Tell me your bargain finds!

[bananabellesmom]

I really really love finding a great deal. So much so that I buy just about everything used, second hand (personal items aside!)


Tell me about some of your great finds!

Are there charity shops etc, like in the UK? car boots? I have seen garage sales advertised. Are they pretty "big"?

[Sun777]

Garage or Car boot sale is not as huge as in the UK but you will find lots of products on trademe, otherwise if you want to get really good deals its usually the Labour weekend sale in October.

[little john]

There are charity shops and car boot sales, but as Sun777 says they're small beer compared with the UK. We found school fairs were better, but they're not held very often. Garage sales are fine, but you probably spend more on petrol driving around trying to find them than you ever will save. Mostly they don't have what you're looking for. Saving money on new things by haggling is a better sport.

[MonkeyControl]

Indian cotton shirt, $2:50, purple peg clearance sale at Farmers in Tauranga, $70rrp, bargain.

[doreysc]

Avondale market on a Sunday has loads of stuff - bit like a market and car boot combined. We get fruit and veges there mainly but there are stalls selling all kinds.

Simon

[emka]

Tell me about some of your great finds!

I can give you an online find I bookmarked for myself in March. However, it refers mainly to Auckland. As you are Wellington bound, only the three websites listed at the bottom of this article would be relevant.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/...ectid=10790925

[edw123]

In most of the larger towns there's a few second hand DVD/Music shops which offer bargains similar to the UK (e.g. Penny Lane in Christchurch).

And most have something like a Cash Converters/Cash Generators, albeit sometimes they aren't cheap, they do offer bargains.

Other than that, just a case of shopping around. NZ shops must be a total nightmare for accountants, but good for customers, as they change deals weekly, sometimes daily, especially supermarkets. You can also negotiate a lot more - especially with large electricals....

[girlwithanewf]

Yes, there are charity shops - called op shops here. Very different to big charity shops in the UK such as Oxfam and Red Cross which are much more professional and business like. Some of them here are like old-fashioned UK jumble sales and they sell things which would just get thrown out of UK charity shops. I did find them much more expensive than UK ones when we first got here. And you would probably find them a lot scruffier. But if you look around you get some interesting stuff.
Some of the best in Wellington are:
for clothes - the Red Cross shop in Kilbirnie (they import clothes from Australia! so we get Australian cast-offs)
Salvation Army in Kilbirnie
There are a couple in Miramar too.
In town - there is a Salvation Army on Ghuznee Street and on Cuba Street Paper Bag Princess which sells adult clothes, all under $20. Lot of 'vintage' clothes shops on Cuba Street to cater for the hipster/student market.
As someone mentioned above, people often do their own garage sales at their homes, usually because they are emigrating... Worth going to if they are near where you live. They are a bit of a Saturday morning institution in NZ, there is even a film about garage sales called Second Hand Wedding which was filmed near Wellington on the Kapiti Coast.
School fairs are great - in Wellington good ones are the Seatoun school fair and the Worser Bay school fair, I haven't been to any more but you can get clothes, books, games, bric a brac, furniture...
And don't forget Trademe too for secondhand stuff.

Hope this is of help.

[Ana&Steve]

I love bargains! I'll try to list a few...

car-$2500 at auction
dryer $50 at auction
weed eater-$40 at auction
OK, I've bought a lot at auctions...I need to stop going! I've picked up nice art and furniture there as well as books and CDs. The only thing is, especially on cars and equipment, you or someone you bring should have a comfortable knowledge of mechanical workings.

Four pair of dress slacks for Steve- $7ea at op shop
All kinds of things for cheap, from cotton balls to cat bowls- Uncle Bills

Veg- TePapa market on Sunday mornings (also next to is is the Artisan market; treat yourself to fancy cheese with all the money you saved elsewhere )
Meat-I look at the Monday mailers and see who is having a sale, then I stock up. (bought a 2nd fridge at auction to store food! Yes, it's an energy efficient fridge)

[bananabellesmom]

I love bargains! I'll try to list a few...

car-$2500 at auction
dryer $50 at auction
weed eater-$40 at auction
OK, I've bought a lot at auctions...I need to stop going! I've picked up nice art and furniture there as well as books and CDs. The only thing is, especially on cars and equipment, you or someone you bring should have a comfortable knowledge of mechanical workings.

Four pair of dress slacks for Steve- $7ea at op shop
All kinds of things for cheap, from cotton balls to cat bowls- Uncle Bills

Veg- TePapa market on Sunday mornings (also next to is is the Artisan market; treat yourself to fancy cheese with all the money you saved elsewhere )
Meat-I look at the Monday mailers and see who is having a sale, then I stock up. (bought a 2nd fridge at auction to store food! Yes, it's an energy efficient fridge)

Yes, there are charity shops - called op shops here. Very different to big charity shops in the UK such as Oxfam and Red Cross which are much more professional and business like. Some of them here are like old-fashioned UK jumble sales and they sell things which would just get thrown out of UK charity shops. I did find them much more expensive than UK ones when we first got here. And you would probably find them a lot scruffier. But if you look around you get some interesting stuff.
Some of the best in Wellington are:
for clothes - the Red Cross shop in Kilbirnie (they import clothes from Australia! so we get Australian cast-offs)
Salvation Army in Kilbirnie
There are a couple in Miramar too.
In town - there is a Salvation Army on Ghuznee Street and on Cuba Street Paper Bag Princess which sells adult clothes, all under $20. Lot of 'vintage' clothes shops on Cuba Street to cater for the hipster/student market.
As someone mentioned above, people often do their own garage sales at their homes, usually because they are emigrating... Worth going to if they are near where you live. They are a bit of a Saturday morning institution in NZ, there is even a film about garage sales called Second Hand Wedding which was filmed near Wellington on the Kapiti Coast.
School fairs are great - in Wellington good ones are the Seatoun school fair and the Worser Bay school fair, I haven't been to any more but you can get clothes, books, games, bric a brac, furniture...
And don't forget Trademe too for secondhand stuff.

Hope this is of help.

A wealth of info for me, thank you!!!

PS, I love cheese, the fancier the better! ;-)