The Frugal Family: Radical Money Saving Tip - Never Buy New!

There are many schools of thought on the best ways to be frugal. The average frugal shopper probably only hopes to never pay full price for anything, choosing to browse sales racks or use an occasional coupon to purchase new items without making plans to save money. More dedicated savers clip, collect, and organize coupons, combine them with sales and maybe even search out a rebate to ensure they've gotten the best deal.

If you want to be a radical saver, though, you might go a step further by purchasing used items whenever possible. Money saved by seeking out only used items can be dramatic.

Used goods retailers aren't new in the "real world." We have probably all been to thrift stores, swap meets, or yard sales, which require that a person dig through a sea of items to find something of interest. Consignment-type chains such as Play It Again Sports and Crossroads Trading Company have been around for years. The selection of all of these places is often limited according to geographical location and season (it may be difficult to find a wool coat in Phoenix, for instance) or the preferences of the seller. Add in limited hours of operation and shoppers short on time or patience may forgo the experience altogether, deciding that saving money isn't worth the hassle.

There are plenty of reasons why online shopping is popular despite shipping times and costs; after all, consumers can avoid running all over town to comparison shop simply by using a search engine. There is practically always a deal to be discovered online and due to the far reaching "world-wide web," finding exactly what you want is infinitely easier. The used goods market is no exception! The success of Craigslist and Freecycle, which connect people by geographical region looking for anything from couches to moving boxes, provide a fantastic example of this.

The increased focus on green living has inadvertently promoted frugality by increasing the interest in previously-owned products. New York writer Colin Beaven of No Impact Man has highlighted the relationship between going green and saving money in his article 31 Tips for Reducing Your impact While Saving Money. Beaven's family lived off the grid and opted to "buy nothing new" in a year-long experiment to live sustainably.

How is that for radical?

If you're not quite willing to go as far as the No Impact family but you would still like to combine your green and frugal efforts, Thred Up, Swap Mamas and Rehash Clothes offer used clothing and accessories for little or no money using a bartering system. These sites are especially helpful for families with children who can swap outgrown clothing for a bigger size. Most of us parents have a bag of clothes lying around that we've been meaning take to Goodwill, too.

Where does your family find the best deals? How often are your shopping efforts focused on the most frugal option?

Crystal Ritchie lives and blogs in San Francisco with her preschooler son Jack and her partner in crime/fiance David. She loves to share stories, tips, and tricks related to the parenting gig on her personal blog, Ewokmama.com.