A baby nursery for less than $260!
Remember my post from October about looking for a pregnant Halloween costume? Well, the time has *almost* come. Here are nine ways I’ve saved money in preparation for parenthood.
- We compared the prices of popular baby gear on Amazon, Babies R Us, and Target to make sure we got the best deal on a car seat and other items we wanted to buy new. You’d be surprised which retailer was the cheapest!
- I stalked craigslist, Freecycle, and my local Mommy & Me consignment store to furnish our nursery, pictured above, for less than $260. I can’t believe how much used baby stuff is free or extremely cheap. Here are more places to look to avoid paying retail for baby clothesand gear. (more…)
A swap item worth trading for. Credit: knitgirl63/Flickr
Another story that caught my eye in the May issue of ShopSmart magazine is where NOT to shop online. The thing is, I totally disagree! What do you think?
- Warehouse clubs – ShopSmart argues that non-members pay a surcharge of 5% online, wiping out savings.
I say, do the math. If you’re spending less than
jeffk/Flickr
I recently spoke to Michael Gold of TheThriftShopper.com about the three elements of thrifting, how some thrift stores fool patrons, and where the best thrifting can be found. Gold buys all of his clothes at thrift stores, most of his family’s furniture, all of their reading materials second hand.
What is one thing people don’t realize they can find at thrift stores? What people don’t think they can find at thrift stores is everything. People think that thrift stores are only clothes. Larger thrift stores are mini used department stores. I don’t think people realize you can go to Habitat for Humanity and buy a refrigerator. (more…)
A reader in Arizona shared a few sentences and a picture of some of the steals she found on a recent shopping trip, along with the name of the store and her total bill.
She writes, “I’ve done some hunting for deals at thrift stores – there are three in my little town! I found an Ann Taylor Loft denim dress that I love for 50 cents. For some reason, it’s always fun to find a treasure.”
“My best find was the vintage red Carlo Fiori purse – it’s in great shape, too! And for 50 cents! I’ve used it already and it just feels so fun to carry it!”
Personally, my best thrift store find was a $15 green and white stripped dress made of super soft cotton. I wore it to the Frugal Festival and it is incredibly comfortable. I bought it at a high-end thrift store that specializes in dresses, hence the relatively high price. But it was totally worth it because I’ve already worn it a dozen times.
Do you have a success story? Email me!
back_garage/Flickr
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains
Bargainistas know not to pay retail for clothes (except for undergarments.) We all have our favorite thrift shops and know when the new stuff is put out.
But, what to do when you are on vacation? Are you really going to pay $25 for a t-shirt at the seaside resort when you know there is a gently used version for $2.99 at a second-hand shop within blocks?
Let me introduce you to my favorite “don’t leave home without it” web site – The National Thrift Store Directory. No matter where you are in the United States, plug in your zip code and you will find a thrift store near you. Oh be still my beating heart!
I would much rather visit the local thrift shop in some small town than spend time in a tourist trap. Not only can you pick up local souvenirs for a fraction of the cost (mugs that go for $25 at Disneyland are a dollar or two at a thrift store) but you can talk to fellow shoppers and possibly find out about a local event that you would never know was happening (like a pancake breakfast at the community center or a free concert at the high school.)
The National Thrift Store Directory currently has almost 10,000 listings, but you can help other bargain hunters by adding your favorite store.
What is the best item you ever found at a thrift store?
Smashion.com is the answer to every woman who has a closet of clothes she never wears and doesn’t know how to sell. You can buy and sell clothes for free, which makes Smashion.com a lot more attractive financially than a traditional consignment store, eBay, or Etsy. Plus, the site leaves up listings indefinitely.
When I checked the site had 1,633 items for sale. Impressive considering they launched in October. There were 62 pairs of women’s jeans. All the clothes are new or lightly worn. Some items still have the tags!
One of the cool things about Smashion is that browsing the site feels like going over to your girlfriend’s house and trying on all her clothes. How awesome is that?! It’s fun to browse, and you never know what you’ll find, like this sparkly party dress that has got the seller doing her best moves, above. It’s going for $40.
Smashion is focused on fashion forward clothing. Most of the sellers are regular folks though there are also a few independent designers, too.
Clothing prices are set – no bidding – and payment is directly between buyer and seller through Paypal. Sellers agree to ship your new threads within two days.
In between searching for your next clothing purchase, you can chat with other frugal fashionistas about age appropriate clothes, fake handbags, and other trends. The forums page on Smashion.com has dozens of topics and is pretty active. The site also has a gallery section where people can share fashion inspirations with each other. And there is a blog that is updated daily with tips on how to dress for a specific situation, fashion trends, and reviews of up and coming designers.
Smashion.com comes at a great time. Who isn’t looking to save a few bucks these days – while still being able to afford new (to me) clothes?
