thrift stores

Frugality and Facing Your Fears

December 20, 2011 By Jennifer Derrick 3 Comments

When I first started on my frugal journey I had to get past quite a few fears and stereotypes that were holding me back, especially after I moved to a new area. You wouldn’t think that frugality would be a scary thing, but sometimes it can be a little frightening, especially if you’ve never had to confront those particular fears before.

My problem came when I had to venture into an unfamiliar and “bad” part of town. I wanted to recycle quite a bit of metal that I knew would bring in some decent money. Unfortunately, the metal recycler isn’t in the best part of town. I’d never been down there before and I was worried and not just a little bit scared about going there. Everyone kept telling me how bad it was down there, how much crime there was, and that rough people tended to frequent the metal recycler. I didn’t know if a woman alone would be okay in that area.

For a long time, I put off going because I was scared. Finally I decided to just drive down there one day to do some reconnaissance work. I wasn’t going to get out of the car, I just wanted to look around. What I saw surprised me. Sure, it wasn’t a great part of town, but it wasn’t as awful as I’d heard it was, either. During the day it wasn’t that different from many other areas. There were plenty of businesses, lots of traffic, and no problems that I could see. I could tell it probably wasn’t the sort of place you’d want to be after dark when the businesses closed down, but during the day it seemed fine.

I decided to give it a try and a few days later I loaded up my metal and headed back to the recycler. When I got there the people were very nice. No one seemed dangerous or mean. A complete stranger even offered to help me unload, since the policy of the recycler was that their employees were not allowed to help customers unload. I made more money than I thought I would and I left kicking myself for not having gone down there sooner because my trip turned up some other positives, as well.

Not only does the recycler pay good rates, there are two excellent thrift stores in that same area of town. I’ve saved a ton of money by shopping at those places and I never would have discovered them if I hadn’t gotten past my fears and ventured into that part of town. There’s also a very good charity in that area that does rescue work with animals and they will take almost anything you care to donate, no matter the condition. What they can’t fix or sell, they recycle for money that gets pumped back into the charity. I’ve been able to get rid of quite a few things that Goodwill and the Salvation Army didn’t want, I get my tax deduction, and I know that my contributions will help animals.

In order to maximize your frugality, you sometimes have to deal with your fears. Now, this doesn’t mean heading into the bad part of town at 2AM or going into areas that aren’t safe at any time of day. You have to be reasonable and careful, not reckless. Your safety is the most important thing and not worth any amount of money. However, chances are that if you rationally look at your fears you will find that quite a few of them are unfounded or at least not as bad as you think they are. Don’t take everything you hear about an area or business at face value. Do your own investigative work and decide for yourself.

(Photo courtesy of Elsie esq.)

Cheap Sources for Board Games

May 3, 2011 By Jennifer Derrick 5 Comments

Board games are a great source of entertainment. Unlike movies or other types of entertainment that are one shot deals, games can be played over and over again. New games, however, are often not cheap. They may cost $20 or more. Some games are as high as $50. While a great game may be a good value at full price if you love it, these prices do not help if you want to amass a large library of games inexpensively. There are places, though, where you can find used or even new games at much lower prices.

Thrift stores: Thrift stores can be hit or miss for games. It just depends on what people have donated. Sometimes you can score games that have been used only once or twice (or never even opened) for rock bottom prices. You can try Goodwill, Salvation Army stores, stores run by Veterans Groups or any other thrift store in your area. Good stores make certain that the games they sell have all the pieces, but you may want to double check if you can before buying.

Yard sales: Like thrift stores, yard sales can be hit or miss. As kids outgrow games or people get tired of playing a certain game, they may toss it in their yard sale. If you’re in the market for games and you see a sale, it couldn’t hurt to take a look.

Clearance sales: After Christmas and Easter sales tend to have a lot of games. These are big toy giving holidays and when they’re over, stores want to clear out the excess. If you’re patient, you can sometimes get games for 90% off. You can find games at most big box stores, as well as bookstores, toy stores, and even department stores.

Shopping websites: There are many websites devoted to selling used board games. Some sites that sell predominantly new games (such as AreYouGame.com) have a used or rare section that may have some items at low prices. eBay and other auction sites are also good places to find used or cheap games.

Amazon.com: Amazon is a great place to look for games because you can find both new and used in one place. They frequently offer cheap games on their Gold Box deals (particularly during the holidays). They also have a third-party seller program where you might find someone willing to undercut Amazon’s price or someone selling used games.

Conventions/Hobby gatherings: Many cities have gaming conventions that often have space set aside for the sale or trade of games. You might also score at a specific convention that attracts gamers, such as a science fiction convention or a comics convention.

Craigslist/Freecycle: Many people list their old games for sale or give away on these sites. Take a look at the sites for your local area and see if anyone is offering what you want.

Game stores/Geek stores: Some larger cities have a shop dedicated to board games or toys. These places may sell used games or offer good sales. There are also places that I affectionately call “Geek Stores.” These are the stores where you can find science project materials, crafts, hobby supplies, comic books, and games like Dungeons and Dragons. These stores may sell used games or clearance out their old stock.

Flea markets: Like yard sales and thrift stores these can be hit or miss. Sometimes you can find a vendor who sells nothing but games and others will have games tossed in with their other merchandise. Either way, the games are likely to be cheap unless they are rare.

Use coupons: Around the holidays coupons for games often pop up. They may be in the Sunday fliers or printables from manufacturers websites. You can also find coupons good toward your next purchase on or in games. If you can combine a coupon with a clearance sale, you can get some games practically free.

Hand me downs: If you have friends or family who have a lot of games, you might want to ask if you can have or buy any of their cast offs. Should these people ever decide to unload a game, they can call you rather than having a yard sale.

Clearance stores Stores that buy overstocks, overruns, and discontinued items sometimes stock toys and games at bargain prices. Two of the big names in this business are Big Lots and Ollie’s.

Miscellaneous places: None of these are great, consistent sources for games, but I have found a few in these ways: Dumpster diving, library book sales, sales where lost and founds are sold, estate sales, school sales, and pawn shops.

You can acquire a large library of board games without spending a lot of money. You may have to be patient if you’re looking for a specific game because it may take it a while to turn up as used or on clearance. You also have to keep your eyes open because games, particularly clearance items, may not always be on the front row in the store. They may be on an end cap or a special clearance rack. The bottom line is that you don’t have to pay full retail for every game you buy.

Buying Artwork on a Budget

October 21, 2009 By David G. Mitchell 6 Comments

When my wife and I were first married, we spent many weekends searching for art and antiques at auctions, antique shops and thrift shops. We never spent a lot of money on anything we bought and, after a few years, our New England home was full of wonderful 18th and 19th century pieces. Indeed, we found that buying antiques was actually much less expensive, and a lot more fun, than buying new furniture or artwork.

When we moved south, we sold most of our furniture. We had too much to move it all to our new home and we did not believe that the charm of 175 year old furnishings would really be appropriate for our new home in Florida. As a result, our local antique dealer visited our home one day and bought just about everything that my wife and I then owned.

Yes, we sold all of our treasures — almost all of it, anyway. We did not sell our artwork. My wife and I have always loved old canvasses. The artists need not be listed artists. We just need to like the images that they have created. My wife has always studied art and I once worked in a museum so we both like to think that we have good eyes for quality. We also believed that our art could “work” in any environment. We were correct; our home in Florida is now full of “Yankee” art works that are just as home here as they were in Boston.

If you are starting out with a new home, or if you just want to update the look of your current home, adding paintings, etchings and other artistic images to your walls can do wonders, but it does not have to cost you a lot. Here are some of the places that you can look for art, without having to pay the high costs of an art gallery.

Antique Stores

A painting that is not historically significant can still be a good painting. Also, antique store owners often do not know how to price paintings commensurate with their value. If you keep your eyes open, you can find a lot of great bargains.

Auctions

Auctions have always generated great results for my wife and me. Try to find auctions that are offering items without a reserve (minimum price). I have a small collection of Wallace Nutting works, including one that I found for $5 at an auction. Its value is more in the range of $150 so I got a great deal.

Thrift Shops

There are always values to be found in thrift shops. Most readers here know that already. Nevertheless, have you ever thought to look at the dusty prints and the occasional framed canvas? You never know what you will find.

Art Schools

Young artists will often be thrilled to find anyone to purchase their works. Visit local art schools and let the instructors know what you are looking to buy. You may find that you can affordably acquire the work of a future great master!

Craft Shops

You may be able to find ways to create your own art. If you learn how to professionally frame your own projects, you may find that you can develop your craft as a photographer, painter or craftsman so that your home can become your own show room.

Do you have any artwork in your home? Where do you like to search for art? How do you learn about art so that you know what you are buying and whether you are getting a good value?

A Sad Result of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act

March 4, 2009 By Jennifer Derrick 8 Comments

You may have heard by now about the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act that went into effect February 10th. This law requires that all products — including clothes, toys, and even books — intended for sale to children 12 and under be tested for lead and phthalates. If the item isn’t tested and passed, it cannot be sold. This has no impact on new, mass produced products; anything new will be manufactured to comply with the guidelines. However, used and handmade items are presenting a big problem.

Thrift stores, most of which cannot afford to have their products tested, must throw away anything that isn’t tested. This means that tons of used toys and clothes are headed for the landfill. Some stores might go out of business because the kids’ market is a huge part of their revenue. And in a tight economy, this is very bad news for people who rely on the secondary market to clothe their kids and provide them with toys. Technically, the law also means that you can’t sell any untested items on eBay or at your spring yard sale. So if you need cash, you’ll have to look elsewhere. Until enough “new” products churn through the system and make their way to the secondary market, there is going to be a shortage of affordable kid’s clothes and toys in the used market.

The government has admitted that they had a “duh” moment in crafting this law and that they never considered the effects on the secondary market. But they also haven’t done anything yet to correct the law or make exceptions. So for now, untested items for kids are off limits. You could argue all day about whether this a good law or not. Personally, I think the idea of protecting new items is fine, but to require that everything old be tested is ridiculous. Leave it up to the parents to determine how comfortable they are with the risk and let them purchase accordingly. Or, have waivers at the thrift stores that parents can sign acknowledging that they understand the risk but are choosing to buy anyway. In this way the used market could carry on. Especially in down times like we have now, these secondary markets are important both to parents who need cheaper alternatives and to the local economy that needs the jobs the thrift stores provide. I think the law is a case of government intervention gone too far, but you may disagree.

I didn’t really process the damage this law was doing until I had a talk with a friend who is a toy maker. He is an older gentleman who makes wooden toys. He sells some for a little extra income, but mostly he makes them for kids who are severely ill and in the hospital, kids whose parents can’t afford to buy them toys, or kids who are victims of crime or fire. With the passage of this law, he is effectively out of business. He cannot afford to have his toys tested. He knows he uses lead free paints and materials because he is very conscious of the issues and refuses materials that he cannot be certain of. However, it is expensive to prove that in order to satisfy the new law. This means that he can no longer sell or give his toys away. It makes me sad to think that there are a lot of deserving kids who will go without toys in the future because this man cannot give away his creations.

My friend also reminded me that the program in which firefighters and cops give out teddy bears to kids who have been the victims of crimes, accidents, or fire is in danger, as well. Since many of these bears are donated used but in good condition, they can no longer accept them. The departments cannot afford to have them all tested; neither can they afford to buy all new stuffed animals. This means that some kids will receive no comfort when they are in need of it most. Other social programs are likely in danger, as well. Libraries may have to toss out tons of children’s books and refuse donations of used ones. Toy drives and winter clothing drives that rely on donations of gently used items may not be able to collect this year. It’s a mess.

It’s bad enough that in a down economy parents are being left without cheap options to clothe their kids. It’s bad enough that some thrift stores are in danger of closing and shedding the associated jobs. And it’s bad enough that the landfills are filling up with perfectly useable and wanted items. But when deserving and needy kids are being denied good toys and the comfort of a teddy bear, I say things have gone too far.

So what can you do to help? If you have the means, purchase new children’s clothes and toys and donate them to your local thrift store. Leave the tags on and provide a dated receipt so that the store can tell they comply with the new law. Purchase new stuffed animals and give them to your local fire or police department. Again, leave the tags on and provide a receipt if you can. Purchase new toys and donate them to your local hospital so they can give them to ill children. You don’t have to spend a fortune. Just a few small toys or stuffed animals will go a long way. Help repopulate the secondary market with items that comply with the new law. If you can’t give items, donate money so that the organization can buy what they need. Your donations will help keep these businesses and programs operating and if you donate to a tax exempt organization, you can take a tax deduction next year.

Unfortunately, there is nothing that will help my friend the toy maker and others like him. Unless he’s willing to pay for testing (or a fairy godmother pays for him) or the law is rewritten, there is nothing he can do to stay in business. And it’s a shame because his creations were some of the most wonderful I’ve seen. Not only does the law cut into his income in this down time, it cuts into the enjoyment of kids who are already suffering. And that’s just sad.

The Frustrated Frugalite

February 18, 2009 By Jennifer Derrick 13 Comments

The other day, a friend and I were talking about the things we do to be frugal. We were discussing all the tips and tricks we’ve learned to save money and cut down on waste. We were also discussing how, with the current economic downturn, more and more people are learning how to be frugal. They are visiting websites that deal with frugality, watching money saving segments on TV, reading books on simple living, and seeking hints on any ways to save money.

Now, my friend is usually a pretty level headed guy who’s kind and understanding. But during our discussion, he dropped this bomb on me. He said (and I’m paraphrasing here because some of it was unrepeatable), “I really hate all these people who are suddenly trying to be frugal. A year ago, most of them were looking down on us, ridiculing us for being thrifty, couponing, shopping at thrift stores, and growing our own gardens. Now they want all our tips and hints that we worked so hard to learn. Nobody taught me how to be frugal. I learned it in the school of hard knocks and I think they should, too. I’m not telling anyone how to save money; they can kiss my butt. Why should I give up my hard learned knowledge to a bunch of people that the minute things turn around will be back to consuming and wasting like mad? Why should I give away my secrets so that these losers can crowd my favorite thrift stores and compete with me for deals? You won’t catch me telling any of these people how to save.”

At first I was shocked, especially since this was coming from a guy who will loan you any tool out of his garage or help you with any repair. But when I thought about it, I did sort of see his point. It is difficult being the “frugal oddball” at times. We frugalites have put up with a lot of strange looks and nasty comments over the years. There are the cashiers (and patrons) who roll their eyes when you whip out a stack of coupons at checkout or ask for a price adjustment/price match. There are the people who mock your homemade gifts, even though those gifts are more useful and unique than anything that can be bought. There are the people who tell us we’re crazy for spending time hunting for deals and that we should “value our time” and just pay full price for something. There are all the comments about “missing out on life” because our frugal ways mean that we don’t have everything we want. But we’ve endured it all because we know the value of our way of life. And now that the recession is here, everyone else is coming around to the frugal way of thinking.

Now that being frugal is cool, more and more people are wanting to know the secrets of the frugal life. I have noticed that the good thrift stores in this area are getting more crowded (and some have raised their prices, I think, to cash in on their new found popularity). The grocery store is more crowded on the day the new sale flyer comes out and there are more people with coupons in hand. Store brands are scarcer. The local seed store sold out of spring seeds about a week after they put them out. When things go on sale in the Sunday flyers, you’d better be there when the store opens or you’re out of luck.

So I see my friend’s point. The things we always took for granted and enjoyed as “secrets of the trade” are now more crowded and harder to find. This new “frugal is cool” movement is impacting those of us who have always been frugal. Our secrets are out and we’re competing with a lot more people for our deals. And it is a little annoying that these new converts have so much information at hand that will make it easier for them to become frugal. Those of us who have always been frugal, before it was popular, had to learn the hard way, through trial and error. There were few people or experts out there telling us how to cut costs and reduce waste.

But I don’t share my friend’s viewpoint that these new converts can “kiss my butt.” I look at the growth of frugality as a good thing and am willing to help people along in their own frugal journeys. If a large number of these recent converts remain frugal, the demands on our planet will decrease. We will have less waste and pollution. People will be healthier. More money being saved is good for the economy in the long term. If more people are frugal, the likelihood of this doomsday recession happening again is less. Families might become stronger. There are a lot of benefits that go with frugality on a large scale that go beyond simply saving money.

While it may be inconvenient that my local thrift store is more crowded, demand should bring other stores to the area and force those that are currently cruddy to clean up their acts to compete. It may stink that store brands are harder to find, but increased demand might force stores to start stocking more and making more varieties. It may be annoying that all these new people have a wealth of frugal information at their fingertips, but the plus for me is that new viewpoints and ideas are coming to the fore that I can add to my own library of information. If more people in my neighborhood become frugal, it opens up more possibilities for carpooling, resource sharing, swaps, and bartering. Now that frugality is cool, I am less of an oddball. People actually want my advice instead of looking at me like I have a disease. So I say bring on the new frugal people!

My friend does have one hope to relieve his frustration. I suspect that he’s right that, when things turn better, many of these new frugalities will go back to their free spending ways. For many, the conversion is only out of necessity, not a lasting change of heart. And when that day comes, our good thrift stores will be empty again and store brands will be easy to find. Our expertise will no longer be in demand and we will be left alone. When frugality is no longer cool, those of us who make it a lifestyle will find it easier to pursue again. But we will lose a lot of benefits that come from having a large frugal population. And we will be back to being derided and dismissed as freaks. It may be frustrating to suddenly have to share our resources, but the tradeoffs are worth it. I, for one, welcome any and all new converts to the frugal lifestyle.

I Shop at Thrift Stores

January 27, 2009 By Jennifer Touchette 15 Comments

It has happened again. Because of the ailing economy, my local television news is reporting another story on how to save money. Very helpful, yes, but what got my ire up was the tone of the broadcast.

This particular story detailed the local rise in people shopping at thrift stores. The report left me with the feeling that these people were indeed ashamed to be at thrift store.

People should not be reluctant to shop at thrift stores or – for that matter – feel guilty for taking the time to look closely at prices and consider how to spend their hard-earned money. We need to start admiring our thrifty habits and be proud of the value we squeeze out of each shopping trip. In short, I’m not sorry to be frugal.

Before I was thrifty

Not that long ago I barely saved anything and spent almost my whole paycheck by the time it was payday again. Where on earth did that money go? I remember how panicked I was. What if my car broke down and needs expensive repairs? What if I lose my job and need to move?

Thanks to our current, more careful purchasing habits, our life is easier simply because we go through our money less quickly. I’ve found we even need fewer things, consume less and, therefore, we save money.

We have simply said “no” to new clothes at every turn, cable television, using the car every time we go somewhere, and buying a new house when we wanted it. Here’s how it shakes out:

Shopping for most clothes at thrift stores – There are a few items I can’t find – children’s pajamas – and some I would rather buy new, like underwear, but the rest of our clothes comes from thrift stores, gifts or hand-me-downs. In the four years we’ve tracked our clothing purchases, thrift-store shopping has been 85% of our total clothes shopping, but just 30% of the total cost. If we had purchased the equivalent amount of clothing from regular retail stores, we could have spent more than $600 per person per year.
Only broadcast television – We live in an area where we are able to get a clear broadcast signal. Thanks to this, we save $45 a month on the standard package of channels. It has been more than 10 years since we have paid for cable, and trust me, we still watch plenty of television. All told, it’s a total savings of $5,400.
Bike to work – My husband took up riding his bike when he was too hurt to run for fitness anymore. During last year’s huge rises in gas prices, this practice especially made sense. In 2008, his biking to work saved us an average of $80 for every fill up on our full-size truck. By halving the need to fill up the truck, we saved $960.
One of us works at home – Talk about saving on gas, clothing and food! This is another big lifestyle change our family took on when we decided to have children. Happily, I have a profession that could translate to home and we were able to cut our childcare costs in half. If I had remained working full-time outside the home, we could have easily spent another $400 per month for the average full-time preschool in our area, which would have been another $24,000 per child for the five years needed.
Movies at home – We love going to the movie theaters several times a year and we always have a lot of fun. However, if we went to a weekly premiere like my husband and I did when we dated, our family would be poorer an average of $40 for every movie (including tickets and refreshments). Today, we rent a movie almost every weekend and try to patronize our local Redbox for the $1 per night movies. Compare $52 a year on movies to $2,080 a year and you’ll see why we steel ourselves to wait until the DVD release.
We chose to stay in our home – We are grateful every month for our reasonable mortgage payment. It is small because my husband bought our house more than 12 years ago. If we had found something we liked and purchased another house two years ago when we were looking, our mortgage payment would have at least doubled. For us, it would have cost another $800 a month, or $9,600 a year.

As you can see, we are penny pinchers for sure. Our lifestyle isn’t full of travel or meals out several times a week, but what my husband and I have is a shared sense of financial responsibility that we hope to pass onto our children.

I urge you, too, to be proud of your thriftiness, not ashamed. It’s a good thing you’re doing. Keep up the good work.