to choose from but we don't have the same space available to us that we once did, so there aren't quite as many bigger items.
We still get a few, though. I bought an exercise bike. One of my goals for the year was to lose 50 pounds and I've done jack with that so far this year, so I figured this would be a relatively inexpensive way to jump start my exercise program. Nickel got a rowing machine and honestly I felt a bit convicted of my laziness.
I tried the bike at the yard sale for a few minutes and it seemed to be in good shape. It was a bike that works your arms as well, and it's an air resistance model. The digital readout works. The pedaling is smooth, and it doesn't seem to cringe at my weight. All for less than two months' membership at the gym.
Exercise equipment was made to be purchased at yard sales. With a few exceptions, these pieces of equipment get very little use. (You might be able to tell how much use it got by looking at the seller, but it probably doesn't hurt to ask how much it was used.) The markdown is pretty steep because the equipment is really bulky; it's a problem for the seller because it takes up a lot of space. So buyers can make a good deal for this stuff because they're buying a problem.
Hopefully this will help me out. If not, it was only $35 once rather than $24.99 for 36 months.
That or craigslist. Or even freecycle on occasion.
That sound like a fantastic idea. I did even better with my exercise machine – I was given it by my parents when they no longer used it. I go through phases of using it and not doing so, but I do not feel guilty as it was free. They are thinking of getting rid of their new machine now because it is so big. I am not sure that I have room for it but it is great, with a heart rate monitor etc.
Mrs Micah: Yes Craigslist is good. Might be a bit easier to get at things from Northern VA; that seems where most of the deals are.
Yep, that is how I got my excercise machine. The mark-down on items is great. Some of the more expensive items that others paid out on credit over time and never used, you can get super cheap. I wonder sometimes if people are still making payments on items that they have sold off, that would be really depressing.
I used craigslist for mine, probably could get cheaper with more searching at garage sale but oh well.
Best of luch with your resolution.