What Would You Do In This Situation?
Everyone is most likely well aware that given our current economy, things are pretty bad financially for lots of people. Loss of jobs, loss of income, loss of homes, etc. People are struggling and we’re all looking for a little break here and there.
I was thinking of having a garage sale because I have tons of baby boy stuff from when my son was born. Last garage sale I had for my baby items, I walked out with $200. I was pretty pleased!! Anything extra to help with the bills.
Now my son has more clothes, more baby items, and my sister moved so she gave me all her baby stuff she had bought for my son. All of which I’d like to sell to make some extra money.
The problem is that my neighbor is pregnant and having a boy, she saw all my stuff in my garage and mentioned wanting to take a look at some stuff. A piece of me wants to help out because we’re all in that same boat, but another piece of me doesn’t want to because WE need the money from all these items, because we’re all in the same financial boat. Another reason, is that she told me she was getting a brand new crib, a brand new stroller and car seat, and diapers galore for FREE from some pregnancy center that helps single Mom’s that have no insurance or low incomes. She works and so does her boyfriend. I work and so does my husband.
I don’t know, I’m always the type to offer what I can, but I feel guilty in doing so right now. But on the flip side, I shouldn’t because EVERYONE struggles right now.
I’m really torn here. I’m looking for other opinions. What would you do in this situation? Would you give it up for free or continue with your garage sale??
Thank you for your responses!
Tagged with: Situation • This • What • Would
Filed under: Free Baby Stuff
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Honestly, I wouldnt give them to her for free. I would sell them for cheap, and if she wants to buy them, then she can buy them. Its not like youre refusing to sell them to her. And, if at the end of the yard sale, you feel like giving her some left over clothes that did not sell, then you can. I wouldnt feel guilty about it, you sound like a good mom.
Offer to sell it to her before offering it to the public.
Nothing comes for free. she cant expect hand outs. She should of thought of that before getting pregnant.
You spent your hard earned money! You should get some back.
Tell her you will sell it to her cheap. explain to her that you need the money.
She will probably be very understanding.
Just becasue she is your neighbor doesnt mean you owe her anything.
Now…if she was your sister…that would be a different story!
Myself personally, I would let her come in and take a small amount of stuff, explaining to her that while I understand she is also in difficult circumstances, I need her to only take a few things so that I may sell the rest to help out my own family.
This however is just me. I feel that when we give, we also receive.
You can do as somebody mentioned above, offer for her to come in and buy stuff at a reduced price before you put them out for sale.
Do what you need to do to support your family.
Tell her the truth. Tell her you are wanting to sell them because you all really need the money and while you understand her situation, you can sell them to her cheap. State that if things were different you wouldn’t have a problem giving them to her free, but now you all need the money. I mean, you may feel bad, but in the end, it’s your stuff to do with as you wish.
how personal are you with her if she is a good friend then you could help her out a little bit, but at the same time you don’t want to help her out too much because she has to learn to be responsible and take care of her family. from the looks of things she knows what she needs to be doing, considering the fact that she can get things free. have your garage sell and give her a little discount that way. it lets her choose what she wants at a fraction of the price. good luck
I say to give her the stuff. We all need a hand right now, and I understand its hard because you could use extra money. Think of it this way, you are helping out a child whose parents cant provide everything for him. When I found out I was pregnant (first time) people gave me stuff, I then passed all my sons stuff on to someone else who needed it or could use it. Now Im pregnant with my second, and have also been given a lot of stuff for him. I will use it then pass it on to someone else who needs it. I personally think that with baby clothes, we should all pass them on and around. They are not used for long periods of time, and are usually in pretty good shape when baby grows out of them. Hope That helps in your decision making.
I would have the garage sale, but I would tell her that she’s welcome to take a look early and buy what she wants before others arrive and that she’s also welcome to take anything that is left for free. I think giving to someone less fortunate is always a benefit for all involved. At the same time, I understand that times are tough for everyone and you feel like you need to watch out for yourself. Garage sale items tend to be pretty cheap anyway, so it shouldn’t be a huge problem for her to pay for what she wants….maybe you could throw in a little extra discount.
I would give her things like the clothing…because as you probably already know you can not get much money for clothes second hand anyways. Besides a crib, stroller and a few toys just about all the other baby stuff we tend to use is not always a necessity ( bouncy chairs, swings, walkers ect ect are all nice but not needed to get by) Those things I would sell, maybe you can giver her a deal if you like. Sounds like she is getting some help….and they do have jobs… so it is not like they will have nothing.
So split the difference…pack up some clothes maybe a toy or 2 to give them and then sell the rest.
Don’t feel guilty at all for wanting to sell your old baby items to have money to pay bills instead of giving them to your neighbor. In my opinion, she if she and her boyfriend both work, they should make ends meet like the rest of us. If it really bothers you, give her a little bag of clothes and things to help out and sell the rest. If she wants more, she can pay for it. If she balks at that, explain that money is tight and you need it to pay bills. If it was me, I’d have the garage sale.
I was just put in this situation.
I’ve had yard sale upon yard sale over the summer.
I still had like 4 huge boxes of Johnny’s stuff that didn’t sell. I was just going to keep them and post them on Craigslist and see what happened.
Until… A girl I work with came up to me and asked me if I had any of Johnny’s old clothes. I said yeah… Her best friends daughter is pregnant at 14. The baby’s dad ran off. Her mom (my co-workers friend) just lost her job. She’s getting ready to have the baby… and doesn’t have anything. Would I have anything to pass over to them?
Here’s my dilemma – I’m not making ends meet. I’ve given up everything I can give… and I still don’t have any money. That $40 or so I would earn from that stuff would really help me out.
I did a good deed. I gave everything to them. If I can help someone out right now, I need to.