8 Things You Shouldn't Buy New by Mary Hunt on Creators.com

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8 Things You Shouldn't Buy New

There are a number of things I never would consider purchasing secondhand because of the creepiness factor. Sorry, but I just couldn't do it. That list, however, is quite short. Now more than ever, the vast secondary market in this country is loaded to the gills with great bargains on things that are just like new.

—Time shares. Most people I know who own time shares regret having purchased them new. No wonder. They are guaranteed to lose 30 to 70 percent of their value right off the bat. If you are convinced that a time share is for you, buy it used as a resale. According to TimeSharesUSAResales.com — a site that deals in the secondary time share market — you will save an average of 67 percent off the new price.

—Pets. Buy a purebred puppy from a breeder in California and you will spend at least $700, plus vet bills. Adopt a previously owned puppy from the animal shelter for about $175, including spaying/neutering, vaccinations and fees. Savings? Oh, about 78 percent, according to SmartMoney.

—Software and console games. Games for consoles, such as the Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation, often can be purchased used for half-price at GameStop, SecondSpin.com and stores like them. Ditto for popular software. Sure, you will have to wait awhile after the product's release, but by then you will know for sure which game or program is a winner and which are considered losers.

—Office furniture. Sadly, many startup businesses fail before the second year, and many of them invested in fancy furniture.

Never buy new office furniture. Check Craigslist or local classifieds to find the goods.

—Sports equipment. Lots of people buy all kinds of sports equipment, from basketballs to ski outfits and everything between. They plan to use all of it, and there it sits gathering dust. Find a Play It Again Sports consignment store in your area at http://www.PlayItAgainSports.com, or check out yard sales and newspaper ads for the great deals.

—CDs and DVDs. Used CDs, DVDs and books are easily available. Find the latest releases in pristine condition at discounts of 30 percent or more at Half.com, AbeBooks.com and Web sites like them. Even if you think you cannot wait, take a look to see whether, by chance, what you want is available used.

—Cars. Want to know what happens the second you drive that new car off the dealer's lot? Edmunds.com says it loses about 12 percent of its value. That is horrible. If you just financed it for 100 percent of its value, you are upside-down before you even can show it off to your friends. Why not let someone else take that hit by buying a late-model used car?

—Jewelry. These days, when people are downsizing and liquidating in droves, you can find great bargains on previously owned fine jewelry at pawnshops for half-price or less. Just make sure you are dealing with a pawnshop that has been in business for a while and has developed a good reputation in the area.

Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 18 books, including her latest, "Can I Pay My Credit Card Bill With a Credit Card?" You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. To find out more about Mary Hunt and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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Saving money is a good reason to adopt an animal from a shelter, but saving a life is an even better reason. Approximately 10,000 homeless dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters in the U.S. every day. That's 4 MILLION animals per year, not including all the lost, abandoned, abused/neglected ones that die outside of shelters. A good alternative to adopting a puppy is adopting an adult dog or even a senior dog. There are thousands of beautiful, loving, good-natured adult dogs and cats who would make wonderful pets. Kittens and puppies are may be adorable, but full-grown cats or dogs are much easier; there's a lot less training and clean-up involved. Petfinder http://www.petfinder.com/ is a terrific resource for anyone looking for an animal. You can search geographically for the type of animal, breed, size, age, etc. and find out about your local shelters and rescue groups. If you have your heart set on a purebred dog or cat, there are many breed rescue groups out there. But whatever you do, please don't buy from a pet store. Puppies in pet stores come from puppy mills, which are hell on earth. You can google for more info on them.

Comment: #1
Posted by: Van Wickle
Wed Feb 24, 2010 9:04 AM

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