Every now and then, I think it’s fun to share a few things I’ve found at Goodwill, and today is one of those days.
Since Lisey is the oldest of three girls, her wardrobe isn’t quite as filled with hand-me-downs as Sonia and Zoe’s. So, I need to keep an eye out for clothes in her size much more often.
During our Goodwill trip last week, we happened upon three shirts for her. Yay!
Lisey pretty much lives in knit t-shirts and jeans, so these are perfect. They were all $1.98 or less, and they’ve got some growing room in them, so I think she can wear them next fall/winter too.
And then, in the kitchenware aisle, do you see what I spied?
Not one, not two, not three….
…but four glass lidded 1-cup Pyrex containers.
You don’t even know how happy that made me. I love, love, love the 1-cup size…they’re really great for lunch-packing purposes and also for storing bits of leftovers.
Needless to say, those made it into my cart in a matter of seconds.
Why was I so pleased? Well, the multi-packs of Pyrex, which are the cheapest way to go, usually only include one or two of the 1-cup size containers, so I’m always running out. And heaven knows I don’t need to buy another multi-pack…I have plenty of the big containers.
Goodwill priced each one at $2, which felt a little bit high to me, but considering that they sell for $4 apiece at Weis and $7.58 on Amazon
(!), I’m happy to have snagged 4 for $8.
I know some people hate thrift store shopping because they feel like it compels them to bring home unnecessary clutter (and I can definitely see how that could happen), but I think that if you’re careful about what you buy, it doesn’t have to be that way.
For me, the key is to not to buy anything at a thrift store that I wouldn’t buy new.
As Thomas Jefferson said, “Never buy what you don’t want because it is cheap.”
Girl’s long-sleeved t-shirts are definitely something I’d need to buy new if I couldn’t snag any used ones. And they’re so not unnecessary clutter…after all, three girls will wear them (if they last that long!).
And my glass containers are definitely not something I bought just because they were cheap. I use my Pyrex all the time, so the chances of these collecting dust is, well, nil.
How do you keep from over-buying at thrift stores?
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Today’s 365 post: For my aunt
Joshua’s 365 post: A math-watcher and a flute
Hiptobeme
Sunday 12th of February 2012
I had to cut my trips down to once a month, for starters. Then I only buy things that are too expensive new and that I need. For instance, my son needed a duffell bag for sports equipment. A plain black one was twenty dollars at Walmart. I thought I could do better than that. I did. I found a duffell his size for $3! Then I found a large hockey bag from Mountain Equipment co-op. ($5.99) I couldn't pass this up because I have had a backpack from there for close to 15 yrs with no damage. My husband was thrilled with this find for the camping equipment. Then, I left the store after paying before the on-a-roll mindset took over ;)
Hannah
Saturday 11th of February 2012
I keep from over-buying at thrift stores by being a skinflint. ;)
Also, I grew up shopping at thrift stores, so I have no tendency to buy something because it seems super-cheap. (It doesn't seem super-cheap to me. It's just that other stores are super-expensive! :) )
Randi
Thursday 9th of February 2012
Do you ever shop at Target? They have amazing markdowns of kids clothes. I only buy my niece outfits when they are 75% off. Recently, I bought a friend a ton of baby clothes for her shower. Each onsie was 1.12( 75% off), so many cute outfits were 2.74 or 3.48 at most. I was just at Target the other day and they had lots of clearance in Lisey's size.
Janknitz
Wednesday 8th of February 2012
I have a penchant for canning jars. Kerr makes these 1/2 pint wide mouth canning jars that are just a little bigger than a custard cup, and you can buy a dozen of them WITH lids for about $11 - 12. They are PERFECT for taking things for lunch at work, and for storing small amounts in the fridge or pantry. I even use them as you would custard cups--put pudding in them, melt things in the microwave in them, etc--and they have a lid to cover food for storage.
I do not like the Ball 1/2 pint wide mouth jars because they are low and wide and really hard to clean, but I am in love with quart-sized wide mouth Ball jars for storage, too. I buy in the bulk section of the store (coconut flakes, chia seeds, nuts, etc.) and keep everything in jars. They look pretty--I love seeing the full jars lined up in my pantry.
Pint jars are just the right size to store the remains of a can of broth, coconut milk, tomato sauce, etc. in the fridge.
The other trick I recently learned is that narrow mouth canning jars fit on my blender base! You can blend and store in the same jar, and all you have to wash is the base. It turns any blender (with that size base) into your own "Magic Bullet" (and with more power than the "real" ones). It's great for grinding small amounts of dry spices, or making a smoothie. I can pop the lid on the smoothie, tote it to work, store it in the fridge, and drink it right out of the jar! (Sometimes I'm polite and put it in a cup!).
Unfortunately, It's really hard to find canning jars locally when it's not canning season, and I only got one case of each last fall. I'm going to stock up this year!
I'm trying to get rid of all the plastic in my kitchen, so the canning jars are the best. However, it's a challenge to store them all when not in use, especially here in earthquake country as we don't store glass in upper cabinets.
Barb @ A Life in Balance
Wednesday 8th of February 2012
My one weakness at Goodwill was vintage Pyrex containers, but not any more. Even though I love collecting them, I'm working harder on using what I have. If I had seen 1 cup glass containers, I would have snatched them up lickety split!
When I need clothes for the kids because whatever I have from the previous child isn't enough or the wrong season, I always hit Goodwill first and stick to the name brands. I usually come up with a few items which help me stretch what we already have.