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Frugal moms...

post #1 of 222
5/8/04 at 11:00pm
Thread Starter 
Hi All!
Since yard sale season is now in full swing, I thought we should reignite this thread. Share your scores, tell of yardsaling strategies, other $$-saving strategies, tips on having yardsales, etc.

I just went to a yardsale today of missionaries moving to Africa who were ridding themselves of most material goods. (yay, for me!). I got a huge box of candle-making supplies, a deep roasting pan full of unopened organic oil, spices, wheatgerm and art supplies, as well as (drumroll...) two brand new pairs of Birkenstock (yes, namebrand!) sandals. Total?? 3 bucks!!!!!!!

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post #2 of 222
5/8/04 at 11:04pm
OMG!!!!!!!! I am soooo jealous. I know I won't find anything that good around here!!
post #3 of 222
5/8/04 at 11:09pm
I'm so jealous of the Birkenstock find! Good bargains momma!
post #4 of 222
5/9/04 at 12:59am
Julie, you found some great deals!~ would have *loved* to find birks..... we had a community garage sale this weekend it was fun. found a lot of namebrand good quality kids clothes, new balance tennis shoes brand new $2 ... pyrex dishes, nature/animal books...... I love yard sales there are sooo many good finds for not that much money~
(I'm not materialistic and only into namebrands, but I find that kids clothes actually hold up a lot better and last longer) =)
post #5 of 222
5/9/04 at 6:30am
We have the best thrift stores in the world here in Chi-town. I got a pair of NEW Birkenstock shoes and a pair of Dansko for 2 dollars each. Brita filters for 99 cents for an 8 pack . Thank goodness, I couldnt see paying full price. I got a 5 pound brick of beeswax also for 50 cents. I cannot pay full price for anything anymore. Happy thrifting, garage saleing or wahtever is in your neck of the woods
post #6 of 222
5/9/04 at 8:05am
I work for a church, and get to make my purchases at their annual rummage sale while the ladies are setting it up. We've been living QUITE frugally since my husband was out of work for a month (he now has a job...yipee!), so I wasn't going to bother going this year. I had to work anyway, so I went down to the sale to check it out...I found such good stuff that I had to fill a bag (it's a bag sale...$5 a bag). I saw they had two almost-new carseats (formerly owned by a mom I know!) and asked what the price was for them (in case friends could use them, as I knew I couldn't afford them!). I got the two carseats and my bag full of jeans and other clothes for my kids, sneakers, books, cards, coats, etc. ... all for $6!!!

We went to an annual yard sale this year, where we got two bowling balls and a bag last year for $5 total, and were told that if we came back the next day, we could fill a box for $10...any size box. We arrived bright and early the next morning with a computer box....filled it for $10 (oil lamp, lantern, garden tools, a kitchen scale, a case with a beautiful coffee set in it, a Mikasa coffe serving pot, a vase, tools, 40 ball jar dome lids, several containers, about 20 different kitchen utensils, an old metal pin the tail on the donkey game, fabric, a bag full of zippers, and tons more. They had EVERYTHING at this sale!
post #7 of 222
5/9/04 at 2:47pm
yall got some great finds!!!!




we wenty to an auction yesterday where they were selling off storage unit contents.. we are desperately looking for a bike trailer, so we can get some excercise, start saving money on gas, and just get out of the house a little more often.
post #8 of 222
5/9/04 at 11:33pm
Thread Starter 
wow! eveyone's finding great scores! mom2three... I wish I could find some car seats to replace our skanky ones!
post #9 of 222
5/9/04 at 11:35pm
Great finds. I haven't been saling yet this year.
post #10 of 222
5/10/04 at 12:56am

Darkstar, where is the thrift store ?

I also live in Chicago. Do you know that this coming weekend May 15-16, St Francis is having a yard sale, they usually have good stuffs cheap..
post #11 of 222
5/11/04 at 4:34am
Hey hey hey!! Count me in!!! My DH calls me the Queen of thrift!!

I havent been yet, Been down & ILL, but Im Going SALE'n next weekend!!!! (after payday)
post #12 of 222
5/11/04 at 2:01pm
Oooh, I am the queen of garage sales right now. We just moved into a real house, and picked up a shovel, composter (one of the black insulated ones), a hoe and a spade for $7. Yay me! I also picked up a solid oak table (then dropeed it on my toes. ) and chairs for $50.
We just moved to a much more expensive area, but apparently the garage sales are awesome. Yay us!
post #13 of 222
5/11/04 at 2:06pm
I havent been yarding this season yet Between morning sickness, moving and living 13 miles out of town I havent felt like going. Besides they arent in full swing yet. Looking forward to seeing what my good finds wil be
post #14 of 222
5/12/04 at 2:39pm
Thread Starter 
Has everyone here read The Complete Tightwad Gazette ?
Just making sure...
I'm having trouble finding other books to read on saving money that are as good as that one. Any suggestions?
post #15 of 222
5/12/04 at 5:42pm
It is "spring clean-up" time here. Everyone puts all the stuff they don't want in the alley and it gets hauled away for free. I consider it free shopping Last year I got a patio table and umbrella. This year I got a great wooden rocking chair, I just need to make a few small repairs and refinish it! I have hit a few garage sales too. I found a few good deals. I can;t wait till the sales are in full swing!
post #16 of 222
5/12/04 at 5:53pm
I am envious! We don't have good garage sales around here.
post #17 of 222
5/14/04 at 2:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dready*mama
Has everyone here read The Complete Tightwad Gazette ?
I'm holding my LLL's copy of it hostage (actually, I'm just having trouble remembering to bring it back...and I keep rereading it and rereading it!). They have some great tips in there....and the cuban bread recipe works well for loaves as well!

Anyone here freecycle?
post #18 of 222
5/14/04 at 7:22pm
Thread Starter 
:LOL I kept renewing my copy of the TWG until it looked so used, that I finally retuned it and bought a used one from Amazon.com.

I'd love to freecycle, but in my area I guess I'd actually have to start it and be the mod. uh-oh, i think i'd collapse under the pressure!
post #19 of 222
5/14/04 at 11:26pm
Funny I just got done doing our budget and seeing where we could cut costs. We livei n Brooklyn so we go to consign/thrift stores but don't have the luxury of sale-ing.

My question is The Complete Tightwad Gazette how good is it really? Is it really worth the 13 or so bucks I have to spend to get it? Can you give me some examples of valuable-the book paid for itself-tips? Thanks!
post #20 of 222
5/15/04 at 12:04am
Thread Starter 
My post meant to say I renewed the book from the library...
goodcents ~ check your library, they probably have it. There were 3 volumes and the Complete TWG is a compendium.
It is truly inspiring b/c the author has 6 kids and is living debt-free and retired at age 40-something. wow! Taught me how to make & use a price book for buying groceries. Where to make major investments and where not to (bought our chest freezer b/c of it). It's not like any other money saving book I've read. The last ones I checked out from the library were one on saving money by buying nearly everything from the dollar store (=crap), and the other was the Consumer Reports one about getting the best value for your dollar while buying fast food and such!
Amy Dascyzyn's (sp?) book is very practical and real. And serious tightwaddery!

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