Tag Archives: eco-friendly

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!

I made my own produce bags out of an old shirt

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I have been thinking more lately about how to reduce waste (we already don’t use any paper products besides toilet paper) in our house hold and how to use less plastics. I really wanted some produce bags so that we wouldn’t have to use the ones from the store for smaller produce items like the ones sold on Amazon below.
 


I recently learned to use my sewing machine and when I found this old shirt in the back of a drawer I thought it would be perfect to make semi-transparent produce bags. I also used a small 3 pack of ribbons that I had gotten for free out of the free box at a yard sale for the draw strings. I think they turned out well and I even made one using the snaps already on the shirt. So for free I now have three little produce bags and I am practicing my sewing skills.

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4-29-16 Goodwill Finds- Michael Kors, Lilly Pulitzer, Nine West and More!

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Pictured above are the Michael Kors, real leather, ankle boots that I found at Goodwill today. They feel like butter and fit me perfectly. They were $9.99 which I thought was a lot until I looked up what similar shoes were selling for on eBay (~$75-100) and on the Michael Kors website (~$100-$500). Then I suddenly felt like I got a bargain!

We live by several colleges and many students have to move this time of year. This is a great time to go to the local thrift shops that are packed with donations of items that students simply couldn’t or didn’t want to take with them.

I had a great trip to Goodwill today. I was looking for some stuff to sell on eBay since I will not be teaching the first half of summer and I also went with the goal of looking for some size 6 Nine West Heels to teach in. Nine West heels fit my feet perfectly and I can wear them for 12 hours straight without them hurting my feet. 

I honestly thought I would be searching for those elusive and expensive heels for most of the summer and I can’t believe that I found a black pair and a white pair today (See below photo)! I LOVE these shoes because my feet love these shoes and I believe the black pair is real leather. I buy Nine West business shoes every time I find them in my size (which isn’t very often) and then they usually last a long time compared to cheaper brands but I spend almost all of my time teaching standing and walking back and forth between buildings, schools and classrooms so I’m rough on my shoes.

If you live in Central Florida and see any in a local thrift shop let me know!!!!!!!! No kidding.

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20160429_160016The above teal jacket (it doesn’t look teal in the picture) had such super cool lining and was in such a great color that I couldn’t resist. It’s Mossimo brand. 
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The above picture is of all of the items I found overall including Ann Taylor petite black dress pants, a maxi dress, assorted shirts, a Levi’s Polo shirt for B and a Polo Polo Shirt for B (he can wear polo shirts to his new job), a Mossimo striped dress, a Lily Pulitzer beach bag, the above pictured teal Mossimo jacket, a banana republic sweater and a really expensive winter coat for B.

The last purchase is really kind of funny because it’s close to 100 degrees in Florida right now but this is actually the best time to buy winter stuff from thrift shops because it’s already becoming difficult to remember what cold feels like.

20160429_155541Speaking of the best time to buy winter items I also added to my Ugly Christmas Sweater collection with the above beauties that I will store with the other ugly prize sweaters I will sell on eBay next Christmas. Or we might have our own ugly sweater party, who knows! I also purchased the Grey Herringbone J Crew jacket to sell and the completely crazy flamingo sweater that sells for a crazy amount on eBay. I’ll post an update on what it sells for. 
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I love Maxi skirts and the above boho skirt caught my eye.

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Above is a picture of B modeling his new winter coat. Pickles added the cat hair when I brought it home. Below is a picture of the really expensive interior lining and pockets. Someone paid a lot of money for this coat but thankfully it wasn’t me!

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2-13-16 Goodwill Shopping Trip Haul

2016-02-13 15.25.32I had some fantastic luck last weekend when I went shopping at Goodwill with my father. The local Goodwill is right next to a huge university so there are generally tons of clothes. I really needed more sweaters to wear for teaching because we have had unusually cold weather this winter and I felt like I had already worn all of my winterish dress clothes several times (and I had). As you can see in the picture above I had great luck with sweaters and also some clothes for everyday life. I love trips like this where I have so much luck!

I got-

  • 7 Sweaters for teaching ~ $3 each
  • 6 Shirts for wearing in my daily life ~ $3 each
  • A pair of gray dress pants ~ $1.50 half off
  • A patterned dress skirt to wear regularly ~ $1.50 half off
  • I also was lucky enough to find a small cast iron skillet! (We have a large and medium one already) for $3.99
  • Two large mason jars $.99 each
  • A Wired Magazine book
  • A large basket that the cat quickly took possession of $3.99


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Close up pictures of what I found below 
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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?

Frugal Review

1.My husband has a month free membership to high intensity work our class. He has been going about twice a week and comes back drenched in sweat!!
2.Last weekend my husband and I went to the discount movie theatre to see Krampus. Although it lacked most of the frills of the new movie theatre in our area, you can’t beat $2.50 for a movie ticket and the movie was actually really good!
3.I baby sat this morning for a friend and made some extra money.
4.I sold my first three items on eBay this week and have listed a few more!
5.Although it is around 45-50 degrees everyday here in Austin, TX I have yet to put on my heat. So far I’ve gone the past three months without using my A/C or heat! It has also been fun exploring my new town in nice weather!

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A local park near my house! Texas is much more beautiful than I thought it would be!

-Candy

 

16-01-26 Thrift Finds Goodwill Shopping Trip- Ugly Christmas Sweaters!

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I had a really fun trip to Goodwill today after I stopped at the post office. I found the above ugly Christmas sweaters for a few dollars each. I plan on A) wearing them to a Christmas Party or B) selling them on eBay next year. Apparently this is the time of year to buy them.

 

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I also had some great luck in the shoe department! I bought-

  1. Pair of Blue Sperrys Boat Shoes
  2. A Pair of decorated black heels
  3. A pair of herringbone shoes
  4. A pair of blue heels

The last three pairs I will wear to teach and the first pair I will either wear or sell on eBay.

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In this picture I got a White House Black Market Skirt (also in the photo below), a teaching skirt with hot air balloons on it, a white knit sweater, a thermal men’s shirt for B and a flannel shirt for B.

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I found the above black motorcycle style jacket but it’s all cotton and really soft and comfortable, I also bought a Gators shirt for a friend, a blue flowered infinity scarf, books and a candle holder.

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I also found this Dooney & Bourke Duck Purse like the clutch we found here for $6.99 but I didn’t end up buying it. I wasn’t sure how well it would sell on eBay so $7 seemed like too much to pay.

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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4 Ingredient, Dirt Cheap, No Cooking, Chemical Free, Laundry Detergent! 

CheapFourIngredientChemicalFreeLaundryDetergentLaundry Detergent was one of the last items in my house to be replaced with a chemical free version. The main reason was because chemical free laundry detergent, like laundry detergent in general, is expensive. I also didn’t care to start making my own if it required cooking of any kind. For a long time I simply bought the concentrated $1 jugs from Dollar Tree. They aren’t bad but this recipe is better. I couldn’t believe my luck when I found this Dirt Cheap, 4 Ingredient, Chemical Free Laundry Detergent. I was originally worried it might leave behind some powder or residue but it doesn’t. It just works great!

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a container and mix them up.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Baking Soda
1 1/2 cups Washing Soda
1/2 cup Epsom Salt
2 Tbsp Kosher Salt or other coarse salt

To Use:

Use two heaping spoonfuls for a large load of wash. Use your best judgement for smaller loads.

Thank you to Tatiana Amico for this recipe.

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8-11-12 Goodwill Shopping Trip

imageYesterday I had to drive out to the university I work at. There is a Goodwill on my way home in a nice area that I love going to. As always, second hand shopping can be hit or miss but yesterday I made some great finds. For the first time every I’m actually posting some pictures of me wearing the clothes (minus my face). When I lay them out on the couch there just isn’t the same effect.

The red shirt above was half off for less than $2 and the pink shirt was about $3. I paired them with my favorite pencil skirt (also from goodwill for about $3.69) and thrifted shoes.

 

Totals-

3 Dress Skirts
8 Shirts
2 Sweaters
1 Dress
1 Jacket

Total- $44 or average of $2.93 each item, some of the items were half off

Note- This is a lot more than I usually spend in one thrift shopping trip but when I find a lot of nice stuff that I need for great deals it still saves me a lot of money.

imageThis dress was $5.99 new with the tags still on. It’s a halter dress so I paired it with a small black sweater to make it more professional that I believe cost me .50 cents at another thrift shop. The heels I bought during this thrift shopping trip for $2.

imageI also bought these three dress skirts, the tan one is from Ann Taylor loft, the purple one is from H&M, and the grey one is from charlotte ruse and the great chunky knitted jacket that I love is from Target. I tried them on with other thrifted shoes.

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