Lots of good advice here and it sounds like you have some of this stuff already covered but here's my advice. I go to a lot of garage sales. Signage: I would definitely put your address including number on the signs. Garage Sale - 1234 Elm Street - and an arrow is all you need. Definitely go with a color theme on the sign. A bright color poster helps people follow the signs from far away. Make your signs two sided so that people coming from either direction can read it. Starting time: Whatever starting time you advertise, be out there at least 30 minutes earlier to put your stuff out. By the time the starting time rolls around, everything should be set out. You'll have early birds no matter what but when I arrive at a sale at or after the starting time and they are still putting stuff out, it's annoying. I'm not going to stand around waiting to see what's coming. There are lots of other garage sales waiting for me and the good stuff is going so I don't want to waste time. Oh! and start somewhere between 7 & 8. Any later is too late and you will lose the early customers. Pricing: Price everything. I won't ask for a price. If nothing is priced, I leave. Be willing to haggle but the haggle should be simple. Will you take $1 for this? Yes, no or a counter offer. I don't care what you paid for it, what price it would be if I bought it in a store, how meaningful it is/was to you or any other information EXCEPT if you are willing to take the amount I offered or if you have a counter offer. The money you paid for the stuff you have is GONE. You will never have that money back. Now it's about what you can make today. And that is based on what someone is willing to pay. Price your stuff according to that, not according to what you paid. When people make an offer, depending on the time of day, consider whether you want to have it left over. First thing in the morning you can afford to be more steadfast, depending on the item. As the day wears on, keep in mind that the person making the offer may be the last person to be interested. Do you want to be stuck with the item or have the money? Haggle but don't argue. Once you've gone your lowest, if the customer doesn't want it at that price, that's the end of the conversation. Don't get into an argument even if they try to. It's a turn off to other customers. Smile and walk away. Lemonade: I wouldn't do lemonade, can drinks and bottled water sell much better. Put a bunch of cans in an ice chest and sell them for 75c. They go. Books: don't make me paw through stacked books in a box. Put them spine up so I can easily glance at the titles. Don't bother individually pricing books either. Hardbacks $1 and paperbacks 50 cents. Done. Put up multiple signs with those prices, depending on how many you have. Magazines, 25 cents. That's what they charge at the used book sales at the library so that's what I'd do too. Oh, one more thing, Please take your signs down after the sale is over. Won't make a bit of difference to your bottom line but it's the right thing to do. It's frustrating to follow signs to a sale that doesn't exist. Good luck!!!

Hostagrams, is there anyway you can find another tri can spinner for your new home? I think I'd be tempted to take the old one with me. If you're home hasn't been sold yet take it out before you show it again and it's legally yours unless already stipulated in the sales contract. Thanks for the link too! Plow, sounds like you have a great system going for you. Along with your recycling service. I do say I miss it coming to our home like it did in the city, but it's nice to know here it helps support 4H. It's worth the drive into town. Cyn, now that you mention numbers one and two I should ask if they do more. I was only going by what the city took. Hubby just went up this past Saturday so it will be a few weeks before we go up there again, but maybe they have a website I should check. I'm glad you mentioned that. Thanks! Seasyde, thanks for the link. I'll check that out. I'm so tired of having to cruch them by stepping on them. Hubby has been doing it lately since I wear my Bass thongs all summer long and they and crushing just don't go together. I'd either twist my ankle or hurt the shoes, though they are sturdy (I replace them about once every decade) I don't want to take the chance. Mommabird, you don't mean Columbus, Nebraska, by any chance, do you? Jak 1 sounds like you have a great system too. We have bins just out side the door to the garage, but we were lucky and found a drawer type unit that works great. Never thought of adding shelves right out side the door for purchased bins. At the time we bought ours we were having trouble finding anything aimed at recycling. I'm guessing it's easier now. We found the bin storage at Home Depot for only $19.99 about five years ago. As you can see it's double that now at Wal Mart. Here is a link that might be useful: Sterilite stacking bins

You have a knife that you love. Give it a wooden cutting board big enough to be easy to work on, a steel or sharpener to keep its edge, and a nice block or magnetic strip to store it in/on. Then keep cooking and check your spreadsheet as you feel the need of something here or there. You have a minimalist heart, so I would avoid something big, expensive, and only intermittently useful like a food processor. I've cooked for forty years without one, happily. Likewise, a Vitamix is overkill unless you often make drinks or smoothies that require finely crushing ice cubes. But you'll take my immersion blender from my cold, dead fingers! If it has a whisk and chopping attachment, it can: whip egg whites, make whipped cream, make hummus, nut butters, pesto, chopped liver, and puree soups. SO much easier to get out, use, clean, and store than a stand blender! Things I use a lot from W-S that have lasted well and been well worth the $: the set of three mesh footed colanders with handles, waffle-weave white towels for drying (15 years and still going!), an OXO digital scale (not discounted anywhere, so might as well get it from W-S), and a 3-qt All-Clad saucepan with the handled steamer insert (which turns out to be perfect for making couscous the traditional way as well as steaming veg). A big silicon spoonula is about my favorite utensil -- much more heat resistant than rubber spatulas, cuts way down on cleaning needed for bowls and pots, cuts way down on waste when transferring from one vessel to another. Big-ticket items that are super versatile: Dutch oven, wide shallow two-handled braiser (which can be used, lidless, to roast and bake, in addition to one-pot prep of things like short ribs and braised chicken w/veg). This is a nice braiser: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/all-clad-tri-ply-stainless-steel-braiser-with-rack/ that will be easier to handle than an enameled cast iron one, but those have the advantage of being attractive enough to use for serving. Have fun!

Well, you all have me convinced! I'm ordering one today or tomorrow, along with a grill temperature probe, which I needed anyway. I watched a few YouTube's last night on the Instant Pot and was pretty surprised at what it can do. I'm going to get the Ultra, as it seems to have a few more features for now and later - it does have a 'faux' sous vide setting, which I'm sure is inaccurate, but will suffice for now should I attempt it. I'll get the Anova after reno if I still want it. Hard boiled and poached eggs, fast and easy rice, pasta, proteins, steamed veggies, stock and bone broth, and I can make soups! Soups!!!! So glad this was brought up and I was encouraged to get one. I'll most likely order a pressure cooker cookbook as well. Annie, I will look for Instant Pot recipes too! Snowed yesterday, rain and cold temps for the next week, so clearly grilling is not something I can do always. However, I think I'll start small - I've got chili in the fridge, so next non-rainy day, cornbread in the grill : ) I think, with the grill, the electric skillet (which is quite large), the Instant Pot, microwave, and my sad toaster oven, I should be set. I've so few cooking utensils now, and very little space, it's all I can really use! The induction burner looked great, but I'd have to find and unpack my pans and order skillets - but I'm quickly running out of storage containers and I'm finding they aren't ideal for storage/cooking - nothing is, but I'll manage : ) I know one thing: After we're done with the reno, it'll feel like we're living like Kings! LOL! During the reno, I won't be limited in meals as I thought I might be. Again, and again, I'm so grateful to everyone here at the GW Cooking community!