How to Start over on The Cheap?

Hi all, first time forum poster but have been lurking OzB for a while.

Due to personal reasons, I am currently looking to move into a new house soon and start my life over. As such, I am 99% sure I will need to start fresh - as in, new everything: furniture, appliances, electronics, etc. Ugh.

I guess I am just asking for any resources or shops or methods to get (hopefully decent) stuff on the cheap. Just trawl around internet shops for deals? Or lurk marketplace/gumtree?

Just curious if anybody has experience with this situation, and how you navigated starting over. Also if anybody has any solid go-to spots to get awesome deals for any given category of household belongings. Advice would be invaluable as well.

Thank you so much in advance. 🙏🏻

Edit: thank you all thus far for all the advice and suggestions. I had a few similar ones in mind, but you lot really came through and gave me a ton of brilliant ideas. I appreciate you all so so much.

Edit 2: Once again, thank you all for the words of encouragement and support. I know the community here can get at each other a bit at times, but you're an absolute beautiful lot who can rally around a common cause and really make a difference. You've all helped me out so much! I've been able to secure long-term accommodation; an awesome house thats very affordable, I start moving in Friday!

Comments

  • +26

    OP shops and facebook groups (not marketplace)

    • +2

      why not marketplace?

      • +15

        You'll find more free stuff in local community facebook groups, or recycling groups.

        • +1

          Thanks for your input mate, OP shops definitely. We have Vinnie's and Salvation Army here. Also a huge "free" community page I could scour.

          • +7

            @w33w00: Op shops not so cheap these days.. seems they try to get top dollar for everything now.

            Also agree to find your local area buy nothing group. You can also put up an ask on there for things you need and people may offer.

          • @w33w00: To add to what jv is saying, if you're in a tough spot and let people know on a local FB group I am sure there are plenty of people that will be willing to help out with whatever they have around.

        • +1

          "You'll find more free stuff in local community facebook groups, or recycling groups."

          I won't dispute that but it doesn't hurt to also look on Marketplace.

          • -3

            @JimB: No it doesn't, but it will mainly be a waste of time.

            • +2

              @jv: You still on dial-up charged by the hour?

              • +2

                @JimB: Yes, Ozemail…

                • +1

                  @jv: Thanks, you just reminded me of that time when I used Ozemail as my dialup ISP. The only internet service I had rhen was email. Good for keeping in touch with friends, not so good for finding new ones (had to go outside to find them).
                  I suppose I could have used a library computer to surf OzBargain and subscribe myself to the newsletter.

                  • @muncan:

                    I used Ozemail as my dialup ISP

                    💿

                    • @jv: I ported to AOL

                      • @muncan: I was using Adam Internet for a while… They charged $1 per day from memory which was quite cheap at the time… They were the 'Launtel' of their day.

                        • +1

                          @jv: I briefly met Adam’s mother at a party, back in the Adam BBS days. That is my claim to fame.

    • +5

      OP shops are a rip off.

      • +8

        Depends on the shop and the location, they vary a lot

      • +7

        I remember finding Mr Bean on DVD (only 12 episodes were made) in an OP shop second hand. I thought $2 for some nostalgia and entertainment was the right price. $12 they wanted.

        Another OP shop had brand new kids shoes under the counter for $300

        Really not in the spirit of what an OP shop should be about.

        • I wonder how they set their prices if they have no idea what something's worth

          • @fredblogs: When I did some work at an op shop they had a guy that would come in and look at the new donations, looking for anything with a fancy brand name. They would separate those products and look them up online to price them similarly

            • +1

              @SpainKing: I can understand they want to stop people flipping them but is it really the spirit of charity? It also stops a poor person from treating themselves to an expensive item cheaply.

              In the case of the shoes, I also wonder who would buy it from them for $300? You'd get no warranty, kids will outwear it or outgrow it, and anyone rich enough to afford expensive kids shoes in the first place wouldn't be shopping there.

              • @Guybrush57: People will flip them; poor people will not get them unless they're donated directly to these people.
                Instead, OP shops are now doing the flipping directly, this funds the organisation to be able to keep the op shop open so they can employ staff (who would otherwise be poor if they weren't poor) as well as fund their other methods of charity.

          • +1

            @fredblogs: My ex’s mum works/volunteers at one and they literally use the eBay app. They will scan a barcode if they can. Or search the item up and see what it’s listed/going for!

        • +1

          Still have to check them out… The op shop staff may not know about fakes. Have seen fakes priced as if authentic. Happens in secondhand shops as well.

      • It depends on what you are buying. Furniture doesn’t tend to be a rip off.

      • Varies. Some price discontinued Lego BNIB for aspirational prices online. But some have sold a huge tub of Star Wars sets with tonnes of minifigs for dirt cheap < 5% of the value.

    • OP shops, haha. Everything is marked up even more significantly now. In saying so go to lower income suburb OP shops otherwise u pay more. Up cycling places might be of more benefit. Which state u in? And try IKEA or bunnings for basic furniture and pick up a drill/driver combo and get cracking with some DIY.

    • I tried this and there must be people constantly refreshing the community groups because anything free will be taken within a few minutes and normally has 5 others waiting in line by the time I see them.

      • +1

        You can set up alerts on them. Similar to ozb alerts.

        • +1

          Is there a way to make the alerts not 5 hours late?

    • I find that marketplace has better deals compared to opshops in my area.. So perhaps start looking all options out there to get an idea.

  • +30

    New is over-rated if you are starting from nothing.
    Prioritise needs over wants.
    Don't go into debt for furniture/white goods.
    Do buy mattresses/sheets/towels new.

    • +1

      Very good points - I appreciate your advice. I was thinking just cheap Kmart crap for the basics (microwave, toaster kinda stuff). But you're right. I'll scour over the secondhand ads. Definitely buying new anything that touches a human body haha!

      • +6

        I had to set up a second home for a few years and got loads of cheap stuff from Kmart. It's surprisingly good quality and amazing value.

        A lot of retail shops have ex-display or slightly marked goods that they sell at big markdowns. Some furniture stores offer trade-in deals to get people to buy new stuff. Approach them to see what they do with the things they took as a trade-in. Ikea has started buying back used Ikea products. A lot of it gets binned and they have to pay to have it taken away.

        Don't forget to let friends and family know that you are on the lookout for things. It may be the prompt they need to upgrade their stuff.

        As already mentioned, Facebook has groups for freecycling.

      • +4

        Kmart microwaves and toasters are totally fine.

    • -3

      Bad advice re mattress. You really want someone's soiled, sweaty mattress? Or worse, bed bug infested?

      • +4

        I think you might want to re-read that comment.

  • +6

    I think marketplace is a good start. But there will be things you won't want to get second hand and that's okay. Like a mattress for example.

    For new furniture I'd avoid IKEA, it isn't that cheap. Amart and Fantastic Furniture are cheap, though the quality is too.

    All the best with getting yourself set up.

    • IKEA is so far away, their shipping to regional NSW is farked. So def staying away.

      Good points on Amart and FF - could be good for the cheaper stuff, thinking bed frame and chest of drawers if I can't find secondhand.

      • +2

        Alternatively Kmart is the next best thing.

    • +2

      Amart actually ain't so cheap anymore

  • +4

    Look up a Good Karma network on Facebook close to where you will live. Plenty of household goods and furniture handed out in good condition

  • +5

    I'd be looking for second hand items. All the second hands sites are worth browsing for furniture.

    • Set up watches for what you want on eBay/Gumtree/OzBarrgain.
    • Join "Pay it forward" groups on Facebook
    • There are some Hard Rubbish groups which could also be worth a look. I've found many decent items from Kerbside

    I'd also watch out for any general sales(eg AfterPay Day/eBay sales/Perks) for anything you don't want second hand.

    • Awesome ideas mate, thank you so much. I'm gathering everyones resources they are suggesting and gunna have a go tonight setting up watches and the likes.

  • +13

    Find someone moving overseas getting rid of a house of gear. Offer them a discount to take everything, then rent a van/truck and you are good to go.
    They will be very happy to just deal with one buyer.

    • +7

      Yeah when a friend moved here, we found someone that was selling everything in their house. Saved a heap of money

    • +4

      Similar to above, we found someone that had a massive gambling debt and basically sold everything in their house on the cheap.

      Now that I've written this…. I hope it was their house I bought all the stuff from! :p

    • +1

      Sound advice! And also from everyone on this comment as well.

      Very heavy ag area, tons of backpackers. I've seen it a few times people trying to sell everything so might give that a hot crack!

      • +1

        keyword to search in fb marketplace is overseas

  • +1

    I've personally given away stuff on Marketplace for free that I needed to get rid of quickly so I would keep an eye on that if I was you.

    Focus on what you really need instead of nice-to-haves. If I was moving into a new place I would happily sleep on an air mattress on the floor.

    • +2

      Yeah I probably will for a bit. I'm taking some of the camping gear and be enjoying the great outdoors, just indoors haha.

  • +2

    Post in your local Facebook group and ask if anyone has any household items to give away. I’ve seen some posts with very positive results.

    • +2

      This was my other suggestion. My wife is on a local one, and whenever she needs something, there’s always someone that will lend/give it

  • +6

    moved over to NSW few years ago, for what I remember, if I start over again, i'd do this:

    get electricity/gas sorted,

    go to ikea, buy a mattress, those are in a compressed wrap, easy to carry to the house, depends on price/energy, can leave bed frame for a few days, if weather allows, you can even leave it for a bit longer.

    grab one of the cheap dinning table and chair along the way too, so you have a place to sit down do paperwork/computing/food.

    buy a felix SIM, 20Mbps is good enough for phone and hotspot for the time being, don't worry about NBN.

    grab some TCN/Ultimate giftcards, get a small fridge in the $400 range, if you are on yourself it doesn't have to be big at all, as you won't able to finish the food in it and things will still go bad after a while in fridge.

    above should get enough essentials going, just find a job and progressively buy/upgrade other furnitures.

    another way is if you are on yourself and doesn't care about living conditions too much, you can find a "rooming house" (room to rent/boarding house) to live with other ppl for the time being, some have shared fridge/power/internet, you can focus on job hunting/working almost straight away.

    in terms of food, grab a bag of salad from local coles/worth, and some pre-made food you can bake and eat.

    • +4

      Hey mate this is an absolute stellar post! So many good suggestions.

      Luckily I have a very stable, well paying WFH job - I'm actually in a really good position to be doing something like this, better off than most would be. But I am a bit of a tight arse so I plan to live free and frugal haha.

      Noting a ton of this. Thank you so much.

      • +3

        right, I judged your situation based on "on the cheap", glad to hear you weren't struggling with life.

        so to revise the idea,

        get power/gas/nbn sorted. (superloop still have 2 month free gigabit upgrade)

        get mattress going, bed frame can wait if required

        get TCN/Ultimate Giftcard, use them wisely, focus on the crucial stuff first, and you can wait for the rest to come down in price meanwhile, deal won't happen all at once.

        I personally don't like 2nd hand sofa/bed/fridge, all with the same reason: germs can build up. You won't know if the previous owner is gross or not. I personally rather low-mid quality first hand stuff than 2nd hand for those that directly body touching goods.

        but if you can get by for the time being, always wait for the good stuff to come down in price.

        • +1

          Well realistically, I am intending to be a frugal as possible should my situation get extremely expensive later on.

          All sound advice and suggestions. I like the idea about the gift cards and utilities - just gunna have to play the game and get best deals/churns possible.

    • great tips
      also, kmart is your friend for cheap deco. a $50 microwave and $10 toaster/sandwich press your kitchen is set

  • +2

    Go to the posh areas and look at the Op shops. You can get good quality furniture for good prices.

    • +6

      Go to posh areas and look for council kerb-side cleanups….so much awesome stuff gets chucked (primarily furniture etc)…unit blocks are great as there is always someone moving out

  • +2

    Perhaps look into house sitting until your head is clear and ready to tackle the new start

  • +4

    Dont be obsessed with having the 'magazine cover' decor. Get what you need to survive then add/upgrade over time. Theres nothing wrong with second hand or freebies for most stuff.

    • +1

      1000% agree. I only need the simple crap, so thank you for keeping the thought process in line.

    • Get what you need to survive then add/upgrade over time.

      I would rather buy once personally, e.g. instead of getting a dining table and a desk just buy a really nice standing desk and eat at that if I need to. Ultimately creates less waste too.

      • +3

        Doesnt mean you cant buy nice first. Just means dont go get a full suite of furniture. Buy a nice couch, new mattress everything else can wait or be second hand, scavenged.

        Buying second hand and then selling or giving away when youre done doesnt create more waste. Buying cheap and nasty kmart stuff does make waste because itll be thrown away rather than reused.

  • +1

    If you want good value, not just outright cheapest, look at FB marketplace in rich suburbs. You can often get really good furniture really cheap.

    Also if you know someone with a trailer borrow it for a week, having it on hand immediately lets you respond to good deals on short notice.

  • +1

    I did that in 2018.

    I had clothes, some towels, some cutlery and plates; a fold up table and chairs.

    I splurged on decent all cotton Sheridan sheets.

    I went to K-Mart and bought some basic kitchenware, some bowls and a cheap toaster & electric jug.

    Got a free bed frame off marketplace & bought a $400 mattress.

    Got a doona & pillows off Catch

    2 pots & a frypan for $60 at Victoria's Basement.

    Bought a microwave & clothes washer for $250 off a friend that was moving interstate.

    I also minded some furniture for a few months and found stuff on council clean-ups

    Keep an eye out on the "low waste living" FB groups and local buy, swap sell.

    • Wow I never thought about some of this, so thank you! Great suggestions.

      • +1

        You are most welcome.

        I don't know your circumstances but buy quality on the important stuff (eg: I spent $3k on a Sony 75" TV as I wanted something decent) but the toaster & jug were $15 each.
        I still love the feel of my cotton sheets.

        Look after your mental health. Spend the money to get immediate help if that is needed. Good mental health means you have a better capacity to do your job properly and earn money to get your housing sorted out.

        Good luck dude

        • +1

          Good sheets can make an ordinary bed pretty good. It all depends where your priorities lie. Some will want good cutlery because a cheap fork or spoon can feel yuck in your mouth. Maybe a nice kettle makes you happy because you have 7 cups of tea each day.

          Id buy the cheapest kettle but a decent toaster because i dont drink hot drinks but toast is daily. Good sheets and mattress but cheap bed frame. Decent couch and TV but find a coffee table or repurpose a pallett.

          • +3

            @Euphemistic: Agree wholeheartedly. You buy what's important to you.

            To my surprise the cheap K-Mart toaster surpasses the toasting ability of my partners $100 DeLonghi Icona Capital toaster.

  • +3

    Don't know where you are in NSW. If you are in the Sydney basin the Salvos have a massive warehouse at Minchinbury.It has everything bar fridges and washing machines.

    Cutely, saucepans, crockery, brand new mattresses, tables, chairs, lounges, glasses, coffee tables etc.

    https://www.google.com/search?q=salvos+minchinbury&sca_esv=6…

    • Unfortunately I am very regional NSW lol. We have Vinnie's and salvos though, will check them out. Thank you.

  • +1

    I did this a couple of years ago. Not being in a hurry really helps. Plenty of people getting rid of things free on Good Karma Network groups (or similar) on Facebook. There's also some free-stuff/freecycle groups on Facebook. Sign up to all of them, and within a few weeks a lot of things you need (e.g. bed, tables, couch) come up. Be ready to pick them up quickly (GoGet van or bunnings hire-ute are useful). You can also 'trade up' over time.

    For basic necessities, if a good-enough thing wasn't on gumtree or marketplace, I went to Ikea.

    Only problem is saying 'enough' - this kind of thing can be habit-forming (like ozbargain ;)

  • +1

    Monitor garage sales near you. See garagesalefinder.net.au

  • +1

    Start simple and build up slowly.

    If your starting over alone you don’t need the biggest and best right away.

    Don’t worry about what people will think, just get your basics and build on it slowly.
    Aint no shame in a mattress on the floor or only having 1 chair if thats all you can afford at the beginning. Aim to build up over time, not immediately and it won’t seem so overwhelming.

    • +1

      Yes, this will be a very humbling experience. Thank you friend, very sound advice.

      • +1

        Be innovative too.

        For example, mattress on the floor would be better on slats (or pallets) on top of bricks, even if you don't have a bed base, just for air circulation.

        Mattress straight on the floor can have moisture issues.

        If you need storage, hardware shelves from hardware stores are more robust, even if a little ugly.

        • Pallets might be chemically treated… personally I'd just dump the mattress on the floor and face the risk of mould rather than the risk of insecticides.

  • +3

    It’s not worth it getting a second hand washing machine. Unless it’s free and you know for sure it doesn’t leak/trip fuse. Most appliances are the same. People are always giving a sway furniture for free.

  • +1

    Have a look on hard rubbish. People throw out perfectly good furniture all the time including mattresses.

  • +3

    Try your local garbage tip. Not the tip itself, though. My local tip has a Resource Recovery Centre where people can drop of items that still have a useful life, like tables, chairs, desks, bed frames, etc.

  • -1

    Starting from 0 is not as appealing as it sounds… and nowhere as easy

  • Make sure you sign up to a few credit card deals. May as well get some points while you have to sort all this out.

    I’d try FB marketplace and if you have a community facebook page for your area post in there.

    You mentioned you had a job, see if your employer has any deals with companies. Even just to get a desk and chair or discounted gift cards.

  • +2

    Check the local Pay It Forward Facebook pages. I'm currently preparing for the birth of a baby and have pretty much got everything I need free ❤️

    • +1

      With the baby stuff just Google around for recalls on products, just to be careful.

      Best of luck for a safe birth and the future with bub.

  • +2

    I'm moving house in a few weeks and getting rid of most stuff outside my bedroom.

    It's not new, but it is entirely free.

    PM a list of stuff you'd like.

    • Oh my gosh this would be insanely helpful. Yes I will definitely PM you!

  • +4

    Due to personal reasons, I am currently looking to move into a new house soon and start my life over.

    I'm so going to get negged but could you share the story?

    • +2

      Surprised I had to scroll so far down to see this, refreshing to see everyone trying their best to help though

      • looks like nobody is curious anymore

    • +10

      Not a neggable offense at all mate. Very fair to know the story considering all the amazing support the community has given.

      The TL;DR is that I finally mustered up the courage to leave a marriage filled with years of manipulation, gaslighting, and emasculation toward me. While I did betray trust 5 years ago (non-adulterous), I engaged with all sorts of therapy and self improvement to be a better person and husband. She just hasn't even attempted to try to address or move on from then and mentally/emotionally beats up a person that isn't the same from 5 yrs ago.

      Also, I am on the infinite end of the ADHD scale, so while I acknowledge I am a PITA to live with, this was well known before the marriage so no surprises. As frustrated as she got with me with all that is ADHD, I feel the same (if not more) frustration with myself. I'm way better than I used to be, but some days it just isn't great. But I've grown so much as the years went by, and seen little to no growth from her. I just can't do it anymore.

      I did my best to try and not rant. Sorry if it got ranty.

      • +4

        Yes indeed it takes tremendous courage to step out and speak out

        Wish you all the best moving on

  • +2

    I don't know if you have a car/one of decent size, but keep an eye out for council cleanups/regular cleanups in specific areas near you too - literally half our living area furniture and one of our bedroom bedsides are from the side of the road (a couple smaller cabinets that could have been small TV stands in the past, 2 coffee tables, etc). Proper wood stuff too not just laminate stuff that doesn't hold up as well. Some just need some cleaning/some love and removing bad sections of plywood/loose nails etc.

    We've gotten a few outside benches/tables this method too, though re tables had to disassemble (went home and grabbed an allen key), or it was around the corner and we carried it (2 people) a block to home lol. Yes we looked silly but meh free furniture/reduce waste!

    Also agree for getting a new mattress, but could certainly get a frame used if in good condition, just check for mould on the bed-head sections/under slats if you go this route.

    • +1

      I thought I was the only poor ass here

    • +2

      Brilliant suggestions here mate. Thank you so much. I've noted so many great ideas in this thread.

  • +2

    Your local suburb Buy Nothing Facebook group

    • +1

      Second this - put a post up and people will be more than willing to help out. The whole idea behind Buy Nothing groups are to support the local community.

  • +1

    I am currently looking to move into a new house soon and start my life over.

    Good on you, OP, and good luck!

  • +1

    Start with the essentials with suggested places and don't things get out of control :) If I start over I'd be going bare minimum like steve jobs style… Good luck!

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