Saving does have some limits

While purchasing second-hand items from consignment shops and garage sales has become the frugal mother's friend, there are some items that should only be purchased new, mostly for safety reasons.  This slideshow from Reader's Digest shows 21 items that you should avoid purchasing from garage sales or other resale means.  Find them on sale, purchase them from a discount retailer, use a coupon, or try any other means to save, but do not try to save money by making a purchase of a used bicycle helmet or any of the other 20 items shown.  This is one case where being frugal can actually do more harm than good.