Tag Archives: Bargain Shopping

Goodwill Outlet North Austin Shopping Trip, $1 Hydroflask!!

My husbands friend was coming over for a few hours this Sunday so I decided to leave the babe with him and go to the Goodwill Outlet in North Austin. Im trying to start selling more on eBay so the outlet is a great place to find items for my eBay store.As always you never know what you will find at the “bins” as people call them, but it is always fun! I also was able to take a few pictures of the inside to show what this brand new Goodwill outlet looks like. 

My first find of the trip was this super cute Lucky Brand shirt. I plan on selling this on eBay

This is a mens xxl Polo Club shirt. Ive been told before that ugly and big sells well on eBay so I am going to try with this strange hurricane shirt.

Victoria Secret Pink always sells super well and quickly so I picked up this shirt off the floor. It has dirt from the floor on it, but I think if I just wash it the stain will come out.

American Eagle Tank

I’m not sure if this is a dress or a shirt, but I thought it was cute.

I plan to list this Ergobaby infant insert on eBay or on a local Facebook site to see how it does.

Stella & Dot makeup case.

Motherhood Maternity Robe

A friend of my sisters is a few months pregnant so I picked up this dress for her. I am going to see if she wants the robe and this dress.

American Eagle shorts sell very well for me on eBay so I am glad I found this pair.

I also found a Nine West wrap dress, American Eagle khakis, and a few breast pads.

My favorite find of the trip was a 40oz Hydroflask! I was so excited. I own a 20oz Hydroflask and spent around $25 on it on Amazon. I spent $13 so each item was around a dollar.

Now here are a few pictures of the outlet.

 

 

 

5-24-16 Thrift Finds

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I had so much luck when I went thrifting on Tues. The local thrift store is 50% regular items with a school ID. My total was $25 which would have been $50. I had just been in there but decided to go back because their jeans are usually $5 but I wanted to buy some to try to sell on eBay for $2.50. I got the jeans but I also got some stuff for our house. We have family coming to stay with us this weekend so finding extra sheets and a larger coffee pot was great timing.

For the longest time I have been looking for sheets for our queen sized bed. No lie, we have been stretching our old full sized sheets to fit it for about 4 years. I’m of course very, very picky when it comes to sheets but these were so spotless. I never find queen sheets but today I found two complete sets with pillow cases in green and black and they ended up being $3 and $5 each! I also found an additional IKEA sheet for about $1.

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I was also really excited to find two more pairs of 9 West heels (my fav to teach in)!

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I got the above old navy flowered sweater, converse jacket, black sweater (love those buttons) and J Crew sweater also. The J Crew sweater is to sell on eBay.

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This Black and Decker coffee pot was just $2 and in great condition. We had been using a small coffee pot for so long that this is a huge upgrade but I wasn’t going to upgrade until it was for $2!

Free Birthday Gift Items from Sephora and Ulta

My birthday as this past weekend so I decided to pick up my yearly freebies from Sephora and Ulta. If you are a member of both of their free rewards program you are eligible for a free gift for your birthday. These gifts are typically sample sizes of higher end brands. It is a nice way to try out an expensive product without spending any money. image2-22

This year Sephora is offering a mini Marc Jacobs lipstick and eyeliner or a facial cleanser with a face mask. I chose the Marc Jacobs mini gift.

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Ulta’s birthday gifts change every 3 months. If your birthday is in January, February, or March you will receive a sample size of Benefits Roller Lash mascara.

Remember to get your freebies this year!

 

Recent Salvation Army Thrift Store Finds

Every Wednesday the Salvation Army Family Store near my house has a 50% off clothing sale. I think most Salvation Army stores across the country do this. When I was living in Florida the stores participated in this sale too. Ive been trying to go every Wednesday since one of my goals this year was to only buy my clothes from thrift stores. Here are a few of my finds. Some for me and some will go up on eBay!

 

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Victoria’s Secret Yoga Pants $2

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A Gap T-shirt Dress $1.50

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Romeo & Juliet Couture Shirt $2. This brand can be found at Nordstrom. It is one of the new to me items I have bought to wear to my new job!

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A sleep dress by Maidenform $1.50

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A cardigan from The Limited $2. This is for my new job also. As you can see the back is almost transparent.

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An As u Wish dress $2. This dress is from Dillards.

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Kenneth Cole Reaction Flats $5.99. Also for my new job!

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$2 Massimo dress for my sister. I actually own the same dress just in a different size. It is the perfect go to summer dress!

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.99 Cent Wide Mouth Ball Mason Jar. I’m not sure if this is a good deal of not, but I am trying to redo my pantry and use glass jars instead of plastic.

 

The next few items are things I found I am planning on selling on eBay!

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A PJ Salvage pajama top.

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I bought a grab bag full of stamps for $2.99. There were 17 total. Here are a few.

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Blanket Binding found in the grab bag.

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I didn’t buy this couch, but I thought it was a really nice couch in great condition. They were selling it for $400.

What have you found thrifting lately?

How to Get Ready for the Goodwill Outlet AKA The Bins

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I think it’s safe to say that my sister Candy and I LOVE the Goodwill Outlet AKA The Bins in Austin, Texas as proof by our hours long shopping trips two days in a row! We got so many amazing bargains! We literally found designer purses for $1.39 a pound! You are essentially entering a huge warehouse that is full of blue bins of stuff that you dig through to find items you want to buy and then pay for them by the pound.

Click HERE to see our other Thrift Shop / Yard SaleFinds (Updated Regularly!)

Click HERE to read about our Austin Goodwill trips and see our finds!

I don’t want to downplay the fact that Goodwill Outlets are intense places. It is probably only the most hard core, pirate level thrift shoppers that go there. You literally have to be willing to get a little dirty but with some persistence it’s totally worth it. I makes me not want to shop anywhere else because everywhere else is literally 100x more expensive!

However, there are a few things that can make your shopping trip even better. A little preparation can help you make sure you are getting the best bargains.

Here is the list of what I like to bring to the outlet:

  1. Gloves– They don’t have to be heavy duty gloves but it is nice to have your hands covered when going through mountains of stuff.
  2. Hand Sanitizer– If you pick up something and you wish you hadn’t, it’s a quick way to wash your hands.
  3. A luggage scale– I’ll post the link below but they sell on Amazon Prime for $7 and mine works great for my 50lb suitcase and smaller items too, everything is sold by the pound so sometimes it’s helpful to see what something will cost before you head to the register.
  4. A large reusable bag– You want to have your hands free and reusable bags are the way to go. IKEA Bags were the bag of choice at the Austin Goodwill. Note- If you don’t have a bad already this is a great place to grab one. In fact, we often don’t bring our own bags and just grab one while we are there.
  5. A tape measure– One problem we were having at the Austin Goodwill was guessing if something would 1. Fit in the car, 2. Fit on a plane.
  6. Small Purse/Pockets– If you are going to bring a purse make sure it is over the shoulder and small so that you have your hands free
  7. A phone– So that you can take pictures and look up the value of times you might want to sell.
  8. Comfortable, closed toe shoes– You will be on your feet the whole time so you want to be comfortable and you also want to protect your feet.

Other Items You Might Want- 

  1. A phone band– If you don’t have a pocket to put your phone
  2. A stain stick– like the tide togo pens in case you see a mark on a piece of clothing that you really want but don’t know if a spot will come out.
  3. SaniWipes– again in case you see a mark on something that you really want but don’t know if you can clean it.
  4. A Small Over the Shoulder Purse– like the one above if you don’t have pockets to put your stuff in so that your hands will be free
  5. A USB Phone Charger– You might also want a portable charger if you are planning on being there for a long time, if you are as into thrifting as we are you will find that time flies at the outlets

Check back soon to see what we bought on our most recent trip!

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Goodwill Outlet Shopping Trip and Haul- Awesome Thrift Finds at the Austin Blue Hanger Goodwill Outlet & Shopping Tips!

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We went to the Goodwill outlet with no expectations since we had never been before. My sister was visiting me in Austin, TX my new home so we decided to go to this infamous thrift store, where most items are $1.39lb. Yelp reviews were basically 50/50 between this place is awesome and this place is hell. To us the Goodwill outlet is paradise enough so that we went twice in two days! The above picture shows some of our finds including a cast iron Le Creuset cast iron skillet, bags of clothes, a rolling duffle, and a sewing machine. Scroll down to see more from our two trips!

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Shopping Tips:

1. Have lots of time to browse. Take a picture of the price chart to reference.
2. Bring gloves, hand sanitizer and a reusable bag at minimum. To be super prepared bring these additional items: measuring tape, a luggage scale, a screwdriver. Don’t be intimidated by the shopping conditions
3. Do not touch carts parked within yellow lines on the floor. This is designated space for shoppers to leave their carts while they shop for more treasures.
4. If you decide to park your cart in a safe place find a throw or scarf to drape over it so no one will be able to see your finds. Also watch for sneaky shoppers just in case.
5. A section will be closed when they switch out the old bins for new ones. People then line up waiting for the new bins which cannot be shopped until the rows are finished. Once an associate gives the go ahead to shop there will be a stampede for bargains! We watched this spectacle a few times before we braved the crowed. The rush can be compared to a runners high! (It is much easier to navigate this crowd with just a bag)
6. Grab anything you think you want to buy and put it in your cart or bag. You can go through it later.
7. Bring a buddy who knows your taste and isn’t easily intimidated.
8. Know the sizes of your family/ friends because you never know what you might find.
Have fun it is going to be crazy but you will find bargains!

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Our Finds:

2015-12-22 20.22.42A slightly dirty Coach purse (check back soon to see how we try to clean it up)
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Lots of expensive glassware 20 items for $1.99 including a large pyrex casserole dish, pyrex pie dish, pyrex bowl, two corning ware dishes with lids, 3 vision cookware lids, 3 blue mason jars, a pyrex measuring cup, cafe du mode coffee cup, and a stainless steel water bottle!

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This real leather satchel / laptop bag Solo brand. We paid $2.99 and it’s still currently selling online for over $120

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The above really cool brown shelves and picture

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The above seatbelt brand purse that is currently selling on eBay for $50-100

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Really nice children’s books 5 for $1

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The above generic magic bullet for $1 and it works!

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This storage trunk for $2.99

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A rolling laptop bag for $2.99, everything else was weighed @ 1.39lb

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Damage from our first trip including a giant wicker basket for $1 and a free Ikea comforter from another Austin thrift store. Several purses and tons of clothes!

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A floor steamer for 99 cents and it works! An ikea lamp and a bag of corks for DIY projects.


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All the Vera Bradley bags we found over two days. We found more, but decided not to buy the other purses.

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Little girls dress up clothes 1.39lb. These will be a Christmas gift for a friend’s daughter.

Overall, we had a blast at the Goodwill Outlet. Not for the faint of heart, but great for pirate thrifters. 

Have you ever been to a Goodwill Outlet and what did you find?

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R2D2 Dress Costume for only $6.15 Shipped

In honor of the new Star Wars movie, I’m posting about thisR2D2 2.0 Dress  available on amazon for just $6.15 shipped. Click the picture above to see the listing. I think this would be great for a Halloween costume or going to see the new movie when it comes out!

*Affiliate Link Included

Thrift Finds- Black Winter Pea Coat and Black Trench Coat Raincoat $5.99 each

 

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I bought the Black Ambiance brand, pea coat, winter coat for $5.99 (in the picture on the left) and an H&M brand, black, pea coat, trench coat, rain coat for $5.99 (in the picture on the right). I really needed a longer black winter coat and have kept my eyes open looking for one at a thrift shop. I’m not surprised that I would end up finding one during the summer in Florida when it’s so hot people don’t think that that they will ever feel cold again. I had actually looked into buying one of these this winter at Macy’s but they were $50 to $200 on sale. I had also previously looked for a similar trench coat at H&M and they were always $50 to $100. I’m really excited about these deals even though I probably won’t be able to wear them until winter.

Thrift Shopping Tip- Look for items out of season and you will have better luck finding a great deal. Most people aren’t looking for a heavy winter jacket in 95 degree weather and people are likely to get rid of summer clothes in the middle of winter. Stock up and you will be able to enjoy your new items when the seasons change. 

Thrift Shopping Tip- If you are stocking up for the next season, it’s usually better to buy classic pieces versus trendy. A classic, well made cable knit sweater will still look stylish in your wardrobe for years to come. My former roommate gave me a blue cable knit sweater she didn’t want almost 7 years ago and I still get compliments on it. 

Thrift Finds- Designer Oscar de la Renta Tie $1

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B works at a hospital and has to wear business dress clothes. I was excited to find this designer Oscar de la Renta Tie for only $1 at a local Hospice thrift shop for him to wear to work.

Thrift Shopping Tip- Look for secondhand designer labels for the same price as secondhand chain store items. This can sometimes be an indicator of quality and more expensive materials. 

7-8-15 Thrift Finds

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I have been really sick but one of my doctor’s appointments was near a couple thrift shops we rarely get to go through so I shuffled my way to some bargains.

In the picture above I got-

– A pair of comfort plus black dress heels that I’m sure I will be grateful for on days when I’m teaching and tired $5.99

– Another pair of black dress heels to wear while teaching $5.99

– The absolutely adorable pair of purple dress heels with buttons on them $5.99

– A pair of grey pinstripe dress pants that fit me and don’t even need to be hemmed $3.59

– A small wooden jewelry box that I will probably paint $3

– The red towel holder $2.50 that I will definitely paint (these are a great idea for renters who need a temporary towel holder without drilling into the walls)

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– Express long shorts $3.59

– Sun Dress new with tags, I will be bringing this dress on our California vacation this summer because it is a non-wrinkling material $5.99

– Black Boots $5.99, although I won’t get much use out of these during the summer in Florida I would not find these here during the winter for that cheap so I’m buying them for when it gets cold

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– Tan flowered patterned collapsible tote, great for storage and it will fold flat when not in use $2

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– These two ugly end tables that have good bones for my brother’s new apartment were only $9.99 each, check back for before and after photos because these are going to look great when cleaned and painted!

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