If you are a reader, as I am, you can save big bucks by buying books for next to nothing at yard sales. Even if you don't find a book you want to read yourself, if a book is very cheap, buy it and trade it for credit at used bookstore!

Joke gifts for adults are another item to look for. Buying in spring or summer means you aren't running around in December trying to find something suitable for that office Christmas party.

Always watch for gift wrapping supplies. Use your imagination! Grab that partial roll of wallpaper with border to match. Wrap a gift in wallpaper and wrap a length of border around it; no need for ribbon or a bow!

Sometimes, you will even find actual wrapping paper and ribbon for sale at a yard sale. Never pass up a bargain.

Do you have a young adult going off to college next fall? Or one moving into his first apartment? Help out by looking for small appliances, sets of glasses, flatware, pots and pans or utensils. Then they won't be raiding your home for whatever they need!

Does your family love to work jigsaw puzzles? New puzzles can be pretty pricey--so just visit yard sales. I've bought puzzles for as little as 50 cents and very seldom have I bought one that had any pieces missing.

"One man's trash is another man's treasure" is certainly true at yard sales. Some people just do not have imagination to see many uses of different items. Money-saving opportunities abound for those who are able to see potential in unlikely objects.