2020-01-12 A few frugal things- Festival, Soup and Selling Books

We went to a local fishing festival at a local historic downtown with a live bluegrass band and then to an Asian Light Festival at the zoo last night. The first was free the second wasn’t but it’s still good to support local programs and we had fun.

Frugal Things

– Saved $150 by getting my dog’s yearly shots at the local SPCA shot clinic instead of the vet.

– Learned that our 50lb puppy, who won’t let anyone cut his nails, won’t need to get his nails clipped if we walk/run him on concrete a lot. All the more motivation for free exercise.

– My aunt just gave me a list of a bunch of free ebook websites. I am trying to read more and usually get my ebooks free from the library.

– Free lunch and leftover snack from a work meeting last week.

– We cooked breakfast at home instead of going out to eat. At least $50 saved and breakfast was great.

– I bought an orange tree for 50% off because it looked a bit faded. Apparently all you have to do is ask nicely at Home Depot and they might give you a discount on the plants that they own as opposed to have delivered from a nursery.

– Prepped some yogurts for breakfast so that I make it easier not to buy food on work days.

– As I write this, I have a pot of split pea soup on the stove. It’s main ingredients are a $2 bag of split peas and the leftover ham bone from Christmas. So cheap and delicious

Not So Frugal

– Buying a year worth of Trifexis for the dogs. However, it was much easier than dealing with an online pet pharmacy and trying to get the vet to send over our pet’s records. Trifexis isn’t cheap to begin with but we love our pets enough that we don’t want them to every get heartworms, other worms or fleas. And we really, really hate fleas in this house! We haven’t had any flea issues (they are horrible here in FL) since we started using it and we don’t spray for bugs in the house.

 

Extra Income

– Still working my second job. It’s great extra income but does get tedious at moments.

– Just sold an item on Poshmark.

– Trying to be very selective about what I buy to resell. I want an items to have a list price of at least $30 (ideally) and a sales price of at least $20.

– Listed a bunch of books on eBay. I figured out a system and finished 17 listings, pictures to listed, in two hours. I haven’t sold books on eBay in forever so I guess I’ll see how they do.

– Listed some new Poshmark listings. I haven’t gotten a lot of action from them yet but my strategy is to list high and then lower the price slowly if items don’t sell.

Sustainability Living (Eco Friendly, Harmful Chemical Free, Reduced Waste, etc.)

– Continuing to buy everything possible secondhand. This has also saved us a small fortune over the past 10 years.

– Specific clothing items that I need I have been buying off of Poshmark with my credit for selling items. It helps to fill in items that I have a hard time finding right when I need them at the thrift shop.

2019-09-21 Thrift Finds- Stuff to Sell and Home Decor

I’m trying to post my thrift trips more frequently. Hopefully you enjoy reading them on the blog but I also use these posts to keep track of where/when I got items and what I paid for them.

I got the above 2 metal decor balls for $2 and $3 for my house. I think they are really cool and I have an idea of what I’m going to do with them.

The above boots were $6 but they were Vibrams brand and I think they will sell well. The furniture feet protectors were $1.

The above clothes were $2 or less each including the new shorts in the pic below. I was hoping they would fit me.

The above bags of vintage toys were less than $3 each. I’m not entirely sure what I bought yet but they will be easy to list in my light box. I also see a puppy foot in the picture.

The above Columbia jacket and Victoria’s Secret PJ set to sell for $2 each.

The above purses were around $3 each and are The Sak, Giani Bernini and b.o.c. (a brand I would normally sell in shoes). The purses are in such great condition that I am going to experiment with selling them on Poshmark. The wooden tray and the planter were about $2 each and are for my house.

The shoes in the below two pictures were $2 a pair or less. A few for me but most to sell. I will post updates as they sell.

I got the above small dog pen for $3. We have bought bigger ones before that are a minimum of $50 each.

I got the above weights for $2 total for B. They were originally $2 each and it was half off day and the cashier only charged me $2 for all of them.

2019 End of July thru Start of Sept Thrifts

I am trying to get better about posting individual shopping trips but I had a few unexpectedly busy months. I am still posting these pictures in a group because it helps me to remember where/when I got my items and what I paid for them. Some of the items here were purchased to sell but most were purchased for me or my family. I will add little updates to this post eventually as items sell.

I was really excited about the above set of 4 fluffy towels and hand towels for $5 on the left above. On the right, there are other hand towels that I probably paid about $5 for.

I found the above wreath for $4.99 and the can holder stand for $7.99.

All of the bags in the above picture were from a $1 bag sale. Including the leather Giani Bernini bag and the green gorilla Kiplinger bag. I was especially excited about the small fold up back pack that you can’t see very well on the bottom right. I always like to have a small extra bag when I travel.

There is an above close up of the $1 green Kiplinger bag and black $3 The Sak bag.

I got the above Giani Bernini wallet and shirt for about $3 each and the shoes for me were $5.99.

I got the above Lilly Pulitzer dress to resell for $12 which is much higher than my usual but it’s in perfect condition.

I got the above set of Target pictures for $4.50, they are in like new condition. Now I have to decide if I want to keep them or sell them.

I’m really excited about finding these black Ariat leather riding boots for $10. I do really well with Ariat boots.

 

The two pairs of shoes above were part of a $1 shoe sale. The pair on the right are Ariat brand and weren’t in great shape but I fixed them up a bit.

Update- The Ariat boots sold for $20 + shipping.

 

All of the Items pictured below cost $2.50 or less each. Most items cost less than $2. Most were purchased for me or my family with a few items to sell mixed in like the overalls and True Religion Capris.

My mom asked me to look for hand towels and stove burner covers and that day I found new stove burner covers and hand towels! She should request items more often!

2019 End of May / Start of June Thrifts

I got the above air fryer for $6 at Goodwill and it works great! As usual, I am behind posting my thrift finds. These items are from several trips to several thrift shops and church rummage sales.

The above clothing items were $3.50 each or less. The sweater was .10 cents. The fan was $6.

Update- The Halloween Sweater Sold for $30 plus shipping

The shoes above were $2 or $6 a pair. The two pairs I paid $6 for were for me.

The above clothes were $4 each or less.

The above UGGs were only $1 but they smell like smoke so I’m trying to get rid of the smell.

The two pictures above and one below were $5 each.

The above Birkenstocks were $2 each at a church rummage sale.

Update- The shoes above sold for $30 plus shipping and $25 plus shipping.

The above Dooney and Bourke purse was only $2.99.

In all of the below items, everything pictured was purchased at $2.50 or less each unless noted.

The Vera Bradley purse was $3.

 

 

 

Update- The red Nacona boots sold for $20 + shipping, the brown Nacona boots sold for $24 + shipping, the Colombia hiking boots sold for $20 they were worn

5-30-19 Rockledge Goodwill Outlet Bins Second Trip

I had so much fun during my first trip to the Rockledge Goodwill Outlet that I had to go back! It’s a little over an hour from my house. I ended up with 21 pairs including Gore-Tex, Toms, Nike, New Balance, Lucky Brand, Michael Kors, boc, Brahma, Sorel, Sam Edelman, etc. The shoes were $1.99 a pair and all clothes were $1.49 a pound. I spent about $70 total for everything but most of the clothes I bought for myself and family members. I have already made a profit off of the shoes that have already sold.

Update- 10 pairs of the above shoes have already sold on Poshmark for $20 to $50 a pair each and I am keeping the teal New Balance sneakers and brown strap sandals. I put the golf shoes in my yard sale pile because I only bought them for the shoe inserts and aftermarket shoe beds.

2019-07-01 A Few Frugal Things- Summer Pot Garden and More

I have slowly been building a summer pot garden. So far my plants are doing fairly well. It’s hard to grow in pots because they get dry so fast in FL. I am collecting rainwater to water the plants with. I am also reusing yogurt containers like the ones below as pots.

– I have also purchased some pots secondhand and I am shuffling the plants I have to put them in the correct size pots if I can.

– I wanted a summerish wreath for the front door and found one for $2.99 at Goodwill after not liking the $30 brand new ones at a regular store.

– We wanted some stools for our counter. Dad happened to have some extra ones he wasn’t using and gave them to us.

– I am back to work for the summer which means that we have been planning ahead more for groceries. We meal planned but still probably spent too much on groceries. We are trying to eat fairly healthy though so I guess that’s the trade off.

-I visited the local animal shelter because I was in the area. They sell really nice pet beds for $5 and Kong type toys for $1. I stocked up and the pets are enjoying them.

– We continue to enjoy the pool and jogging in the neighborhood for exercise.

– We are about to have a bunch of family come visit. A huge advantage of having extra bedrooms and a pool is saving money on hotel rooms and entertainment when family visits. Not sure this always saves us money with extra people in the house but it saves them money.

– I was sent a coupon for a certain pet food website that I’m not very happy with. The coupon didn’t work so I contacted customer service and found out that they send out the same code multiple times but you can only use it once. I told them I was going to cancel my order, because I actually was going to use another site and ended up getting a $21 discount.

– Amazon mailed my conditioner in a too small box with some heavyish shelves. Of course the bottle burst and the shelf box was damaged. They sent me another conditioner and gave me a $5 credit. I HATE having to contact customer service but I’m polite and truthful and sometimes it pays off.

Not so Frugal- 

– We realized that we are spending $30 more a month on electricity this year than last year. We are using our air conditioning less and have no other huge drains on electricity so this is quite strange. I think they might have raised the rates for our electric company. We only have one option in our area and we are already very careful so there isn’t much else we can do.

– We have gone out to eat a few times to celebrate going back to work. I regret nothing.

5-10-19 Rockledge Goodwill Outlet Bins First Trip

I’m always excited to try shopping at a new Goodwill Outlet. I’ve found that they vary greatly in how nice or shady they are. This one was especially nice. I spent $18 on everything below. The shoes were $1.99 a pair and not sold at $1.49 per pound like everything else. I only had about an hour but I could tell that it would be worth going back when I had more time to shop. My second trip was amazing and I will add the link here as soon as I post it.

Click HERE to see my second and better trip to this outlet. 

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

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

Click HERE to read my advice on how to get ready for the Goodwill Outlet. 

Update- The minnetonka black and turquoise sandals already sold on Poshmark for $35.

5-5-19 Thrift Finds – Henri Bendel Purse, Lingerie Chest, Baby Uggs, Ariat Boots

I had a great thrift day at the Boys & Girls club thrift shop last week. I don’t shop there often because it’s a little out of my way and the prices can be a little high but I will definitely be making my way over there more often! The above Henri Bendel Purse that I found for $5.99 will probably sell for over $100. It’s my first time finding that brand. I will update this post as these items sell.

I have been looking for a lingerie chest for about 3 years now. This one is in great condition and was $69.

The above baby UGGs were too cute to pass up for $3.99. They do need to be fixed with suede cleaner eventually.

The above Ariat boots were $2.99. I sold a plain pair in bad condition for $30 two hours after listing so I grabbed these right away. I think they will sell for $50-80.

For $1.75 the above Candies backpack is very on trend for the small backpack craze. I sold another one recently with no brand name.

I thin these kids overalls were $2 but I have sold several pairs of overalls recently.

This Lululemon top is only my second time finding it secondhand. It doesn’t have a size tag but I still think it will sell.

I found the above items in a .50 cent bag sale.

I also found some clothes for me for work including the green pants, comfortable suit jacket and purple sweater that I am really happy with. I also love the Trader Joe’s refrigerator bag as those are great to keep in the car. The Rainbow Dash backpack I will sell on Poshmark. The above teal sweater had holes all through it which was a bummer because it was really cute!

Overall, a great day of thrifting. Two thrift shops and lots of great finds!

 

April 2019 Thrift Finds- Wii for $5 and more

I got the above Wii and accessories for $5.50! We tested it and it works. It currently sells on ebay for around $40.

Update- The $2 J Crew jelly shoes sold for $37 + Shipping on Poshmark.

I’m a little behind posting my April Thrift Finds. I was busy finishing my full time job for the year and then going out of town for a few days.I did have some good finds and I do like to post about them. Everything on this page was $2.50 or less unless noted.

I think I paid $4 for the brand new Steve Madden travel case for B.

I’m not sure yet what I’m going to do with these jumpsuits but I’ll figure it out.

Update- The above flip flops sold in a set of 2 for $20 + Shipping on Poshmark.

I was very excited about these two bags. I got the Vera Bradly duffel for $4 and the other bag for $2.

Update- The $2 Disney kids UGGs sold for $20 + Shipping on Poshmark.

Update- The $2 Rustic Toms on the right sold for $15 + Shipping on Poshmark. They were in worse condition than I thought.

4-13-19 A Few Frugal Things- Pool Day!

We are so lucky to get to spend the day by our pool. The dogs enjoyed it as well.

Frugal Things

– We bought some food and drinks at the grocery store for a nice day and dinner rather than eating out.

– Our puppy trims his own toe nails, so strange! But it saves us $ and torture (for him and us) of going to the groomers.

– I declined additional work meetings that I didn’t have to be at. Saving me gas , tolls and travel expenses.

– We are trying cheaper dog food for the 50lb puppy. He was very underweight when we adopted him and so he doesn’t need the expensive weight loss food our adult dog needs.

– I got a lot of needed small household and grocery items at Dollar Tree. I got rubbing alcohol, minced garlic, dandruff shampoo, cat treats, stain remover, etc.

– I bought some new work clothes for a few dollars at the thrift shop that I really love. This has inspired me to go through the rest of my teaching clothes and get rid of what I’m no longer wearing. I don’t have time yet but I’m looking forward to it.

– We found a new pet sitter who is a LOT more affordable. Hopefully it works out.

– I wanted to get the dogs new bones that don’t scratch the floors, that aren’t choking hazards, and last. Benebones are our usual at $13 each. I saw some at Publix that looked similar for $5 each and decided to try them.

Extra Income

– I continue to sell items on Poshmark even though I don’t have much time to list more until summer break

 

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