The Buddy System

Alright, so when it comes to saving money and saving the earth, I have no huge magnanimous plan. Certainly, consigning my items, and even putting them on ebay is a great way to make some money. And I used to do that with a few of my better items.

But, it's extremely time consuming and the shipping was a PITA.

So, I've come to use the Buddy System. I find a friend that has a kid near the same birthday as mine and we trade clothes. It's extremely simple and it works well! Of course, they are my close friends, so if something gets lost or damaged, then it's not a big deal to me. And we split shipping if it comes down to that.

Now I know that's not really a money saver, but it actually is when I get clothes from them. And I'm all for used clothes since my kids are only going to trash them anyway.

If you don't have a buddy and want to donate, of course you can always do Goodwill, but I like to find a place that actually needs the toys and clothes. Find a local women's shelter who actually wants the clothes items (instead of selling them). Plus, you get the write-off on tax day!

I also know people who use Freecycle (which I think can end up being more of a hassle), and I just joined Zwaggle -- I'm really curious to try that service out. I tend to use Freecycle for stuff I'd otherwise toss, but with Zwaggle, I'm thinking if I can do pick-up, it might actually work out really well.

Now, I'm all for big consignment sales and shops, but my philosophy is to buy toys, gear, and nice clothes there. I don't really do the play clothes thing because you can find those really cheap and they get used the most. So, spend a little money on those -- you can catch great sales and a lot of the stores and sometimes it's worth spending more to have them last an entire season!

But fancy dresses, fancy shoes, toys, and anything else gear wise, I'm more than happy to buy it used.

The final note is that it all has to make sense and not take up too much time. I know people who do this practically for a living (garage sales too). But when it's taking up all your time and energy to find stuff, maybe it's not as worth it.

*A note: Make sure when you buy toys and gear you check the recall lists! Those toys are not being watched as closely*

So, how do you do it? I want to know. Well, we all want to know! Check out the prizes:

What can you win?

We’ve got two $50 gift cards to giggle and two $50 gift cards to Patagonia, so we’ll choose four winners at random.

And remember, everyone who signs up for Zwaggle via this link - http://www.zwaggle.com/request-invitation.php?code=ZPBN - will earn bonus zoints!

So don't leave a comment, go write your own post!!