Great
Bargains at Thrift Stores and Yard Sales by Monica Resinger
I love the thrift stores and
yard sales because there is a great variety of items and these
items are usually very inexpensive which saves me a lot of money
for spending on other items or saving. Here are some examples of
great deals that I find.
Books: I love reading and
before I discovered the books at the thrift stores, I was a book
club member spending a small fortune on books. Then I realized I
could find books at the thrift stores for a fraction of the price.
This is our local Goodwill's prices for books: hardbacks: $2.99,
paperbacks: $1.99, magazines (this includes craft leaflets) .29,
children's books .99. There is a great variety and the books are
organized into categories. You can also find books at yard sales,
but usually there isn't a huge variety. If you are lucky enough to
find a book you want at a yard sale, it's a lot cheaper than even
the thrift stores!
Coffee mugs: Our local
Goodwill charges .50 cents each! What a steal! These are mugs that
are in good condition and yes, it's possible to find them without
chips. In fact, most of them look like new. Yard sales are usually
cheaper yet.
Craft items: I have found
brand new or very close to brand new squeeze type dimensional
paint and acrylic paint for .25 cents each--another steal! I have
also found beads in plastic baggies for .25 cents each. Silk
flowers in large plastic baggies I have found for as low as .79
cents and as high as $1.59. There is also a ton of sewing patterns
and material--I'm not sure of the prices on these because I'm not
a sewer, but I'm sure they are a good bargain. Knitting needles
and sometimes crochet needles are another find.
Picture Frames: Picture
frames at the Goodwill usually run from .99 to 2.99 depending on
how large and what shape the frame is in.
Household decorations: I
decided to re-do our living room in a tropical, sea type theme. I
had a lot of fun with this project and still am. If you go to the
thrift store with a theme in mind such as this, you will find all
sorts of stuff! My favorite find was a puzzle someone had put
together and framed for $1.99. The puzzle was a picture of
underwater life including a turtle and tropical fish. I have found
fish tank decorations for around .49 cents and if any of you have
bought these brand new, you know they are very expensive. I have
found ceramic shells, real shells, ceramic fish, paper mache fish,
and more very inexpensive items to decorate my living room. I
decorate all rooms of the house including the front and back porch
with this method, and if I ever want to change a theme, it's
pretty cheap to do it.
Clothes: I can't stand paying
$30 for a shirt or a pair of pants. I really can't stand paying
$30 for children's shirts, pants or shoes because they grow out of
them so quick. Some people may frown on buying used clothes, but I
see it as sensible. Most of the clothes found in the thrift stores
and yard sales are in very good shape and you can't even tell they
are used. My daughter who is twelve enjoys looking for clothes at
the Goodwill more than I do. Sometimes when I shop department
stores for clothes, I can't find anything I like, but at the
thrift stores, there is such a variety that I don't have a problem
with this. A few years ago, I paid $9.00 each for pretty, new
looking winter coats for my daughter and I.
Baking pans: A few months
back, I needed a loaf pan, so searched the Goodwill. Sure enough,
I found one that looked brand new for .69 cents!
School supplies: I have found
kid's Fiskars scissors for .49 cents and binders for .69-.99
cents. There is also bagged markers, pencils and crayons.
Rubbermaid or Tupperware
containers: These are only .19 to .29 cents. It will take some
digging to find container and lid matches sometimes, but for the
price--dig!
What is needed to find
treasures at thrift stores and yard sales is patience and knowing
what you want. I go on a regular, sometimes weekly, basis
which allows me to find a great variety of items.
I hope this article has
inspired you to go look for great bargains at the thrift stores
and yard sales. Another benefit of shopping this way is helping
the earth by keeping this stuff out of the landfills.
