Although by the look of the dates on my blog, one would *think* the Miller Family had dropped off the planet! Sorry I've been otherwise engaged with two college graduations and a pending move! Phew....
To finish up my last post and tie things in a nice little neat (obsessive compulsive) knot....the garage sale was a success!! Yes!! Enough money to pay for all the gas and food for a little graduation celebration trip!!
After reviewing how it had done and the list of obsessions before having the sale, I realized that it's not really DONE after all. The money gave us a week's worth of memories while our kids were still under our roof and the 'left-over' items are actually still selling and my obsessing is actually paying off in a thrifty way!
Let me explain by way of my top 10 obsession countdown again. Updates are in ALL CAPITALS....
Number 10: You've alphabetized your spices and color coded your drawers. (WITH THIS, I AM ABLE TO FIX MEALS, FIND THINGS AND ORGANIZE MUCH FASTER, MAKING BETTER USE OF MY TIME, WHICH FOR A HOMESTEADING ENTREPENUER EQUALS MONEY!)
Number 9: There's more in the garage than in the house.(THIS HAS DWINDLED DOWN A GOOD BIT, BUT THE LARGE ITEMS THAT DIDN'T SELL ARE STILL OUT THERE - AND SINCE THEY ARE ADVERTIZED IN THE LOCAL PAPER, IT'S AN EASY VEW FOR PEOPLE TO COME SEE THEM BY APPOINTMENT)
Number 8: You've found almost all missing sock mates! (Doing that happy dance, because, uh, yeah, I hold on to the spares just in case!) (OH YES, STILL HAPPY ABOUT EVERYONE HAVING MORE SOCKS INSTEAD OF BUYING NEW ONES!)
Number 7: You look at a box of garlic that you harvested last fall and wonder...."Can I sell them for a quarter a piece?" (WE DID SELL QUITE A BIT OF IT ACTUALLY!)
Number 6: You could EAT off of my garage floor it's so clean now! (WELL, HALF OF IT AT LEAST WHICH SAVES ON HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE TO VACUUM THE DEN!)
Number 5: You re-do the 6 street signs because: "Well, they just aren't pretty enough to catch the eye." (SAVED THEM FOR THE NEXT GARAGE SALE! VERY EYE CATCHING NOW!)
Number 4: You boxed up clothes to sell but also boxed up the hangers to take out to the garage and then hang up the clothes...(wow) ( I GOT NOTHIN' - THAT WAS JUST PLAIN SILLY TO DO THAT)
Number 3: You look for plants to divide into smaller potted plants so you can sell one plant 4 times! (YES. THEY DID SELL! AND THE TWO LEFT ARE A NICE [FREE] ADDITION TO HE HOUSE!)
Number 2: You fabreeze (homemade of course) the GARAGE to make it smell more 'inviting' (what is up with that thought). (AGAIN, JUST PLAIN SILL THAT I DID THAT, BUT IT MADE A NICE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE CUSTOMERS!)
The Number 1 sign you're obsessing about your garage sale.....Your black lab comes in to take a nap, and wakes up walking away with a $10 sticker on his hind haunches!! (ACTUALLY HAVE HAD OFFERS ON HIM, BUT HE'S WORTH MORE TO US AS A FRIEND THAN A CASH-OUT!)
Really the act of having that sale gave our family more than immediate cash. So, like a domino effect, we have reaped far more rewards for the hard work for one weekend garage sale. It cost us nothing to HAVE it but time (which we spent together and even made new neighborhood friends). It lost us nothing but some items we didn't need anyway. It has produced a 'freeing' feeling of less clutter and more productivity. It has been a blessing beyond the sales. Worth the time and effort....but...I still think I'll wait a while before another one!
Donna Miller is an author, teacher and work-from-home wife and homesteading mother with three home-school graduates. The Millers own and operate Millers Grain House which offers Organic and Chemical-free Whole Grains, Bosch Mixers, the NutriMill, instructional tutorials, recipes and more.
