Thrift Stores and Bartering

Day Thirteen - Thirty Days of Thanksgiving

We just moved into a new place, this time it's a townhouse, a first for us. Downsizing has been challenging but a necessary step. I'm a saver, and a prepare for emergencies kind of person. I like to stock up so I don't have to go to the grocery store or Walmart so frequently, it's a way to avoid temptation. Well, trying to fit things into a place one third the size of our Victorian Mansion is definitely a challenge. 

Today I went to Salvation Army to drop off a load of "things that don't fit and I decided they aren't worth keeping"; and looked for a few things that I do need. I found one of them - a small cabinet for the main bathroom to store extra toilet paper and toiletries, as well as clean towels and washcloths. It was just $10 and in decent shape. I think it will work well for the purpose. I'm always thankful for those who donate their cast-offs instead of just trashing them. I enjoy finding bargains and treasures at thrift stores.

After work, Steve picked me up to go to Ames where he swapped an unneeded old IMac computer for a dorm fridge needed for his office. It went smoothly. The young man, a junior in college was getting a computer for his grandfather. He was happy, Steve was happy. No money was exchanged, but items were saved from the trash and will be put to good use. I'm thankful for everyone who is willing to barter goods and services. It's a win-win game.

Friday's Frugal Roundup

First, my Thrifty Thimble and Thread as promised last week:

Neckline

Hem

Pocket

My new nighty!

This sweet nighty was made from a $5 sheet purchased at a thrift store and a small square of purple paisley quilt cotton from my stash. The sheet is pure cotton with that lovely lavender trim. Just right for summer romance. No one can convince me that making my own clothes is more expensive. Look at these pretties, and their prices!

Other items of frugality include using up leftovers for lunches and second meals to avoid waste. I've had to work harder at this as there are no longer any hollow legs (aka sons) living with us.

I combined errands and used lists to complete all my shopping in one afternoon.

I took my lunch and water with me on above trip.

I turned off the heater this week as the temps have warmed enough to not need it. Of course, then we had two overcast days in a row so I turned it back on for one evening to take the chill off the house, and then it was back off. Today has been sunny!

What have you done to be frugal, thrifty or provident this week?

Thursday's Thrifty Thimble and Thread

(Is that enough alliteration?)

What is the number one reason given for not sewing ones own clothes?

It's too expensive.

Well, it can be if you buy everything new. Just like other areas of our lives, sewing can be affordable if you know how to get the best deals.

Do you go to thrift stores for other things? Expand your search among the shelves and bins and you can find some dandy treasures.

Here's one story from last fall:

Lt. Lehi asked me to make his wife, our daughter-in-law, Miss Pasta, a warm skirt for Christmas, so I looked in my vast collection for something suitable. I found this pattern:

Which I had purchased for this much:

Then I looked in my stash of wool fabrics for something to make it with and found these pieces:

That I had paid this much for:

Wool

Lining

With a zipper pulled from my stash that I paid probably a quarter for, the total for all materials was $8.75, plus thread which I already had.

So for less than $10 I made a fully lined, 100% wool skirt for a Christmas present. (I'm still waiting for her to send me a photo of her in it!)

Someone either died, or was downsizing, because I purchased several large pieces of 100% wool fabric on that visit to the thrift store for way less than one yard of the same fabric costs at a place like JoAnn's.

The trick is to look for fabric every time you shop at the thrift store and buy it when you see it, as it probably won't be there the next time. Besides looking at the cut pieces of fabric, I look at the linens, such as sheets, tablecloths, shower curtains, window curtains, etc. and have found wonderful fabric that I can reuse as something else for very little money.

The other place I've gotten fabric is from "little old ladies" at church who are either moving, or have quit sewing and want to get rid of their stash of fabric and sewing notions. Never refuse anything! Even if you personally can't use all of it, take it, sort through it, keep what you want, and either sell or share the rest. If you say no, you might not get another chance. Ask around and you'll be surprised who's willing to share with you.

Want to learn to sew? Ask those same little old ladies to help you learn. Lots of YouTube videos and online classes are out there, but it's nice to have someone to ask and demonstrate also.

The thing I like most about making my own clothes is that I can get what I want, when I want it. I'm not at the mercy of retailers and their immodest junk in all the wrong colors for me.

Tuesday's Treasures

Here's a sampling of recent treasures from thrift stores.

Another blue transferware plate for my collection; a Sandra Boynton mug; a yellow octagonal bread plate.

Label on the blue plate

The yellow plate matches a luncheon sized white one I had picked up previously.

Label from the octagonal plates

Now I have matching mugs!

A luggage rack for a guest bedroom

Another view of luggage rack.

And a couple of new books to read! (Can't have too many of those.)

Clock Cozy

You've heard of a tea cozy, yes? Today I made a clock cozy.

Last year Noble helped me find a new alarm clock that has lovely sounds to wake up to. My favorite is bird song. The downside has been that the light is so bright it interfered with falling and staying asleep. I covered it with a hand towel for a long time. Today I made a lovely little cozy for my clock and it looks pretty nice, if I do say so myself.

I made it out of a shirt I picked up at a thrift store, simply because I liked the roses print, and a piece of black double knit fabric that came in a bag of assorted scraps I bought because there was one piece that I liked. My stash waxes and wanes as I add to it and use it up.

Tuesday Treasures - Thrift Store Finds

In anticipation of today's blizzard I drove to the next larger town yesterday for a little shopping. We had run out of milk on Sunday and I wanted to be sure to have some. I also grabbed some borax for the laundry, and some dish washing (by hand) detergent. Near the grocery store is a wonderful thrift store that we almost always stop at when we're in that town. Here are the treasures I picked up yesterday!

First is a piece of 3 inch gingham in my favorite yellow, 45" wide, almost 4 yards, for just $3.00.

Next are two 100% cotton muslin flat sheets, one full size and one queen, $5 each. I love the feel of the old muslin and always look for these kind of sheets. Fitted sheets are much harder to find as they wear out faster. But I also use sheets for all kinds of sewing projects, so I can't have too many.

I found a large glass jar, which  I'll use for cookies or nuts or dried fruit on the counter ($2); a Revere ware sauce pan and lid, to replace ones from our RV trailer that we gave away to a needy family, ($3); a metal serving tray in a blue and white Ming style ($2), a favorite children's book ($.75). 

What treasures have you found at the thrift store lately?

Frugal Friday

Recycling an ordinary item

I got excited when I found this bundle at the thrift store recently:

I carefully broke off the clip ends of each one:

And they became these:

Just wanted to share in case you hadn't thought of this one yourself.

Score at the Store

Sometimes my timing is just perfect! A trip to the thrift store yields treasures beyond measure. (Is that too cheesy sounding? Who cares!)

Take a look at the latest finds:

Vogue Patterns for 19 cents each:

A shower curtain ($2.50) that will see new life as a window curtain in my bedroom: 

Oops! A photobombing Mr. Movie: 

A gorgeous quilt panel ($3.00) that quite possibly will be made into a wall hanging for the living room; but don't hold your breath, remember how slow I am.

Transformation Continued

I'm slow . . . at getting things changed and done around my house; at least in the redecorating department. I get daily and weekly things done like dishes and laundry. Anyway, last month I finally got my bedroom one step closer to being complete.

Before

After

I'm still working on curtains. But I think  it's come a long way. I love pretty things! The framed pictures were pages from calendars; the five smaller plates came from thrift stores, the larger one is from a set we used on Sunday's while I was growing up. The quilt is one my mother made for me, appliqued and liquid embroidery (Tri-chem). The butterfly pillows are from a thrift store as are the pretty pillow cases.

A pretty room is a restful room.

Thrift Store Score!

Today's shopping trip was great. At the thrift store I found a punch bowl set, complete with ladle, eight cups and hooks (still in their plastic bag) for $5.00! I was casually looking for one because our little church is hosting a wedding Saturday of a couple who were divorced, have reconciled and are getting married again. I'm providing the drink and I wanted a punch bowl to make it look special.

Also got two Christopher & Banks skirts, one cream linen, fully lined, the other a tan khaki, $2.50 each. My frequent shopper punch card was full giving me $5.00 off the total purchase so it was like getting the two skirts for free.

The other fabulous find was a Spring 1949 Vogue Pattern Magazine. Such gorgeous clothes! When I figure out my picture situation I'll post some pages from the catalog.

Happy thrift shopping to you.

 

Frugal Friday - Odds and Ends

Progress Report on floor: The old carpet must have been carpet and pad integrated and the pad must have been adhesive because it left a horrible residue on the beautiful wood floor. I used a paint scraper to get it up and in some places had to use an orbital sander to remove it. (Perhaps a chemical would have done the job, but I'm trying to be frugal here!) Now we are left with the decision "to refinish, or not". Even where the pad came up easily it left a slightly hazy residue on the floor. My feeling is that as long as the room is empty, let's refinish and then we can enjoy moving in to a room with fresh paint and a fresh floor.

Yucky residue.

Yucky residue scraped off.

Area where I used the orbital sander to remove the yucky residue.

 Now on to more fun things:

Bad photo of Tim with a piece of popcorn clinging to his side.

Calico napping in Dr. Hair's laundry hamper.

JET (purple shirt), Dr. Hair (white shirt), and two of JET's roommates
Occasion: JET's birthday on Sunday

JET, the birthday boy & PFCMom, the birthday dinner planner and provider

What's a young thing like you doing with a face like this? Where did my youth go?

Okay, now for some frugality:
What do you do when you find at the store a bag of bananas for a buck?

They aren't bad, just a little spotted on the outside. First we eat a few on cereal for breakfast, a few more in smoothies and then the rest . . .

These bananas are actually a few days after I bought them and yes they are really ripe.

are smashed up, measured and put in freezer containers with lemon juice for banana bread. 

Containers of 2 cups of mashed bananas and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice.

When I want to make some bread I take the container out of the freezer and thaw it overnight on the counter (or in the fridge, but it takes longer), then I can make bread in the morning and the house smells good all day.

Here's another little frugal practice of mine.
See that brown thing that looks like a trash can next to the night stand in my bedroom?

PFCMom's Bedroom

That brown thing is actually two paper grocery bags, one slipped inside the other with the top folded down, which I use as my trash receptacle. This one has lasted two years (see the autumn scene?). I didn't have money to buy one, couldn't find one I liked anyway, so I made one.

Repurposed paper grocery bags

A friend of mine repurposes tin cans for all sorts of things, sells them at craft fairs and gives them as gifts. These are two I use as "pencil" holders. She got the idea from a craft magazine that showed painting on terra cotta pots. She didn't want to spend money on pots and looked for an alternative. I think the cans are terrific. (When I get my Christmas stuff out I'll show you the one she made me that I think is absolutely darling.)

Repurposed painted tin can pencil holders

 And last on our tour today, a way to corral those water bottles:

Basket for bottles

I searched thrift stores for a basket deep enough to hold the tall bottles; I had tried short baskets but the bottles would topple and scatter. This one keeps them nicely corralled on top of the fridge. 

Neat and tidy bottles

Just a note on searching for things at thrift stores--Be patient and go often. Those are the keys to scoring treasures at tightwad prices. The other rule is to buy when you see it, she who hesitates is out of luck. The item won't be there next time. I have never regretted buying anything because if it doesn't work out I can always re-donate it. But I have truly regretted NOT buying items, thinking I'd go back for them later. Wrong.

Have a great weekend!

De-Cluttering Monday

Noble introduced me to Miss Minimalist last year. Although I'm not ready to downsize to 100 items and live like a Nun, it has helped me to move in the direction of owning less.

Two other factors have come into play recently. One was helping my mother, and sisters-in-law, clean out my younger sister's room after she died. My sister was confined to a wheelchair most of her life. She had several hobbies and interests, all of them heavy on the stuff. She loved make-up and nail polish, and had tons of both, along with dozens of bottles of perfume and bath products. She was a "Stamper" and had hundreds (maybe thousands, since I'm not sure what they cost) of dollars worth of stamps, ink, paper, paper cutters, doo-dads, and such. All her life she'd been given stuffed animals and had kept most of them. She never got rid of clothes as she outgrew them. We must have had a dozen large garbage bags of clothes to go to the charity shop. Oh, one other thing she loved was jewelry, she could have opened a store!

Helping my mother sort through this and bag it up was interesting. To me it was just junk to be gotten rid of, for my mother it was all kinds of memories. What it taught me is, of course, that we leave all our stuff behind when we go home. I knew that, but had never gone through the actual clean out before. Second, that the most valuable things to leave behind are not material goods; it's the journals and photo albums (if they are well labeled) that are the most valuable, as they are a record of a specific life lived. I have often wished my grandmother's had left journals and photo albums. I don't feel I know them well enough. My father and grandfathers each have written a personal life history; those are precious volumes to me. My dad has been really good about putting together and labeling photo albums. My mom is currently working on her life story.

Clothes, dishes, jewelry, knick-knacks, toys, hobby supplies, furniture, music cd's, DVD's, and any other personal belongings usually get divvied up, sold, donated, or trashed. Unless it is an unusual piece or it has specific sentimental value to another family member, it is simply excess junk.

The other factor in moving me toward a less encumbered life has been children leaving home. I don't need so many things in the kitchen, or the linen cupboard; outgrown games, toys, and books can be donated; the fact that we live in a much smaller house than we did five years ago helps too. There just isn't room here for all my "stuff." Plus, the fact that some of it has been packed up for the past three moves means I probably can get along without it. I also want to get rid of the cost of our storage unit. Little by little I'm proceeding toward my goal of a place for everything and everything in it's place.

Today I went through my kitchen cupboard where I keep serving bowls and such. I removed duplicates and excess, reminding myself that I have enough and some things can serve in multiple ways. I rearranged what was left and it sure feels good to have more room in the cupboard.

Our town has a community-wide yard sale in the Spring so I'm preparing for a big sale. Whatever is left will be taken to my favorite thrift store.

P.S. Happy Birthday to Elder PW - He's 21 today!

I love to Iron

Day Thirteen of Count Your Blessings

I'm really grateful for people who don't like to iron, because they give all their expensive linen clothes to thrift stores where I can buy them at prices I can afford, then I can look great in expensive clothes without paying a fortune.  Whew, that's a mouthful.

I love linen!  It is cool in the summer, warm in the winter (layered) and feels heavenly to me.  Most people don't like it because it has to be ironed.  I love ironing!  It is a brainless job that I can do at the same time as something pleasurable such as watching a movie or listening to a child tell me about his day.  (Dishes are similar, but I haven't figured out how to move the sink into the living room so I can watch a movie, so I just listen to music or children while working in the kitchen.)

Anyway, I look for linen pieces whenever I shop at thrift stores.  My latest find was a lovely shirt. I fell for the colors and classic style.  I wasn't sure what I would wear with it, but figured for a couple of dollars I couldn't go wrong.  And it just spoke to me!  Once home I took it to my closet and realized that I had both a skirt and a pair of slacks that would coordinate. This morning I pulled together this outfit for church:

So,  a big thank you to whoever didn't like to iron for donating this gorgeous shirt for me to have.