July 12, 2025 • 11 mins
In this episode of Financially Confident Christian, Ralph explores how secondhand shopping can transform your spending, simplify your life, and align your money habits with biblical stewardship. He shares why choosing pre-owned items isn’t just about saving a buck — it’s about valuing resources, reducing waste, and discovering greater purpose. This conversation will help you see the joy buying secondhand can bring to your financial confidence.
Check out the full podcast episode here
Ralph offers practical ways to get started, from identifying quality secondhand purchases to setting healthy limits and avoiding impulse buys. You’ll hear stories and encouragement to help you shift your mindset from new-and-shiny to thoughtful and meaningful, building a life that reflects both wisdom and contentment.
Chapters:
- 00:12 - The Dilemma of Consumerism
- 02:34 - The Spirituality of Secondhand Shopping
- 04:00 - Starting the Journey of Intentional Buying
- 05:06 - Embracing Secondhand Solutions
- 08:06 - Exploring New Skills for Financial Confidence
Takeaways:
- When you buy new stuff, it can feel good, but it often leads to guilt due to tight budgets.
- Shopping secondhand can be a game-changer, saving you cash while being eco-friendly and intentional.
- Choosing secondhand reflects wise stewardship, aligning with values of mindfulness and resourcefulness.
- Start small by looking for just one secondhand item you need in the next few months.
- Buying used is not only budget-friendly, but it’s also a spiritual act of not wasting what others overlook.
- Embracing secondhand shopping can lead to less waste and more creativity in how we live.
Links referenced:
WATCH NOW ON YOUTUBE (OUR VIDEO VERSION)
WATCH NOW ON RUMBLE (OUR VIDEO VERSION)
Please share our Podcast with all your friends and family!
Submit your questions or ideas for future shows - email us at
ralph@askralph.com or leave a voicemail message on our podcast page
Buy Ralph's Book - Mastering Your Finances!
Buy Ralph's Book - Gospel of Entrepreneurship: Following Jesus in Your Business Journey
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
You ever walk into a store and you'reautomatically pulled towards that shiny
the package, that brand new product.
You tell yourself, I deserve this.
It'll last longer.
Just easier to buy new stuff.
But deep down you feel that twinge ofguilt 'cause your budget's super tight,
your closet's full and your peace.
Well, that's a little drain right now.
(00:21):
What if I told you buying used didn'tmean buying less than, but actually
might be buying more, more margin,more joy, and ultimately more purpose.
Today we're gonna talk about findingfreedom by choosing secondhand first.
That's what we're gonnacover on today's show.
(00:52):
Hey friend.
Welcome back to your daily,financially Confident Christian.
I'm Ralph and I'm so glad that you're herejoining me as we pursue that big question.
How can I become a financiallyconfident Christian?
And we continue on our series beyond theBudget, really finding financial freedom
through choosing intentional living.
Now, if you missed yesterday's show,we talked all about mindful spending.
(01:13):
I'm encourage you to go checkthat out if you missed it.
And today we're talking about isthere joy and better than that
savings in buying stuff secondhand.
So let's talk today.
Picture this, you are outshopping for a coffee table.
Maybe you're scrolling online or, or maybeyou're actually out physically shopping.
You walk into Target, you're walkingthrough the furniture, and next
(01:34):
thing you go, boom, there it is.
Brand new, perfect style, perfect color.
It'll fit exactly in the place whereyou want to put it in a room, and
it's got a low price of only $289.
And instantly your heartsays, yes, I gotta have that.
But your bank account says, not today.
But still you justify it.
(01:56):
But what if you took a few extra minutes,just a couple of extra minutes and
thought, Hmm, I wonder if I checkedFacebook Marketplace, and what if I was
able to find that exact same style, barelyused for, listen to this, only 60 bucks.
See, this isn't just about coffeetables, it's jackets, it's kids' bikes.
(02:17):
It's those books you wanna read.
It's those blenders for the kitchen.
See, we live in a world wire toworship the new, but that addiction,
that addiction to the new, it'sexpensive and it's exhausting
from a financial perspective.
But here's the thing.
You gotta understand, buying secondhandisn't just smart, it's spiritual.
(02:38):
Now you're wondering, howis Ralph gonna tie this in?
Well, let me tell you rightnow, Let's look at the book
of John chapter six, verse 12.
It says this, when they all had enoughto eat, he said to his disciples,
gather the pieces that are left over.
Let nothing be wasted.
See, Jesus himself didn't waste leftovers.
He saw value even in theextra scraps of a miracle.
(03:00):
Let's look at Proverbschapter 21, verse 20.
It says this, I've usedthis on the show many times.
The Wise Store Up Choice Food in OliveOil, but Fools Gulp, there's down.
Think about that for a second.
The Wise Store Up.
Choice, but the fool's gulp, there's down.
(03:20):
See, that means something very importantto what we're talking about today, and
it's what this whole series is about.
That means the wise are intentional.
See if you wanna be wise, yousave, you preserve, and you
don't devour everything at once.
Buying everything new and see, here'smy connection and I truly believe this.
(03:42):
Buying secondhand reflectsthat same mindset.
Think about it for a minute.
It's wise, it's budget friendly,it's resourceful, and it's
environmentally respectful.
And most of all, this iswhy you listen to the show.
It's faithful stewardship.
So now you're askingRalph, what can we do?
How do we even start that?
(04:04):
Lemme just tell you right now.
It's not complicated.
It's really pretty simple.
Just look for secondhand optionsbefore defaulting to that.
NEW Default setting.
Just pause and check first.
So here's your one action step for today.
I want you to start byidentifying one thing you need.
Think of something you need inthe next 30, 60, or 90 days even.
Maybe you need a new bookshelf forthe kids going back to school, or you
(04:26):
need a coat for the fall and winter.
Maybe you need a blender for thekitchen, or hey, maybe you've
got that, that vacation scheduledand you need that suitcase.
So start by that.
Think of something you're gonna needin the next 30, 60, or 90 days in this.
Write that down.
Then I just want you to gosearch secondhand first.
So before you buy new check placeslike Facebook Marketplace or
(04:48):
Craigslist or offer up, hey, eventake a trip out to local thrift
stores, or, Hey, here's an idea.
Go online and instead ofgoing to Amazon, go to eBay.
Maybe it's a book you need,look at some used bookstores.
Or, Hey, here's a great idea.
Look at some of those Church swap groups.
So that's the first thing.
Determine what you want.
Second thing, look at somesecondhand marketplaces.
(05:11):
And third thing, it's where you'regonna make a little commitment.
Commit to trying secondhand, Hey,even if it's just once, just one item.
If it works, celebrate.
If not, there's no shame.
Listen, I'm gonna tell you I did thispersonally, remember when I started
my own practice back 20 years ago?
I was setting up a new business,setting up a new office, and man,
(05:31):
I was on a shoestring budget.
Lemme tell you, shoestringis an understatement.
Well, I was looking at new furniture.
I needed some desks, I needed someguest chairs, all that sort of thing.
I'm looking and I'm like, Ican never afford this stuff.
Well, then somebody said to me,Hey Ralph, did you know there's
a secondhand office supply place?
It wasn't too far from where we are.
Let me tell you right now.
I went in there and the stuffwas absolutely beautiful.
(05:54):
I mean, wood desks that were madelike they were made a century ago, and
the best part, I outfitted my wholeoffice for what I would've spent on
one desk if I went the new route.
Now, eventually I did upgrade some,but man, it was the way to get started.
If you do the same thing, you'reexercising a muscle of stewardship
(06:15):
and you're exercising a muscleof self-discipline, you might
be saying, Ralph, why does thiswell, well, it helps this way.
It saves money, it reduceswaste, and hey, it's creative
and it can be joyful discipline.
And it keeps you focused on your values.
Not that consumer pressureto always buy new.
Hey, it's all around us.
(06:36):
Buy new.
You gotta have this new thing.
I talk about this on the show allthe time, but this really helps you
stay focused on your values and notsuccumb to that consumer pressure.
How about we pray together?
Father God, thank you for everygood gift and every resource
you've already provided.
Lord, we just ask you to forgive us forour waste and for defaulting to that
(06:56):
excess setting in our lives, for chasingnew when you've already given us enough.
Teach us to see the value inwhat others overlook, Lord.
Help us become more mindful,more joyful, and in the end,
more creative with how we live.
Give us courage to break the world'spattern of always wanting more and
always wanting new, and help us toinstead walk in contentment, walk
(07:18):
in stewardship, and walk in peace.
And we ask this in confidence.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Friend.
Secondhand isn't second best.
I've done it myself, and I'm gonnaencourage you to do the same thing.
It's wise, it's freeing, andin the end it's purposeful.
So try it, even if it's just oneitem, and let that small step grow
(07:39):
your confidence, then pass it along.
Just like this episode, I'm gonnaencourage you to pass this episode
to somebody you know, Hey, just sendhim a simple text message or an email
and say, Hey, I listened to thisguy Ralph, on financially confident
Christian, and he had a great ideaabout buying stuff secondhand.
Point them to our website that's atfinancially confident christian.com.
(08:00):
And while you're there,grab a free copy of my book.
Everybody gets a free copy of my book.
It's called Mastering Your Finances.
And again, you getthat@financiallyconfidentchristian.com
slash master.
Now, I wanna encourage youagain to join me tomorrow as we
explore how learning new skills.
Hey listen, we're gonna talk aboutlearning some new skills that
can save you some serious money.
(08:21):
And more importantly than that,help you walk in financial
confidence moving forward.
So until then, stay faithful.
Stay financially savvy,stay financially confident.
You got this.
I believe in you.
Believe in yourself.
Let's all go out there andbe financially confident.
Christians.
God bless you and youhave a great day today.
You ever walk into a store and you'reautomatically pulled towards that shiny
the package, that brand new product.
You tell yourself, I deserve this.
It'll last longer.
Just easier to buy new stuff.
But deep down you feel that twinge ofguilt 'cause your budget's super tight,
your closet's full and your peace.
Well, that's a little drain right now.
(00:21):
What if I told you buying used didn'tmean buying less than, but actually
might be buying more, more margin,more joy, and ultimately more purpose.
Today we're gonna talk about findingfreedom by choosing secondhand first.
That's what we're gonnacover on today's show.
(00:52):
Hey friend.
Welcome back to your daily,financially Confident Christian.
I'm Ralph and I'm so glad that you're herejoining me as we pursue that big question.
How can I become a financiallyconfident Christian?
And we continue on our series beyond theBudget, really finding financial freedom
through choosing intentional living.
Now, if you missed yesterday's show,we talked all about mindful spending.
(01:13):
I'm encourage you to go checkthat out if you missed it.
And today we're talking about isthere joy and better than that
savings in buying stuff secondhand.
So let's talk today.
Picture this, you are outshopping for a coffee table.
Maybe you're scrolling online or, or maybeyou're actually out physically shopping.
You walk into Target, you're walkingthrough the furniture, and next
(01:34):
thing you go, boom, there it is.
Brand new, perfect style, perfect color.
It'll fit exactly in the place whereyou want to put it in a room, and
it's got a low price of only $289.
And instantly your heartsays, yes, I gotta have that.
But your bank account says, not today.
But still you justify it.
(01:56):
But what if you took a few extra minutes,just a couple of extra minutes and
thought, Hmm, I wonder if I checkedFacebook Marketplace, and what if I was
able to find that exact same style, barelyused for, listen to this, only 60 bucks.
See, this isn't just about coffeetables, it's jackets, it's kids' bikes.
(02:17):
It's those books you wanna read.
It's those blenders for the kitchen.
See, we live in a world wire toworship the new, but that addiction,
that addiction to the new, it'sexpensive and it's exhausting
from a financial perspective.
But here's the thing.
You gotta understand, buying secondhandisn't just smart, it's spiritual.
(02:38):
Now you're wondering, howis Ralph gonna tie this in?
Well, let me tell you rightnow, Let's look at the book
of John chapter six, verse 12.
It says this, when they all had enoughto eat, he said to his disciples,
gather the pieces that are left over.
Let nothing be wasted.
See, Jesus himself didn't waste leftovers.
He saw value even in theextra scraps of a miracle.
(03:00):
Let's look at Proverbschapter 21, verse 20.
It says this, I've usedthis on the show many times.
The Wise Store Up Choice Food in OliveOil, but Fools Gulp, there's down.
Think about that for a second.
The Wise Store Up.
Choice, but the fool's gulp, there's down.
(03:20):
See, that means something very importantto what we're talking about today, and
it's what this whole series is about.
That means the wise are intentional.
See if you wanna be wise, yousave, you preserve, and you
don't devour everything at once.
Buying everything new and see, here'smy connection and I truly believe this.
(03:42):
Buying secondhand reflectsthat same mindset.
Think about it for a minute.
It's wise, it's budget friendly,it's resourceful, and it's
environmentally respectful.
And most of all, this iswhy you listen to the show.
It's faithful stewardship.
So now you're askingRalph, what can we do?
How do we even start that?
(04:04):
Lemme just tell you right now.
It's not complicated.
It's really pretty simple.
Just look for secondhand optionsbefore defaulting to that.
NEW Default setting.
Just pause and check first.
So here's your one action step for today.
I want you to start byidentifying one thing you need.
Think of something you need inthe next 30, 60, or 90 days even.
Maybe you need a new bookshelf forthe kids going back to school, or you
(04:26):
need a coat for the fall and winter.
Maybe you need a blender for thekitchen, or hey, maybe you've
got that, that vacation scheduledand you need that suitcase.
So start by that.
Think of something you're gonna needin the next 30, 60, or 90 days in this.
Write that down.
Then I just want you to gosearch secondhand first.
So before you buy new check placeslike Facebook Marketplace or
(04:48):
Craigslist or offer up, hey, eventake a trip out to local thrift
stores, or, Hey, here's an idea.
Go online and instead ofgoing to Amazon, go to eBay.
Maybe it's a book you need,look at some used bookstores.
Or, Hey, here's a great idea.
Look at some of those Church swap groups.
So that's the first thing.
Determine what you want.
Second thing, look at somesecondhand marketplaces.
(05:11):
And third thing, it's where you'regonna make a little commitment.
Commit to trying secondhand, Hey,even if it's just once, just one item.
If it works, celebrate.
If not, there's no shame.
Listen, I'm gonna tell you I did thispersonally, remember when I started
my own practice back 20 years ago?
I was setting up a new business,setting up a new office, and man,
(05:31):
I was on a shoestring budget.
Lemme tell you, shoestringis an understatement.
Well, I was looking at new furniture.
I needed some desks, I needed someguest chairs, all that sort of thing.
I'm looking and I'm like, Ican never afford this stuff.
Well, then somebody said to me,Hey Ralph, did you know there's
a secondhand office supply place?
It wasn't too far from where we are.
Let me tell you right now.
I went in there and the stuffwas absolutely beautiful.
(05:54):
I mean, wood desks that were madelike they were made a century ago, and
the best part, I outfitted my wholeoffice for what I would've spent on
one desk if I went the new route.
Now, eventually I did upgrade some,but man, it was the way to get started.
If you do the same thing, you'reexercising a muscle of stewardship
(06:15):
and you're exercising a muscleof self-discipline, you might
be saying, Ralph, why does thiswell, well, it helps this way.
It saves money, it reduceswaste, and hey, it's creative
and it can be joyful discipline.
And it keeps you focused on your values.
Not that consumer pressureto always buy new.
Hey, it's all around us.
(06:36):
Buy new.
You gotta have this new thing.
I talk about this on the show allthe time, but this really helps you
stay focused on your values and notsuccumb to that consumer pressure.
How about we pray together?
Father God, thank you for everygood gift and every resource
you've already provided.
Lord, we just ask you to forgive us forour waste and for defaulting to that
(06:56):
excess setting in our lives, for chasingnew when you've already given us enough.
Teach us to see the value inwhat others overlook, Lord.
Help us become more mindful,more joyful, and in the end,
more creative with how we live.
Give us courage to break the world'spattern of always wanting more and
always wanting new, and help us toinstead walk in contentment, walk
(07:18):
in stewardship, and walk in peace.
And we ask this in confidence.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Friend.
Secondhand isn't second best.
I've done it myself, and I'm gonnaencourage you to do the same thing.
It's wise, it's freeing, andin the end it's purposeful.
So try it, even if it's just oneitem, and let that small step grow
(07:39):
your confidence, then pass it along.
Just like this episode, I'm gonnaencourage you to pass this episode
to somebody you know, Hey, just sendhim a simple text message or an email
and say, Hey, I listened to thisguy Ralph, on financially confident
Christian, and he had a great ideaabout buying stuff secondhand.
Point them to our website that's atfinancially confident christian.com.
(08:00):
And while you're there,grab a free copy of my book.
Everybody gets a free copy of my book.
It's called Mastering Your Finances.
And again, you getthat@financiallyconfidentchristian.com
slash master.
Now, I wanna encourage youagain to join me tomorrow as we
explore how learning new skills.
Hey listen, we're gonna talk aboutlearning some new skills that
can save you some serious money.
(08:21):
And more importantly than that,help you walk in financial
confidence moving forward.
So until then, stay faithful.
Stay financially savvy,stay financially confident.
You got this.
I believe in you.
Believe in yourself.
Let's all go out there andbe financially confident.
Christians.
God bless you and youhave a great day today.
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