Thrifty Thursday (Thrift Store Finds)

So, on Thursdays, I thought I'd share cool things I find at used stores or yard sales (if I find anything at all), just to show that saving money can be fun.

See, I LOVE thrift store shopping!  There is a thrill of the hunt type of vibe involved in used store shopping.  You never know what you are going to find when you walk through the door.  Sometimes you'll find nothing, sometimes you'll find something cool.

And, honestly, it's a "cheap date" for yourself if you go in with certain things you are looking for in mind, or with a budget in mind for what you want to spend.  I'll a lot of times walk in with whatever change I can gather up around the house (usually about 4.00 or so) and just see if I can find anything cool for that amount or less.  It's fun, it gets me out of the house, and in some cases like this week, it can save you a TON of money when you find the right things.

Case in point this week's finds.  My husband had gotten a pair of Wellington style boots from an old neighbor of ours a few years back and he loved them.  So much so that he plain wore them out.  When the seams split and the boots were barely holding together, I tried to repair them and quickly found that I am not a cobbler.  The boots are now super uncomfortable for him to wear.

So, we've been looking for over a year for a pair of Wellington boots for him and we were starting to think we were just plain going to have to spring for a new pair, which would cost well over 100.00, on sale.

I walked into the thrift stores this week actually seeking a new mixing bowl, as one of my two medium sized mixing bowls that I use ALL THE TIME got broken and made me cry a little as it was also one of two hand thrown bowls I had.  I'm making due without a second medium mixing bowl, but it does not work with the system I have going for baking.  And my bigger mixing bowl that I'm now using weighs a ton, which REALLY stinks when you are trying to scoop batter into a pan.

Anyway, so far I've not had a lot of luck on the mixing bowl front, but a pair of boots caught my eye as I was walking by a table.  Seeing they were in brand new shape almost, I flipped the boots over and was amazed to see that they would fit my husband.  So, I flagged down an employee as the boots were missing a price tag and he went and got them priced for me.  Honestly, I didn't hold out a lot of hope on the price because boots, especially good ones, tend to run expensive even at the used stores.

But, the boots came back with a 6.00 dollar price tag!  I was so thrilled I kept a death grip on those boots the entire time I was looking around the store *laugh*.
 
 I then discovered a couple of days later a few more finds.  My husband had a shaving mug that I'd found at, ironically enough, another used store ages ago and dropped it a few years back.  We've been looking for a replacement ever since.  And found one!  The shaving mug was 1.50, which from the Googling my husband did when we got home, we saved over 20.00 if we'd try to buy it new, and that was without shipping.  So woohoo!

I also found a Tupperware (I collect old Tupperware) container for crafts, which I've been using these for different sewing boxes and such when we run into them.  I'm going to turn this one into a segmented button box for different mending projects.  I scored this one for 2.00 and it's in nearly brand new shape.

So, there's our finds for this week.  Total spent:  9.50.  Total saved by buying used:  Probably close to 200.00, honestly.

Since I'd budgeted out 40.00 for new boots for my husband (as I knew he was going to need them sometime soon), I came out way ahead on that front this week.  Happy girl, am I!