A garage sale is known by many names such as yard sale, attic sale, lawn sale, patio sale, thrift sale, tag sale, rummage sale, junk sale, or moving sale. These names either refer to a specific area in a home or the reason for the sale. In essence though, a garage sale is an informal scheduled event where private individuals sell their used goods for a day or several days. Our family finally had the chance to have ours in our home after we seriously got to work in sorting out our things.

It is not easy to have a garage sale. For one, sorting things really require time. Another thing is the attachment we tend to have with our personal belongings so disposing things may be an issue with some members of the family. Still another, is the truth that the act of selling itself may be difficult, not only physically but also socially. Calling attention to the sale, dealing with hagglers, and trying to sell the items at the best price can be challenging. After our successful garage sale, I can now give you at least 3 good reasons why you should have a garage sale of your own.

Valuable Home Space is Reclaimed

I cannot describe enough how much lighter the feeling is when we have ample space for the things we actually use. Let's face it, unused, seldom used, and things that can never be used again by any member of the family occupy so much valuable space in our home. This makes it difficult to find the things we really need since they usually get buried in the avalanche of boxes and overstuffed cabinets we have. It feels good to finally see the partitions of our cabinets again.

Better Use for Unused Things

We all the know the saying that one man's junk can be another man's treasure. The things we do not use but are still in good condition are better off in the hands of another who has existing use for them. Whatever remains unsold can still be donated. There is one important word to remember whether in selling or donating used goods and that is dignity. We should not be trying to sell or donate items that are clearly meant for the garbage can. If some people will ask for the things that will be thrown anyway, they can be given.

Make Money to Buy Things that are Actually Needed

One distinct advantage of having a garage sale is making money out of the effort. We can get rid of things we don't need to buy the things we do need. It is almost like earning profit without any capital since the things being sold are presumed to have been idly stored in the house for some time.

My Say

Because I tend to put much weight in sentimental value, I have been a hoarder of things my whole life. I do not buy things to hoard but I unintentionally became a hoarder of every item that has been given to me or my family has used. Every thing, big or small, always has some memory connected to it that I refuse to let go. This resulted to an accumulation of things that gathered dust and left a smaller space for our family to move about.

That said, I realized I had to give up some things to make way for making new memories. Isn't it true that memories stay even when material things are gone? There comes a time when we are able to acknowledge that living is not only about accumulation of material things but in using them properly to benefit our lives and the lives of others.