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If you have children that are playing school sports or that have played in the past, you already know that it can be a very expensive. You also probably realize, that it is a very worthwhile way for your kid to grow as an individual, a teammate and a student. What do we do when we can’t afford all that equipment they require but we still want them to get to play? Fortunately there are tons of awesome options to take care of this problem and not one of them involve embarrassing your kid.
How to Find School Sports Equipment
On A Budget
Here are some tips that work:
Recycle old equipment
Most people have some old equipment laying around that they can turn into some cash on eBay or Craigslist. Even a yard sale might generate the funds needed to get more up to date equipment. Keep in mind that you can sell off equipment from sports they no longer play as well. Have them donate to the sales pile and you might be surprised at how much money you can raise.
Talk to close friends about trading
Ask around and you can just about bet that other parents are feeling the sting of school sports also. Perhaps some of them have extras that will work for your kid and you have something that their child can use? Trading is a wonderful way to solve these types of issues.
Hit up sporting goods shops (Play it Again, etc)
While the bigger shops that sell new are generally pretty high, the other stores that buy and sell used equipment are true life saver. In fact, they often will take your existing equipment in trade. Gather up everything you have and go see what you can get in trade. The equipment found in these shops are top notch if you take your time and really look around.
Check out the auction sites
eBay might be a bad word to some but it still is a powerful way to save money. This is particularly true for things like sports equipment. Dig around and really try to hit up the auction sites at odd hours of the day or night. This is when you can find the best bargains.
Buy offseason
This requires a bit of forward notice, but you can find unbelievable deals by purchasing things when the season is over or months in advance. These stores want to move the old to make room for the new and will cut prices to near cost to get rid of them. Buy with forward thought and you will always be prepared when the seasons begin.
