Thrifty Shopping at the "Goodwill Warehouse"!

Good Morning Thrifty Friends!

           I want to tell you about a part of Goodwill you may not be aware of. Goodwill has a warehouse. The location is 780 Berry Rd, in Nashville. The hours are 8am-8pm, Monday through Saturday and 11am-8pm on Sunday.This warehouse store is where all the items which did not sell in the regular stores are consolidated. They sort them by type ( clothes, bedding, accessories, etc.) into large 5x8 bins on rollers.These bins are rolled out and lined up in rows by type. After 30 minutes to 1 hour, new ones are brought out and the old ones taken back into the warehouse area. So there is always new stuff to look through. You pay by the pound. It doesn't matter if you have clothes or household items or shoes in your basket. The price per pound decreases as the number of pounds increases. $1.39 per pound from 0-19 pounds, $.99 per pound from 20-49 pounds and $.59 per pound 50 pounds or more. As an example, when you see things in the bins with stickers ranging from $.99- $3.99 each and then you get to the checkout and your total for several things, is $3.49 That's a really good deal.

           The warehouse is not for the faint of heart. There are groups of people who are lined up digging through the bins to find the treasures they are searching for. Some are looking for CD's, others for toys. Some people are grabbing the electronics, games or household decorations. It is every person for herself when you step up to the newly placed bins. A lot of people stay all day and dig. Others like me just go for a little while to swoop in on a bargain.

           Here are some of the thrifties I found while digging at the warehouse. All of this for $10.87. Now I have been there on other days and did not find one single thing, But on this day, it was a "JACKPOT." The globe will be cute hanging in my grand children's playroom. The topiary looks classy in the half bath for now, but I can use it other places too. I can tie on a ribbon for fall or Christmas. After these frames are painted white, they will look "so girlie" in my grand daughter's room filled with "Barbie" calender prints. You know how much those white frames are in the store ($7.99-$15.99). The lamp looks really good on the hall table. I also snagged a lampshade at the regular Goodwill for $4.99 (Target brand)  So 7 items for $10.87, well worth the trip and the time .


So Thrifty"Warehouse" Shopping to you!

Let's get ready for the thrifty deals!

Hello Thrifty Friends!

             Here are some ways to be prepared for the thrifty deals. The number one thing is to know what you want. A lot of people tell me " I  just can't find anything at Goodwill. " I realize to walk into any store can be overwhelming. But only if you don't know what you are looking for. So here are some helpful tips. 

             First, I have a list of things I want on my phone (so I don't have to worry about leaving the list at home). There are several free note apps you can download. This really helps when I am thrifting. I also carry a small measuring tape in my purse. It has really been a time saver. Trying to eye something, while wondering if this will fit is way to much trouble. So I measure to make sure I spend my thrifty dollars on something which will work. If there is a particular measurement I need, I have it listed beside the item I am searching for. I don't know how many times I have found something that I thought would be just right and you guessed it, I had no idea the length or width  needed. I add to my list as soon as I think of something or see a cute idea, whether that is on Pinterest, at the flea market, or in a magazine. I like to take pictures as well so I don't forget how it was made or the color combination. These new phones are like having a personal secretary in your purse.

              I also have a small expandable coupon folder loaded with paint colors as well as discount coupons from my favorite stores. Again I can't tell you the times I left those 40- 50% coupons at home. Some of the best lessons I have learned have been hard. But the main thing is I have tried to set up a way to help myself be ready. I also clip those coupons out of the paper as soon as I see them. I have waited until later to clip them only to discover the paper was thrown away or used for some project.

             It helps to know the styles you like so you can narrow down your search. If you are not sure what you really like or how to style things just look in magazines or on Pinterest. Even if you don't buy all the magazines, you can still thumb through them while waiting in the grocery line. When my husband goes to Home Depot or Lowes, I check out the latest magazines and decorating books.  Thank goodness, they don't charge for just looking. Also I have gotten a lot of ideas by touring model homes or even furniture showrooms to see what styles they put together.   

             These same ideas can apply for clothing. When shopping at Goodwill it is not necessary to look at everything on the rack. Here is one of my secrets. I look for the upper end clothing, Ralph Lauren, Jones, J. Crew, Chicos, etc., not being uppity, but these clothes hold up with the wear. Even if they have been washed many times they still look good. If there is a brand of clothes that fits you to a tee, then that will be one you will be looking for. Some of the brands I mentioned use a lot of stripes, checks, plaids or paisley, so I just go down the aisle narrowing my search to these patterns. If you have a special color that looks good on you, always check that section. Check out those big name brands next time you are shopping, go in one of their stores or get on line to become familiar with what they offer. I can not tell you the expensive name brand clothes I have gotten for $2.99- $6.99. We are talking "new in store cost" $50-$70 or more.  Here is the thing, nobody but you will know where you got it. No one will know if you washed it once or 20 times and the best part is you are being thrifty. Now your clothing budget has just expanded. You can take the $50 you would normally pay for one blouse and get several. I am not saying, we should never buy anything new but after thrifty shopping I have a new found respect for my dollars. 

                I don't always find something every time I go on a thrifty trip. I may go and come home empty handed. The next time I go, it may be over the top. So don't get discouraged. Don't think to yourself this is just a bunch of junk and old clothes. You may be sitting next to someone "dressed to the nines" from her last thrifty adventure.You may even catch yourself asking her,"That is so cute! Where did you get it?"

                I hope these ideas will help you on your next thrifty trip. The deals are waiting!
Here are a couple of pictures of a really good thrifty. $4.99 for a brand new dish (still has the manufacturer sticker on it).This would make a great gift. I have seen similar ones for $12-$20 at Home Goods.

Thrifty Shopping Y'all!               

It's Red, White and Blue Day!

Happy Independence Day to everyone!

Tablescapes are a great decorating tool. They add a reminder of the season or event we are enjoying. One of the best thrifty ideas to use for your tablescape is paper plates. Instead of the expense of regular decorative plates, you know the ones that cost anywhere from $2.99 to $5.99 each, paper plates are $4.99 to $6.99 for a package of 8 or more. Besides the cost factor, the selection of paper plates is over the top. Another benefit of the paper is they take up a lot less room when it is time to store them. If you grow tired of the pattern or see something that is cuter, you can get them without feeling guilty.

This tablescape is a combination of old things I use for a lot of different settings. The white tablecloth was from Target many years ago. (From the sale shelf). The gold chargers are part of the Christmas plan. The blue goblets go with my china. The red striped candles are from the Christmas stash. I have never lit them because I could not stand to not have them available. The Uncle Sam top hat, garland, and wire stars/flags were from JoAnn's. (The sale section, after the holiday when everything is 70-80% off). No need to not be thirfty! The napkins are from an antiques shop, paid $8.00 for 4. They have some crocheted edges, so delicate looking. I wrapped a red and blue ribbon around them.

 Granted, the first year I decided to decorate for the 4th, I did not have much of anything to work with. When the reduced prices started, I was there like "a duck on a June bug". Now I can use these decorations for Memorial Day. July 4th, and Labor Day. So what little money I spent is divided by three holidays. As I decorate for each holiday I mix it up a little. This allows my creative juices a chance to flow.  

Okay Sissies, I want you to look around your house and start to think "outside the decorating box". If you are thinking the 4th is today so why would I decorate now? Well, we can celebrate our wonderful independence all month long.
 If you don't want to do that, now is the time to start thinking about August, back to school and the beautiful fall season. It is never to early to think ahead. Just follow the merchants. Hobby Lobby (one of my favorite stores) is starting to fill their aisles with Christmas goodies.

So enjoy our special day and don't eat too many hot dogs.  

Thrifty Shopping Y'all !!!!

Welcome toThrifty Sissy!

Hello,
I would like to welcome you to Thrifty Sissy. It will be my pleasure to offer some new ideas to decorate your home. I like to take what's on hand to design a different look. While I see a lot of cute things in retail stores it fuels my creative juices to try make it myself. I also want to be thirfty with what I have. So many times there are things you have on hand that you can just pull together to make something different. Plus you are not breaking the budget to do it.

This a a grapevine wreath I picked up at the Goodwill Outlet (More on this later) store for $1.00. I decided to use a grapevine wreath since the wreaths with the wrap around ties are $9.99. I had some left over deco mesh from other projects. I used green florist wire to tie the mesh onto the wreath, then tied the orange polka dot ribbon over it .The orange daisies were cut off an old floral display. The biggest expense was $5.00 for the blue plaid daisy from the sale display at Trees and Trends. Look at this for $6.00 and change we have a one of a kind summer wreath. Daisies and polka dots are so happy!Who doesn't want to be happy when you look at one of your creations?

Thrifty Shopping!