Thrift Store Shopping

Recently I was sucked into a local thrift store by the bright signs in the window advertising that all clothes were $1.  I could not just pass by without taking a peek inside.  I ventured inside that store with my toddler twin daughters, my nephew and niece.  It was a blistering hot day, and the store was just slightly cooler than outside.

This particular thrift store always catches my eye as I drive pass because of the color themed window displays.

I immediately found several things that I liked and figured I would be able to fit.  I purchased 13 items of clothes for myself, 3 for the twins and 4 for my son.  I ended up spending around $28, $1 for each article of clothing and very cute United Colors of Benetton bag that was under $10.  Among my finds were several Ann Taylor and Calvin Klein pieces which were very nice. 

Shopping in the thrift stores are great!  You can feed your need to shop, spend a limited amount of money and add to your wardrobe.  I suggest you look into thrift and consignment shops in your area.  If you live in the Hampton Roads area, there are quite a few that are nice.  Some specifically carry children’s clothing and others have a wide range of items that vary from clothing, housewares, furniture to home decor.  I do believe in the phrase that someone else’s junk can be another’s treasure.

Consignment Shop Sale and Baby Food Freebie!

Thanks goes out to Leslie for this post!

“Kid To Kid” on Laskin road in Virginia Beach, VA is having a $10 bag sale of Friday starting at 10am.   They supply the bag and you can stuff as much as possible into the bag from the sale merchandise all for $10!

539 Hilltop Plaza, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23454
Phone: 757-271-3589
Email: virginiabeach@kidtokid.com
Website: virginiabeach.kidtokid.com
Hours:  Monday – Saturday 10-7, Sunday 12-5

Also here is the website to sign up for a newsletter and a starter kit from Beechnut.. Click HERE.  I just requested mine and it looks like they will be sending a box of cereal and two jars of baby food.  They will probably stick some coupons in there as well.  FYI…Beechnut frequently has coupons attached to their cereals and baby foods.  Be on the look out for extra savings!

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De-Clutter your space!

Do you have more stuff than you have space?  Do you have items stuffed and stacked in all of your closets, the attic and the basement?  Is every available space in your home filled with “stuff”?  If you answered “yes” to any of these questions then you need to de-clutter your space!

I, myself suffer from the disease called “cluttered home”.  I find that on a daily basis I can hardly think straight due to the clutter that is taking up every possible space in my home.  I attribute my clutter to the fact that my family went from 3 people to 6 people in two years.  Walking in my front door, you are liable to trip over jumperoos, car seats and diaper bags…and we have double for your trouble.  With twins, a toddler and a pre-teen, you end up with a house that resembles a mix between romper room and Hannah Montana’s bedroom ALL DAY LONG!

Here are a few suggestions for de-cluttering your space.  Free your mind, and the rest will follow…in the words of EnVogue.  Or from Barney himself, “Clean up clean up everybody everywhere. Clean up clean up everybody do your
share.”  We sing the Barney clean up song a lot around here.

Purge: Most of us are pack-rats by nature and keep things because they are “good”.  My DH is famous for saying, “this is good…someone can use it!”  Then he sticks it in the basement or garage where it sits and stays.  Well, if it is good for someone to use, let them use it.  Rather, let them have it!  Purge of things you are no longer using.  This goes for home decor, dishes, appliances, clothes, shoes, jewlery, furniture, artwork and the list goes on and on and on.

• Donate it! There are many charities, agencies and thrift stores that would gladly appreciate your donations of gently used items.  I try to give directly to shelters or charities because I feel that they will be used directly by someone in need instead of sold, but that is just my personal preference.  Many places will schedule a pick-up from your home.  There is a shelter that ties bags on our front door periodically and on a given date they will come by and pick it up.  I love that.  I can bag up some things that we are no longer using, set it on the steps and they will pick it up.  These donations are tax deductible by the way.

• Give it away! Freecycle is a great network for giving your things away.  Join your local Freecycle group and start giving things to people in your area.  Here’s how it works; people post items they have for free or need.  People in the group see the posting and respond.  You set up a pick-up method or location and pay nothing!  The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 4,773 groups with 7,001,000 members across the globe. It’s a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns.

• Sell it! There are so many ways to profit from your clutter.  Get paid to clean up and clear out!

1. Hold a Yard Sale- Put up some signs and set items on the front lawn.  People love yard sales and will drop by just to see what bargains they can find.  You make a profit and get rid of your stuff.  One man’s junk is another man’s treasure!  Check your city’s regulations on yard sales.  We have to get a permit in my city.
2. Flea Markets- This is a great way to sell your stuff, and use mass marketing.  Most flea markets are advertised and have a nominal fee to set up a table.
3. Post Items on Craigslist:  I absolutely love Craigslist!  Post items for sale and wait for people to contact you to make a purchase.  This is a great way to sell anything!  I have found it to be an excellent place to sell baby items!!  Selling on Craigslist generally yields greater profits than yardsales-fyi.
4. Take it to a consignment shop– Let someone else do the work for you.  Take your clean, gently used items to a local consignment shop.  They will sell it for you and at the end of the month, you collect a check for items sold.  Most consignment shops will give 50%-60% of the sales price to the consigner.  You can’t beat that!

A rule of thumb for getting rid of your stuff is if you haven’t used it or worn it in more than 1 year, then get rid of it!  Don’t save clothes for when you LOSE weight!  Don’t keep things just because they are in good condition!  I am working on following my own advice.  I know what I need to do, but I have to be like Nike and “Just Do It!”

I hope you enjoyed this Sip of Savings…Saving your Space!!  De-clutter today!!