Shopping Strategies - Part 2

 Morning all.  Here we are midweek again.  Time flies by so quickly.  Another chilly morning here - cloudy too.  We supposedly have some adverse weather coming in later today.  I sit on the border of rain vs. yuck!  I hope it stays rain or waits until later - as I have a scheduled get together today - some are coming a decent way to get there.

Today part 2!  Shopping strategies on other things we buy.  There are ways to shop and get deals - yes there are.  You just have to be patient and look around.

First look around the house and reuse what you have.  SO many things can be used for other things.  Do you need a new teapot?  Use a sauce pan instead.  Do you need a new oven immediately?  Use what you have.  Sounds impossible - Jackie has been doing without an oven for a while now and has learned to bake and create a lot of things.  (In the Land of the Living Skies II).  Do you need to buy those Swifter wet/dry cleaning pads?  No - use what you have!

I use old socks on mine all the time - the fluffy socks work great.  Spritz with water, vinegar, dust spray - and clean.  They are washable as well.  I often use old wash rags, microfiber or cut up t-shirts as well.

Get creative!

Old clothes - yours, yard sales, thrift stores, etc. for material to create with.  Our one really affordable big fabric store seems to be going out of business, so you may need to look at other ways of getting affordable fabric.  Even yarn from old sweaters.

Think about scratch and dent stores - salvage shops.  My stove and my refrigerator both came from the scratch and dent dept. of Sears years ago.  Tiny marks in non-descript areas - they work fine still today.  I also got my power washer last year at a discount/salvage buy-out store.  You can find things a lot cheaper than normal retail.

Going out of business sales.  Sure you may not have a store warranty - but there may still a manufactures warranty.  You can get many, many deals this way.

Yard sales, thrift stores, etc.  GO!  You can find all kinds of things gently used or maybe even brand new.  If we spent more dollars buying from places like that - there may be less new manufacturing.  IMO that is a good thing.  Use what resources are available already and for a lesser price.  I have purchased brand new small appliances (my new Nuwave air frier $10, my brand-new Soda Stream $15).  New clothes, home furnishings, yard and garden art, tools, toys, coats, etc.

I love the idea of keeping things out of landfills and buying them from another person.  People often donate entire households of items after deaths - and so many wonderful things are included. There is no limit to what you can find.

Vintage shops.  Around here they are kind of thrift stores with a theme!  Lots of neat vintage and retro items can be found for such a good price.  Some of the older items are made so much better than anything new you can buy now.  

Most thrift stores have a variety of clothes as well.  Lots of classy basic looks, goth for kiddos, Boho, vintage 50's - you name it - you can find it.  Never forget these places for costumes for drama programs, and holidays as well.  Dresses for prom - even weddings.

ASK!!  Put the word out to family, friends and neighbors that you need -------.  Odds are someone may have it, or they may know someone.  Often you can get things for FREE or for a nice barter.

Getting by.  When we first married - this was our dining room table!!  Yes it was.  We had expenses of remodeling, bills we came into marriage with, and just setting up a household.  So, we used this for a while.  It worked!  I used this for the 2 years I was living alone as well.  It served its purpose.  After we decided what we wanted - our parents went together and bought us a dining set.  But we were happy to use what we had.

After we got a 'real' dining set - this went outside and was used for a long time.

After my mom passed, I inherited her stainless cookware set that she got when I was about 6 years old.  I am still using it!  It is very high end and sturdy and still looks like new - well taken care of.  She managed to get such a nice set, because daddy sold it for a while as a second job.  So cookware that is about 64+ years old and it is still lovely and useful.

Just remember you don't have to have brand new or the biggest or the best of things.  You can get by just fine with lesser items.  Shop and look and have patience.

There are so many options of places to shop at.  PLEASE think gently used and save things from landfills.  

Take good care of what you and it can last for ages.  NEVER be ashamed of what you have.  Be thankful.  

Love to hear some of your stories about fun finds!!!

Have a super day everyone.

Be safe.