There are many reasons to buy used things. The main reason is that it will be cheaper, but buying used has other benefits, which you might want to consider next time you need a new item.
1. Cars
Car dealerships make an enormous amount of their income from the commission they get from selling finance packages for new cars. For this reason, buying a used car from a dealership can be very expensive. However, if you buy privately and pay cash it is possible to save as much as 40% on the price of a new car! The car will lose less value too. Furthermore, there is much more scope for bargaining with used cars than there is with new ones.
You could argue that buying an older, pre-owned vehicle rather than something recently off the production line will mean that it could fall apart very quickly and force you to spend even more money in repairs. This isn’t necessarily true; modern manufacturing processes for cars include sophisticated technologies such as laser welding which make them unlikely to come undone any time soon. A number of cars built 20 years ago won’t rust away at all if they are well looked after but aiming for a car that’s 2-5 years old will likely give you the best of both worlds.
There is also a strong argument for buying used purely because the manufacture and sale of new cars is harmful to the environment. Of course, you can make an impact by buying an electric car or choosing to car share but that will depend on your budgets and requirements. You might, however, consider what damage is done to the environment by making a new car.
2. Books
You might think that buying used books will be expensive but you can get classic books for less than £2 on Amazon, which is significantly cheaper than the prices of new ones in bookstore chains. And if you consider how much money you will save by not having to buy another copy of your favourite book again it’s a small price to pay.
The main thing to remember when buying second-hand books is that you should always check the pages are intact and haven’t been torn. If this has happened then you might as well buy a new book since there’s no point in reading something which will fall apart after just one read.
There are plenty of specialist second-hand bookshops but you can also find cheap or free books online, especially on sites like Amazon or eBay where sellers offer used copies for around half the original price.
3. Used computer equipment
Buying used can also be a good way to save money on expensive, new items such as computers and mobile phones. You might think that buying an older device will result in a large amount of damage being done to the product but this isn’t necessarily true. Computers and mobile phones are built to standards of quality assurance which mean that they can be expected to last for a few years. It is only when the product falls out of warranty or becomes technologically obsolete that problems might begin. Used products can be sold on with little or no loss in their resale value so you don’t need to worry about it.
4. Video games
We might view video games as a fairly new invention in the world of entertainment but in fact, they have been around for more than four decades now. It has been common practice to sell used video games since game cartridges were first introduced and gamers still regard buying pre-owned copies as ‘normal’. In many cases, buying second hand is the only way to obtain some titles at all! Used games can be bought from independent stores like CEX or online marketplaces such as eBay. You can even buy pre-owned video game discs from Amazon.
5. Used clothes
Buying used clothing is a great way to get your hands on designer fashions without paying the high prices demanded by retailers. For example, you might be able to buy a designer jacket for less than £50 if it has been slightly damaged by the previous owner.
Since there are so many different places where you can buy used clothes, it is easy to find affordable items that look great and have hardly been used. This might include vintage shops which sell only previously-loved clothing or eBay / Facebook Marketplace where someone is selling a designer branded item to free up cash.
6. Secondhand electrical appliances and technology
You could save a lot of money on buying new large items such as TVs and computers by opting for something that has been used. This is because manufacturers continue to increase the price of products in order to make a profit whilst launching new products to keep prices high.
You might be worried that buying a secondhand electrical appliance off someone else means that it will malfunction very quickly but this isn’t necessarily true. If you choose to buy from a reputable seller who offers guarantees, services and spare parts then your product will probably have been looked after so there is little chance of anything going wrong with it soon after purchase.
7. Used musical instruments
If you are looking at saving money on items such as guitars or drums rather than synthesizers etc., then buying used can be a great way to get a bargain price. Consider becoming good
8. Wedding dresses
Although it is a once in a lifetime purchase that you would never regret, wedding dresses can be notoriously expensive and you might end up spending thousands of pounds on something that you wear once before storing for the next 40 years or simply throwing away. Brides spend money on buying new items for their big day such as bouquets and accessories but they could save a lot by using pieces from their own wardrobe or buying used clothing from charity shops instead of designer boutiques. There are specialist vintage shops which sell only used wedding dresses so you don’t have to worry about your dress going out of fashion after your big day!
9. Clothes for children
Unless your child is very picky about how they look, there’s no need to buy brand new clothes. You can buy used (even designer) items that are in great condition for less money than you’d pay for new ones and still get something your child will love to wear. A good way of doing this is by pairing up with someone that has a child that’s slightly older than yours and doesn’t plan to have any more kids, in exchange for the odd meal out etc they may provide you with a large bundle of clothes or longer-term a constant feed of new ‘used’ clothes. With the correct cleaning or sprucing methods, nobody would likely know the truth. Look out for swap days as well in your local area, this is where people go and swap clothes with other parents.
10. Used household goods
There are plenty of household goods that you might be able to find second-hand, such as beds, sofas and dining room furniture. By buying used, you’ll get more value for your money since these types of products normally retain their resale value even when they’re old.
If you don’t want to buy used then consider buying refurbished appliances; these have usually been repaired by the manufacturer before being resold. This might not save you massive amounts of money but it can be a good idea because they are likely to have been tested several times and should last much longer than if you had bought them new.
If you want your item to come with a warranty, then buying refurbished is also a good option as reputable sellers should offer some sort of guarantee rather than just telling you to make sure that there is no damage caused by yourself since this means that all sales are final.
