Tag Archives: Green Ideas

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?

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

goodwill outlet thrift haul

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?

goodwill outlet thrift haul smaller

Know someone who is moving? Ask what they are doing with their food!

2015-08-01 13.10.05My sister and her husband are moving out of state and getting rid of almost everything they own, including all of the food in their house. They gave me and B over four jam packed boxes full of pantry items including tons of white rice, brown rice, tons of expensive spices, lots of canned goods, salt, vegetable oil, cereal, honey, pasta, pasta sauce and many other items!

We also gave a lot of spices and some pantry staples to my brother and his gf who just moved into a new apartment.

The items in the picture aren’t even half of what they gave us. These are all items we will use and would otherwise have to buy. It’s also food that isn’t being wasted.

She also gave me various other household items including an almost brand new microwave, clothes, printer and notebook paper, chemical free personal care items, expensive curtains, etc.

 

Thrift Day With the Girls

imageI had some great luck during a day I spent with my girl friends out thrifting. I really have been hitting the jackpot lately when it comes to name brand dress clothes. They are so expensive new!

In the picture above I got-

– 1 pair of jeans $1

– Blue floral skirt $.80

– Mossimo grey pencil skirt $.80

– Ann Taylor black dress $3 (see right in photo below)

– H&M black dress $3.80 (see left in photo below)

– Liz Claiborne maxi skirt $.80

– The cool basket $.50

– The “professor” rolling bag $5.00

– The cool stool that folds flat $3

– The cat FREE (she was free but I didn’t get her today she just wanted to be in the picture!)

Overall I’m very excited about what I got, especially the H&M and Ann Taylor dresses!

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imageThe cat loved the stool. With a coat of paint I think it will be a really cool piece to decorate with. I also bought the cat bed for $.50 but it is too small for her so I’m giving it to a friend.

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.

My $1.50 Coffee Pot

imageWe were very sad when our Black & Decker coffee pot died. Enough has been said about saving money on coffee by brewing it at home but we do make our own coffee every day. I do love waking up to a hot cup of coffee. After the death of our coffee pot, we made coffee every day in our french press (given to us by my aunt because she had an extra one) for about two weeks. This, in my opinion, took longer and used more electricity. I decided that I didn’t want to go to the store to buy a new one. I was determined to buy one second hand. Not because I couldn’t afford a new one, but because of the principle of knowing I have seen a million coffee pots at thrift shops in my lifetime. Lo and behold, I found one at one of our favorite thrift shops for $1.50! And it’s a Black & Decker (brands mean nothing to me unless it’s to brag about how cheaply I purchased an expensive item). And it’s actually nicer than our old coffee pot.

This only encourages me to purchase more items second hand. It saves money, helps the environment, and helps the non-profit running the thrift shop.

8-6-13 Thrift Shop Finds

imageI fell in love with this little decorated drawer set. It looks like a cabinet which I like but I do think that the drawers are more practical. And it was only $2.99! The pattern on the front is very in style right now so I think with a coat of paint (green maybe?) it would look like a really cool, expensive piece. (See this cabinet’s awesome makeover by clicking HERE)

imageI also bought this framed print for $1.99. Not sure where I’m going to put it yet.

imageThese shadow boxes with inlaid clips were only $1.50 and $1.99 each and they will be great to display pictures and souvenirs from our travels.

Overall, a really fun trip! I also bought tons of clothes for .50 cents each but I will write about that later.

Natural/Organic- Clearance at The Body Shop

imageMy sister recently found these two four packs of Natural/Organic shampoo and conditioner at the body shop on clearance for $2 each! Just a reminder that Natural/Organic items go on clearance too even at more expensive shops like The Body Shop and it can’t hurt to look!

To find out more about my adventures in switching to Natural / Organic products click HERE.

$3.99 Better Homes & Gardens Goodwill Lamp

imageWe needed a little lamp for our living room and we had been using our desk lamp until we found one. Luckily the next time I was at Goodwill I found this new in the box, Better Homes & Gardens, lamp with the shade for $3.99 in their Target close out section. When I got it home I realized it needed a little bit of super glue in one spot but other than that it was fine and now I can have my desk lamp back on my desk where it belongs.

Make Your Own Natural/Organic Hand Soap with Only 2 Ingredients

soapwithtextcropIf you have been reading about my Natural/Organic adventures and deals HERE then you already know that I have been replacing the cleaning and personal care products in my house with Chemical Free options. I wanted to find a good alternative to our hand soap especially because I often have dry, cracked skin on my hands and wash them a lot. I ended up purchasing Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap which is made from olive oil and I did a little research on how to turn it into hand soap.

You Need-

– Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap scent of your choice

– 1 Empty Foaming Hand Soap Pump – $1 at Dollar Tree (I gave away the soap and kept the bottle)

– Water

Hand Soap Recipe-

– 1/8 Parts Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap

– 7/8 Parts Water

*This isn’t an exact recipe so I don’t measure, I simply eyeball it*

– Mix it in a foaming hand soap pump. This part is important because if you use a regular soap pump like I did at first it’s really runny and you will use more. However, it makes a great foaming hand soap.

It’s that easy!

You do have the option of adding an essential oil for a different scent but I like the way the Almond Dr. Bronner’s soap smells so I don’t find that necessary. You can also add Tea Tree Oil to make the soap antibacterial but we didn’t use antibacterial soap before we went organic so we haven’t tried that yet.

 

Click HERE to read about more of my Organic / Natural / Chemical Free adventures.

Thanks, to MyMerryMessyLife for help with this recipe.

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