Should I go back and snatch this beauty?
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
I hit a couple thrift stores this weekend in search of an entryway bench. Instead, I found a wooden chest (image at right) that could double as a bench with storage. After seeing the price tag, I walked away. It was $50! I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the chest. Did I make a mistake leaving it behind?
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
Urban Woodstalker/flickr
Do you know the main idea that separates people who live over-budget from those who live under-budget?
People who go over-budget do so because they think they must have NEW stuff. This often translates into buying at the highest price. Go to the mall and buy a new shirt. Top dollar. Go to the car dealer and buy a new replacement part for your car. Super top dollar. Go to the bookstore and buy a just published book. Very expensive.
Some people feel that it is “bad” or “uncool” or “low class” to buy recycled, used, or discounted. Well, if you are super rich and have money to burn, then, be my guest and buy retail. I surely want to go to your yard sales and I certainly don’t want to try and balance your budget.
The Facey Family / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
If you’re cleaning up your home this spring, don’t just throw things away. Make money from spring cleaning by selling things you no longer need or want. Below you will find my suggestions for where to sell used books, clothes, electronics and much more. I added five suggestions to avoiding a major headache when selling items.
- Clothes – If your clothes are in good condition try selling them at a local local flea market. This will be time consuming as you’ll have to find a local flea market and wait till an interested party approaches you. If you don’t have time for this, use sites like eBay and Smashion.com. (more…)
This post is brought to you by DailyVista where you can get new business leads.
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of Bobbisbargains.
mirimcfly/Flickr
This question just came in from a reader in Southern California:
Can you suggest sources of quality dresses to wear on job interviews? Most stores don�t seem to carry business dresses anymore. The key factor wanted is QUALITY with conservative designs. Would like to pay no more than $100 for an interview dress, if possible. Pantsuits are not the best choice for my field and age group, but skirted suits are ok. Any ideas? I am a mature job applicant who does not look appropriate in wild, trendy styles.
My immediate answer was (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?
I was in San Francisco last week visiting a friend and I showed up a little early so I popped into a thrift store called Painted Bird.
Inside I found a high concentration of stylish and beautiful used clothes. The white-washed store consisted of two circular racks, a clothing display along the side and back wall, and a jewelry case by the register. Each item had a neat blue price tag attached by a thread, which I knew meant the prices were going to be noticeably higher than Goodwill. But the figures for a few items I checked were not unreasonable considering their excellent condition.
Plus there was the hipness factor. Just walking into the store increased my hip quotient so I knew if I actually bought something it must mean I was a trendsetter, right?
Then I spotted a pink scarf. It was clearly used but no where ripped or torn. The delicate wool was very ladylike and the pink material was sprinkled with green patches. The price? $6.95.
I recoiled. If it had been $5 I would have purchased it immediately. But $7? Hmmm…I re-tied the pink scarf on a hangar and shuffled onto the next hangar. Soon I came to a creme-colored 3/4-length wool coat that had golden brown buttons. Very stylish, but not a wise purchase for me. I live in Los Angeles and it’s summer! If I was living in San Fran, however, it would be a suitable summer coat. The city is cold!!!
The coat would look perfect with the pink scarf. I considered asking them if they would take $5 for it. I left the scarf on the shelf to give myself an out if they turned me down. But as I approached the register the sales girl left the counter to attend to a mussed display. I paused, checked my watch, and walked out.
Two blocks later I realized my mistake. Once in motion, however, I find it terribly difficult to stop and turn around. I met my friend and told her about the Painted Bird. When I left four hours later I crossed my fingers that it was still open.
It was not. Now I really regretted not having purchased the scarf. It was pink! How can you go wrong with pink? My $7 would probably not even get me a new scarf made of polyester at H&M. And this was a beautiful, delicate wool scarf. Sigh.
On the walk back to the BART train I snapped pictures of the frugal window displays. There were plenty of options, and none of them pink.
Have you ever regretted NOT buying something?
Get a $25 gift certificate from Restaurant.com for $3 with code SAVE. Expires March 31, 2009.
Win a $25 gift certificate from Children’s Orchard, a used clothing store for kids, by following them on Twitter (@childorchard) and by being the first to correctly answer their Famous Moms Quiz. The quiz is everyday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. EST. Here is an example from a press release: “This modern, pre-historic mom raised acute little girl while married to the loudest guy in her rocking town. Who is she? If you knew the answer, Wilma Flinstone, then you could have won a $25 gift certificate.”
Get free shipping on nine specific items at Sephora or when you spend $50 or more. Now through April 1, 2009. Use code SHIPFAVES when checking out. The nine items include Philosophy Hope in a Jar, Bare Escentuals bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation, Givenchy Phenomen’Eyes Mascara, Nars Blush, Clinique All About Eyes™ Rich, Smashbox Primer for Face, Sephora Bronzer Brush, Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer, or Living Proof products.
For SoCal residents: get a yearly pass to Universal Studios Hollywood theme park when you buy a regular-priced admission ticket now through April 30, 2009.
There are many items in your home that you can sell or donate for a tax write off instead of tossing in the dumpster.
Sell valuable items a la carte
1) Sell your old iPod or other electronics on BuyMyTronics.com.
2) Sell your unwanted clothes at a consignment shop or head over to your local thrift store.
3) Sell old cell phones through SimplySellular.com, which gives you an estimate online then sends you the cash in about 45 days. (My old RAZR is worth $12.)
4) Sell books to your local used bookstore. (I received $19 in cash for a short stack of books from my Mom’s attic. Recent books in good condition got the best rates.)
5) Vintage electronic equipment and furniture can fetch nice prices on Craigslist.
6) Sell unwanted gold jewelry to a local pawn shop.
7) Sell the rest at a garage sale
If priced right you can sell file cabinets, new office supplies, decorative pillows, dishes, cups, utensils, small appliances, pots and pans, chairs, gently used furniture, electronics, CDs, books, artwork, mirrors, clothes, bicycles, musical instruments video games, toys. At a garage sale, pretty much anything goes.
To guarantee success:
- Make sure items are very clean and well organized.
- Advertise at major intersections and on Craigslist. Mention specific brands and other salient details in your Craigslist post.
- Join forces with a friend if your location is poor or if you don’t have too much to sell.
- Price items at no more than 50% of what you paid or at 25% or less if the item is clearly used.
- Be flexible if buyers want a deal. Remember how good it feels to talk someone down in price? Allow some room for dropping your prices.
- By 11 a.m. if traffic slows cut your prices by half. Wouldn’t you rather sell a shirt for $.25 than drag it to Goodwill?
Donate whatever does not sell
Call your local house of worship or school to check if they are collecting items.
A few quick tips to find the best stuff at thrift stores, courtesy of the LA Times. These tips ran with a longer story on men’s thrift stores in LA.
- Hit the thrift stores on Monday or Tuesday, after they have taken in weekend donations.
- Shop at thrift stores in better neighborhoods, which will have higher quality stuff.
- Inspect clothes carefully for tears, missing buttons, holes and stains. These imperfections may not be easily visible under store lighting.
- Don’t dilly dally if you like something. Stock turns over quickly.
Want to get in on the thrift store action? Find a thrift store near you using these online directories:
The National Association of Resale, Consignment and Thrift Stores
