garage sales vs. thrifting + finds from Gap, ON, and Gymboree

They say there's a positive side to everything, right?

You know the best part about waking up way too early starving and having contractions on a Saturday in the summer?

It means you'll have plenty of time to go garage-saling! 

In my opinion, garage sale shopping beats shopping at thrift stores every day of the week. The downside to it is that you have to drive all over town and get out and in 15 times to get a few good things. 

Doing the in and out part isn't quite as much fun with little kids in tow, but I think it's still worth it in the end. We had the whole family in the car so we only went to a few yard sales last weekend, yet somehow we managed to score all of this loot at one big sale:

We bought two swimming kick boards, two letter 5x7's that matched the girls room/names, a princess costume and a princess ballet leotard, one decree shirt for me, one pair of Nike's, one pair of Gymboree glitter shoes, three brand new sippy cups {no valves}, and four books.

The price for everything?

$7.

Here's the math on that: 1 item = 44 cents.

That's why yard sales rock. :) At Goodwill {using the lowest average prices there}, I would have paid $28 plus tax for all of that!

I actually already had the shirt {I wore it in my very first WIWW post!}- but mine is older and smaller than would fit me any time soon. The funniest thing is that I actually did a little self-tailoring to the first one those years ago because it was originally too big after wearing it postpartum, and now I bought the same shirt in a bigger size for 44 cents to wear postpartum again. :) I guess I really do love it!

I was also excited to find a whole outfit in the last couple of trips to the thrift store, because I'm nearly out of clothes that fit!  {please tell me this is the last time I'll need bigger clothes! I made it so many weeks not buying any clothes, and suddenly I'm having to find more at the end? Goodness.}

I figured at least when I found them that I could wear them postpartum too, and maybe save them for the next round. ;) 

I bought the pink Old Navy top at a local consignment store for $1.20, the shorts are from the Gap/ GW for $3.99, and hey, they both fit the ever-growing BELLY:

$5.19 for a "new" outfit from the Gap and Old Navy is not too shabby, but I could have brought home an entire bag of stuff for that price from a garage sale. :D

What do you think? Do you prefer yard sales or thrift stores more?

What do you call "yard sales" where you live? 
We call them garage sales here in East Texas. :)

Have you ever bought the same shirt twice? {and used! lol!}