How to Run Checkout at a Garage Sale (Cash, Change, Records)

How much starting cash (change) should I have?

A common starting point is $50 to $100 in small bills and quarters — for example, twenty $1 bills, six $5s, three $10s and a $10 roll of quarters, which is $90. Treat it as a starting point, not a rule.

If most prices are under $5, lean on more $1s. Expect early buyers with $20s from the ATM. Write the starting amount down — you’ll subtract it at the end.

How should I price things so checkout goes fast?

Use round prices — quarters, whole dollars, $5 steps — and skip odd amounts like $1.35 that send you digging for nickels. Bundle deals such as “3 for $1” or “fill a bag for $5” speed the line up more than anything.

Put a price on everything, or group items on tables by price, so nobody has to ask.

How do I make change fast without mistakes?

Count up from the price to what they paid. For a $6.50 lamp paid with a $20: hand back 50¢ (“seven”), $3 (“ten”), then $10 (“twenty”) — $13.50 in change.

Keep the buyer’s bill out on the table until they have their change, so there’s no argument about what they handed you. Or let an app do the subtraction — my app, Yard Till, coming soon to the App Store, shows the exact change the moment you enter what they paid.

How do I keep track of what sold?

Write each sale on a sheet — item and price — or use an app that saves every sale. At the very least, keep a tally of sale totals so your count at the end makes sense.

Selling with other families? Note whose item each price belongs to as you go — see how to split money at a multi-family garage sale.

What about Venmo, Cash App or cards?

Venmo and Cash App work well: show your QR code, and check the payment actually arrived on your phone before the buyer walks off. Cards need a POS app, which means an account, a reader or tap-to-pay, and a fee on each sale.

Write the Venmo and Cash App sales down too. They count toward your total, but they won’t be in the cash box.

How do I keep the cash safe during the sale?

Keep most of the money on you — an apron or a fanny pack — and only small change in the box. Never leave the box alone, even for a minute.

• Move big bills out of the box as they come in.
• Have a second person at the table when it gets busy.
• Check a large bill before you hand back change for it.

How do I count up at the end of the day?

Count the cash, subtract the starting cash you wrote down that morning, and add any Venmo, Cash App or card payments. That’s what the sale took in — compare it with your record of sales.

Yard Till (coming soon to the App Store) exports a PDF of the day: every sale, your total, the drawer cash you should have and the number of sales.