Urban Woodstalker/flickr

Do you know the main idea that separates people who live over-budget from those who live under-budget?

People who go over-budget do so because they think they must have NEW stuff. This often translates into buying at the highest price. Go to the mall and buy a new shirt. Top dollar. Go to the car dealer and buy a new replacement part for your car. Super top dollar. Go to the bookstore and buy a just published book. Very expensive.

Some people feel that it is “bad” or “uncool” or “low class” to buy recycled, used, or discounted. Well, if you are super rich and have money to burn, then, be my guest and buy retail. I surely want to go to your yard sales and I certainly don’t want to try and balance your budget.

People who live under-budget think new stuff is a waste of money. They would rather get used stuff and re-purpose it.

So where are the best places to get great re-purposed stuff? Here is my top 7 list:

1. Yard Sales – You just can’t beat a yard sale for great prices and wild diversity. I love the adventure of yard sales. Go to a family neighborhood for kid stuff. Go to an area with lots of artists for cool and unique items. Utilize Yard Sale Treasure Map to find the yard sales in your area.

2. Thrift Stores – You never know what kind of great buys you will get in a thrift store. I’ve seen designer suits for $9.95 and service-for-12 Noritake china for $29.95. It’s important that you check for nicks, tears, broken zippers, stains, etc. when buying at a thrift store. There is no returning. On the flip side, I love donating to my local thrift store. I get a tax deduction plus I know I’m putting treasures into someone else’s hand and out of the landfill.

3. Swaps - Find a swap, attend a swap, create a swap. Just swap! The best way to recycle and re-purpose and end up with new-to-you stuff. Many swaps have some sort of minimal entrance fee plus you need to bring stuff to swap. I’m hooked on swaps.

4. Your friends and/or co-workers – Have a closet clean out with your friend. Get your co-workers to swap clothing, books, electronics. It can be as simple as putting a basket in the office lunchroom for a book exchange.

5. On the curb of the sidewalk – I have found the most wonderful stuff on the curb. I’ve gotten a great light table for graphics, an end table and a treadmill. Keep the universe happy and put your cool stuff out on the curb for others to find.

6. Consignment stores – Not as good as a thrift store, but sometimes you can get GREAT deals on very high quality designer clothes for young and old.

7. Specialized consignment sales – Some sales, like the LA Kids Consignment sale specialize in public such as kids, plus size or sports equipment

Learn to love the re-purposed lifestyle and do what you REALLY want with the money you save. How do you re-purpose?

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Win this book today at FrugalFestival.com

WE ARE HAVING A FOOD SWAP AT FRUGAL FESTIVAL FOOD! on June 25 in LA. Wahoo!

Don’t forget to enter your recipe in our contest to win fabulous prizes!

A new site makes saving money on groceries easy and helps you plan your grocery trips.

The winners of yesterday’s contest for “Vegan on the Cheap” have been announced!

Today’s lightening giveaway is for “Gluten-free on a Shoestring.” Don’t miss out!

Get your tickets now!

Bring your homemade jam, bread, herbs, and other goodies to swap! Credit: jeffreyw/Flickr

We are super psyched to announce there will be a food swap at Frugal Festival Food on June 25!!! Make sure to reserve a spot now.

A swap item worth trading for. Credit: knitgirl63/Flickr

Another story that caught my eye in the May issue of ShopSmart magazine is where NOT to shop online. The thing is, I totally disagree! What do you think?

1. Warehouse clubs – ShopSmart argues that non-members pay a surcharge of 5% online, wiping out savings.

   I say, do the math. If you’re spending less than

   $952.38 per year at one online warehouse club, there is no point in ponying up the $50 annual membership fee (at Costco and BJ’s; Sam’s Club is $40 annually). If you go over $952.38, however, the membership fee makes sense. Here’s my math:

$952.37 of toilet paper, ice cream, and tomato sauce at Costco + 5% non-member surcharge of $47.61 = $999.98

versus

$952.37 + $50 membership fee = $1,002.37

Once you go over $1,000 in total spending, you are better off buying the membership because that’s the tipping point when the 5% surcharge is greater than the $50 yearly membership fee.

5% of $1,000 = $50

2. Sample-sale sites – This time I agree with ShopSmart’s reasoning: On sites like Gilt Group, HauteLook, and Zuilily, the best deals go super quick, and shipping can take longer than usual because items are shipping to you directly from the manufacturer. Plus, some sites are final sale.
3. Swap and second hand sites – Big disagreement here. I’ve had great luck buying used items on eBay. Craigslist is an incredible resource. And swap sites can be safe if you know the rules and play safely. True, your purchase does not come with the same guarantees compared to a mainstream retailer, but the prices are no where near as high. It’s a tradeoff that many, many people handle safely. I mean, you wouldn’t boycott garage sales just because there is no guarantee, would you?

Wonder why your gas bill is so high? Here are 10 culprits. (Change of Address)

Itching for a new wardrobe? Find a swap near you on Swap.com, which recently acquired my Frugal Festival! co-sponsors from 2010, The Swapaholics. The link even has a guide on how to host your own swap. Cool beans!

Be a frugal traveler without missing out. Here are seven tips from Lonely Planet, including three tips I never thought of. Thanks to my Dad for sharing this one!

Biggest drugstore mark ups. These 11 products are marked ups as much as 399%. (WalletPop)

Morbid, but true. Don’t take your passwords to your grave, or you’ll cause your family additional strife. (MSN Money Central)

LA Swapaholics Sip & Swap

Last week I went to a great swap run by The Swapaholics, co-hosts of last year’s Frugal Festival. Swaps come in all different sizes and shapes. Some are free. Some you have to pay to get in. Some are in person. Some are virtual. You can swap everything from houses to horses. Either way, swaps are a big money saver.

To get the most value out of a swap, here are the five things you need to know:

1. The merchandise is tied to the people who attend the event. If you are looking for plus-size clothes and everyone at the swap is pencil thin, you won’t find anything  but accessories. The best way to find the kind of swap you want is to search online for “swap”+ “your city”+ “qualifier.” The qualifier is the kind of swap that you are looking for such as mom, kid, toys, plants, plus-size, books, or recipes. So you might search “swap Los Angeles kids.”
2. I believe in swapping karma. If you bring great stuff you will find great stuff. If you bring junk, don’t be surprised if you go home empty handed. Don’t think this is true? I have seen it many times.
3. Be nice, especially to the people who are putting on the swap. It is hard work to get the swap together. Thank them as you leave.
4. Bring business cards to a swap. You never know who you will meet. It’s a great place to network and find new swapping/bargain friends.
5. Be prepared to swap at a moment’s notice by keeping a box or bag somewhere in your home. When you find a swappable item, toss it in. If you don’t have a swap coming up, donate it to a charity and get a receipt. Start a new collection for next month.

I LOVE swaps because I find new-to-me stuff, meet fun people, and find a new home for my stuff. Last week’s swap had free* champagne and pretzels. I got a fabulous scarf and leather purse. My daughter got a bag of classy tops that she is showing off at her college classes. (*There was a charge to get into this swap, so the champagne wasn’t really free – but it flowed freely.) I’d love to hear about your experiences at swaps.

Clothing swaps have given way to swaps of make up, vegetables, and cars. Credit: alanadanielle88/Flickr

This post was brought to you by Workwear, specialists in uniforms and corporate clothing.

Think swapping is just for clothes fanatics? If you’ve ever used Netflix, Craigslist, or attended a garage sale, you are a swapper. I recently talked to Melissa Massello, co-founder of TheSwapaholics, which was recently acquired by Swap.com, about swapping beauty products, vegetables, and cars. Full disclosure: Melissa and I co-hosted a swapping event called the Frugal Festival this past July. At the end of our interview, I pulled together resources to find a swap near you, what to bring to a swap, and swap tips for newbies.

Clothing swapping is fast becoming main stream. Clothing swaps have been around, as one blogger said, for as long as women knew their friends had closets. So it’s really this age old thing. We’ve been bartering since before we had currency. It makes sense with the recession and more of a focus on environmental awareness. People are focusing on smarter ways to get and use the things they need, but not necessarily own them.

What are people swapping? DVDs (Netflix), kids clothes (ThredUp.com), vegetables (VeggieTrader.com), designer dresses (RentTheRunway.com), purses (BagBorrowOrSteal.com), books and CDs (PaperbackSwap.com), cars (RelayRides.com), general items (RentCycle.com) and beauty products.

Beauty products? What woman or man hasn’t bought a product that touted itself as “volumizing” or “great for curly hair” and then it totally doesn’t deliver? You use it twice and it ends up in the back of your cupboard. You don’t want to dump it down the drain, so what do you do with it? We bring in beauty experts who look at what people are swapping and they recommend new products. This is why I’m making bad purchases, I don’t know what shade is right for me. It’s empowering.

Are people swapping electronics and appliances? No, but I’ve seen some really cool companies helping people recycle them and give money back.

What about swapping children’s clothing? ThredUp started with women’s and men’s clothing swaps through the mail. It didn’t really take off until they introduced kids swapping. ThredUp recently got a round of funding and moved their offices to San Francisco.

What other things are people swapping? VeggieTrader.com is a way that hobby gardeners, small family farms, and victory gardeners who grew way too many eggplants can swap. It’s very local.

There is also car sharing. Relay Rides is in Boston and there is Zip Car and Rentcycle [a general marketplace for renting].

Your own clothing swaps are very high end. Near high end. We never charge more than $20. If it’s $20 that’s because they are getting freebies in their swap bag, a wine tasting, food, a runway show with outfits created entirely from swap clothes. It definitely makes it into more of an event, a girls night out.

Thanks for your time, Melissa!

Here are three places to find a swap near you.

Swaporamarama.org also lists their own events, which are low-budget clothing swaps and do-it-yourself workshops to help swappers find creative ways to reuse clothing. Admission to past events has been as low as $5.

ClothingSwap.com runs high-end clothing swaps in San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

TheSwapaholics.com’ swap sheet lists swaps around the country for the coming month.

Really, really, free markets are grassroots meet-ups where people offer goods and services for free. There is no charge to attend these events!

What to bring to a swap

Leave at home anything you’d be embarrassed to pass onto a friend or sibling. Same goes for anything with rips, tears, stains, or that is excessively worn. There are certain garments nobody wants to swap, like underwear (I had to toss out many pairs of men’s boxers at the Frugal Festival – gross!), bathing suits, sports bras, or dirty socks.

How to make the most of a swap

There are many types of swaps, from casual free exchanges that go on for hours to ticketed swaps that are a frenzy of activity for 20 minutes. Then everything is gone. Try to find out as much as possible about how the swap will be run (do VIPs get in five minutes early?) and plan accordingly. I recommend going with a friend who can nab things she think you’d like and help you decide yay or nay on borderline items. Wear comfy shoes and remember to only take what you really like.

If beauty swaps piqued your interest, read this article on what you can and cannot bring to a beauty swap, and how to run a beauty swap at home and where to find one near you.

If your appetite for swaps has not yet been satiated, read Rachel Botsman’s book, “What’s Mine Is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption.” The hardcover is $18 and cheaper than the paperback for some reason.

Stay on top of the latest strategies, coupons, and inspiration to save money everyday with BargainBabe.com’s email list.

Smashbox -

Back to school deals - Here is my latest round up of back to school deals through August 7, 2010, including a free backpack at Office Depot with a $10 purchase. Nice!

Free kids clothes swapping trial - Here is a swapping coupon for a free trial membership at ThredUp, and online site that facilities the swapping of children’s clothes.

Check back this afternoon for the latest coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog.

Yazmin Cruz

This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.

The Frugal Festival was the first time I had been to any kind of swap. That day, as volunteers and I sorted through clothes, the anticipation built in the room. Come the swap start the anticipation turned to excitement as hundreds of people rushed in the doors to swap. I didn’t swap then, but got my first swapping experience this past weekend.

I was invited to a garden swap in the Milagro Allegro Community Garden in Highland Park, California where gardeners exchanged everything from tools to produce.

I must admit I was a skeptic. I didn’t think I’d end up liking it as much as I did. I don’t even like participating in Secret Santa come Christmas time because I usually end up with the worst gift. But not this time.

The swap was free of charge and was organized much like the Frugal Festival. There was a specific area for everything people brought to swap like plants, seeds, magazines, produce and “worm tea,” which is worm pee used for fertilizing.

I arrived a little late but was still able to exchange the seeds I had brought with me. I had all kinds of seeds including dill, broccoli rabe, kale, and lima beans. I also had seeds that I’d harvested myself like basil and cilantro seeds.

Here’s my haul and approximately how much I saved:

• “Organic Gardening” magazine – $3.99

• “Sunset” magazine – $4.99

• Heirloom cucumber seeds – $2

• Organic Plums (10) – $6.90

• Organic Tomatoes (2 lbs.) – $5

• Aloe Vera plant – $4

• Organic Bay Leaves – $4

• Organic Pineapple Sage – $2

Total Saved: $32.88

My goods.

I am now a believer – swapping is the new shopping. If you’ve never participated in a swap, you must. BargainBabe.com writer Bobbi wrote a post on how to get the most out of a swap that is essential to read before heading to your first swap.

I already leafed through my magazines and found yummy recipes using my tomatoes and bay leaves, and I can’t wait to try my pineapple sage tea, which I hear is good for anxiety. The only thing I wasn’t able to get was the worm tea, but I hear the community garden is looking to have swaps every last Sunday of the month and you know I’ll be there.

What kind of swaps have you participated in and how much money have you saved?

Today only!

Got kids? Want a cheap source of clothes? Join ThredUp and get the Pro membership (worth $30/year) free for two months. It ends up being about $.81 per item of clothing. Cheap!

Check out all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog.

Will look cute for food.

The 25 VIP tickets to the Frugal Festival are sold out! However, you can still get a ticket to the clothing swap this Saturday, June 19 at the NoHo Performing Arts Center, 11020 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood.

Raffle prizes and goodies for the reusable bags each swapper receives are arriving everyday in the mail! Today my two dogs nearly bit the FedEx delivery guy when they accidentally escaped. They look sweet, above, but have uncontrollable mailman phobias. Also, they only sit for photos when bribed with kibble.

AAAAAAAAAAG!

To prepare for the one-day clothing/media/housewares swap we wrote a post about how the swap actually works (there are many ways to run a swap) on the Frugal Festival blog. Tip: you can take home whatever you can stuff into the free reusable bag you will receive with admission.

We also negotiated a hot 10% discount at the nearby thrift shop Someone Else’s for Frugal Fest swappers. Just another reason to come to the swap this Saturday, June 19 at the NoHo Performing Arts Center at 11020 Magnolia Blvd in North Hollywood. Drop off is 10 a.m. to noon. The swap starts at 1 p.m. SHARP.

Buy your Frugal Festival ticket through Goldstar.

I’m making a stash of my stuff to swap, including…

• Two pairs of pumps, including one pair I wore twice five years ago. Psst, it’s okay to swap/buy used shoes.
• A gently-used copy of California Camping by Tom Stienstra
• A brand new pair of size 8-9 hot pink animal stripped slippers, above
• A handful of tops, blouses, sweaters, and other clothes
• A slim leather black belt with white stitching (actually, I’m on the fence about this)

What are you going to swap?

Details: the swap is June 19, 1-3 p.m. at the NoHo Performing Arts Center, 11020 Magnolia Blvd in North Hollywood. Drop off is 10-noon same day. Tickets $5 if you have swappables, $10 if not, or $15 for a VIP ticket. Tickets sold exclusively through Goldstar.