Visit http://www.bestillandknit.com/shopping to see our latest clearance items!
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Saturday, May 24, 2008
Handmade Baby and Children's hat clearance
be still & knit, llc is changing business to focus solely on classes and programs! So, I've got dozens of baby and children's items on clearance. May and June are among the most popular months for babies to be born, so stock up on great gifts for all the little ones in your life. More items are being added daily, so stop by often. As with every item from be still & knit, shipping is FREE!
Visit http://www.bestillandknit.com/shopping to see our latest clearance items!
Visit http://www.bestillandknit.com/shopping to see our latest clearance items!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Great Bargains at Thrift Stores and Yard Sales
by Monica Resinger
http://homemakersjournal.com
I love the thrift stores and yard sales because there is a great variety of items and these items are usually very inexpensive which saves me a lot of money for spending on other items or saving. Here are some examples of great deals that I find.
Books: I love reading and before I discovered the books at the thrift stores, I was a book club member spending a small fortune on books. Then I realized I could find books at the thrift stores for a fraction of the price. This is our local Goodwill's prices for books: hardbacks: $2.99, paperbacks: $1.99, magazines (this includes craft leaflets) .29, children's books .99. There is a great variety and the books are organized into categories. You can also find books at yard sales, but usually there isn't a huge variety. If you are lucky enough to find a book you want at a yard sale, it's a lot cheaper than even the thrift stores!
Coffee mugs: Our local Goodwill charges .50 cents each! What a steal! These are mugs that are in good condition and yes, it's possible to find them without chips. In fact, most of them look like new. Yard sales are usually cheaper yet.
Craft items: I have found brand new or very close to brand new squeeze type dimensional paint and acrylic paint for .25 cents each--another steal! I have also found beads in plastic baggies for .25 cents each. Silk flowers in large plastic baggies I have found for as low as .79 cents and as high as $1.59. There is also a ton of sewing patterns and material--I'm not sure of the prices on these because I'm not a sewer, but I'm sure they are a good bargain. Knitting needles and sometimes crochet needles are another find.
Picture Frames: Picture frames at the Goodwill usually run from .99 to 2.99 depending on how large and what shape the frame is in.
Household decorations: I decided to re-do our living room in a tropical, sea type theme. I had a lot of fun with this project and still am. If you go to the thrift store with a theme in mind such as this, you will find all sorts of stuff! My favorite find was a puzzle someone had put together and framed for $1.99. The puzzle was a picture of underwater life including a turtle and tropical fish. I have found fish tank decorations for around .49 cents and if any of you have bought these brand new, you know they are very expensive. I have found ceramic shells, real shells, ceramic fish, paper mache fish, and more very inexpensive items to decorate my living room. I decorate all rooms of the house including the front and back porch with this method, and if I ever want to change a theme, it's pretty cheap to do it.
Clothes: I can't stand paying $30 for a shirt or a pair of pants. I really can't stand paying $30 for children's shirts, pants or shoes because they grow out of them so quick. Some people may frown on buying used clothes, but I see it as sensible. Most of the clothes found in the thrift stores and yard sales are in very good shape and you can't even tell they are used. My daughter who is twelve enjoys looking for clothes at the Goodwill more than I do. Sometimes when I shop department stores for clothes, I can't find anything I like, but at the thrift stores, there is such a variety that I don't have a problem with this. A few years ago, I paid $9.00 each for pretty, new looking winter coats for my daughter and I.
Baking pans: A few months back, I needed a loaf pan, so searched the Goodwill. Sure enough, I found one that looked brand new for .69 cents!
School supplies: I have found kid's Fiskars scissors for .49 cents and binders for .69-.99 cents. There is also bagged markers, pencils and crayons.
Rubbermaid or Tupperware containers: These are only .19 to .29 cents. It will take some digging to find container and lid matches sometimes, but for the price--dig!
What is needed to find treasures at thrift stores and yard sales is patience and knowing what you want.? I go on a regular, sometimes weekly, basis which allows me to find a great variety of items.
I hope this article has inspired you to go look for great bargains at the thrift stores and yard sales. Another benefit of shopping this way is helping the earth by keeping this stuff out of the landfills.
Monica is the founder Homemaker's Journal E-publications, the growing home of many fun and informative home and garden e-books, tip sheets, articles and more!? http://homemakersjournal.com/
Get a FREE Slowcooker Recipe E-book when you subscribe to Monica's FREE e-zine for homemakers!? To subscribe and receive instructions for picking up your FREE e-book, just send a blank e-mail to:? HomemakersJournal-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
http://homemakersjournal.com
I love the thrift stores and yard sales because there is a great variety of items and these items are usually very inexpensive which saves me a lot of money for spending on other items or saving. Here are some examples of great deals that I find.
Books: I love reading and before I discovered the books at the thrift stores, I was a book club member spending a small fortune on books. Then I realized I could find books at the thrift stores for a fraction of the price. This is our local Goodwill's prices for books: hardbacks: $2.99, paperbacks: $1.99, magazines (this includes craft leaflets) .29, children's books .99. There is a great variety and the books are organized into categories. You can also find books at yard sales, but usually there isn't a huge variety. If you are lucky enough to find a book you want at a yard sale, it's a lot cheaper than even the thrift stores!
Coffee mugs: Our local Goodwill charges .50 cents each! What a steal! These are mugs that are in good condition and yes, it's possible to find them without chips. In fact, most of them look like new. Yard sales are usually cheaper yet.
Craft items: I have found brand new or very close to brand new squeeze type dimensional paint and acrylic paint for .25 cents each--another steal! I have also found beads in plastic baggies for .25 cents each. Silk flowers in large plastic baggies I have found for as low as .79 cents and as high as $1.59. There is also a ton of sewing patterns and material--I'm not sure of the prices on these because I'm not a sewer, but I'm sure they are a good bargain. Knitting needles and sometimes crochet needles are another find.
Picture Frames: Picture frames at the Goodwill usually run from .99 to 2.99 depending on how large and what shape the frame is in.
Household decorations: I decided to re-do our living room in a tropical, sea type theme. I had a lot of fun with this project and still am. If you go to the thrift store with a theme in mind such as this, you will find all sorts of stuff! My favorite find was a puzzle someone had put together and framed for $1.99. The puzzle was a picture of underwater life including a turtle and tropical fish. I have found fish tank decorations for around .49 cents and if any of you have bought these brand new, you know they are very expensive. I have found ceramic shells, real shells, ceramic fish, paper mache fish, and more very inexpensive items to decorate my living room. I decorate all rooms of the house including the front and back porch with this method, and if I ever want to change a theme, it's pretty cheap to do it.
Clothes: I can't stand paying $30 for a shirt or a pair of pants. I really can't stand paying $30 for children's shirts, pants or shoes because they grow out of them so quick. Some people may frown on buying used clothes, but I see it as sensible. Most of the clothes found in the thrift stores and yard sales are in very good shape and you can't even tell they are used. My daughter who is twelve enjoys looking for clothes at the Goodwill more than I do. Sometimes when I shop department stores for clothes, I can't find anything I like, but at the thrift stores, there is such a variety that I don't have a problem with this. A few years ago, I paid $9.00 each for pretty, new looking winter coats for my daughter and I.
Baking pans: A few months back, I needed a loaf pan, so searched the Goodwill. Sure enough, I found one that looked brand new for .69 cents!
School supplies: I have found kid's Fiskars scissors for .49 cents and binders for .69-.99 cents. There is also bagged markers, pencils and crayons.
Rubbermaid or Tupperware containers: These are only .19 to .29 cents. It will take some digging to find container and lid matches sometimes, but for the price--dig!
What is needed to find treasures at thrift stores and yard sales is patience and knowing what you want.? I go on a regular, sometimes weekly, basis which allows me to find a great variety of items.
I hope this article has inspired you to go look for great bargains at the thrift stores and yard sales. Another benefit of shopping this way is helping the earth by keeping this stuff out of the landfills.
Monica is the founder Homemaker's Journal E-publications, the growing home of many fun and informative home and garden e-books, tip sheets, articles and more!? http://homemakersjournal.com/
Get a FREE Slowcooker Recipe E-book when you subscribe to Monica's FREE e-zine for homemakers!? To subscribe and receive instructions for picking up your FREE e-book, just send a blank e-mail to:? HomemakersJournal-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Slashing Grocery Bills
Even the thought of spending a lot of time tracking grocery prices from store to store gives me a headache. I know a lot of people who keep detailed notes of every grocery item they regularly purchase and routinely note the price fluctuations at the grocery stores they frequent.
I used to not pay attention to grocery prices much at all. I have never been one to spend excessively, and have always been pretty good about only getting what's on my shopping list (a necessity!), but it took me awhile to realize that I could save some extra money if I started paying a little more attention to grocery price variations.
I recognize the fact that some people need to reduce their monthly bills as much as possible, and how necessary it is for some to spend as little as possible on groceries, especially if you have a lot of mouths to feed. Although we have no money leftover at the end of the month, so to speak, I never tried to drastically reduce our grocery bill until quite by accident I discovered that if I spent less on groceries, I would have more money to spend on other things! That's when I really started to change my ways. You'll find that my approach to being frugal-minded is not as drastic as some, but I consider myself to be a person who saves money when I can, and have made it a personal challenge to not spend money I don't have to. If you follow my advice, you will definitely see a reduction in your grocery bill.
Like I mentioned previously, I have always made a list before going to the grocery store. Every Saturday or Sunday I sit down and figure out what to serve for dinner every night for the next week. This list also includes snack ideas and lunch menus for my daughter. Every Wednesday I glance through the coupons in the local newspaper and make a mental note of what's on sale and where. Remember, just because something's on sale doesn't mean you need it. Stick only to things you would have bought anyway. If I notice chicken, hamburger, or pork chops are on sale, for example, I might alter my menu to include one of these items.
I decide which store to shop at based on my findings in the advertisements. I usually don't go to more than one store unless one store is having a particularly good deal not found anywhere else. The grocery stores in our area are usually pretty competitive with each other; consequently, their sale prices are fairly predictable.
I have never been one to stock up much, due to limited freezer and pantry space, but I recently realized the value of buying a lot of one item on sale. I usually avoid our neighborhood market because it is a small store and often overpriced, but they finally caught on to the idea of having specials to draw people in. One day I noticed they had 5-lb. chubs of lean hamburger on sale for .69 a pound! I couldn't believe it. I initially bought 2 chubs, and then a few days later couldn't resist going back to get 2 more. I divided them into 1 lb. portions (20 lb. altogether!), wrapped them in foil, and stuck them in the freezer. I was psyched. That same weekend I found an unbelievable deal on pork chops and chicken breasts at another grocery store. I bought several packages of those also. I spent probably $40 to $50 on meat that week, but it lasted for months! I was hooked...I knew I had to start stocking up more when I could. It didn't make sense not to. My freezer was packed to overflowing.
Just this last week I was lamenting the .89 per can price of tuna and wishing I had stocked up more than I had. Tonight on my way home from dropping off my daughter at her bible class, I stopped at the neighborhood market to get some pretzels (1 1/2 pounds for $1.29!) and just happened to notice their Starkist tuna was .59 per can with no limit! I couldn't believe my luck and stocked up again. I also bought another bag of pretzels because my husband and daughter are trying to wean themselves from Doritos, which I'm trying to help with in any way I can!
Anyway, you get the idea. You may not see big changes at first, but if you start stocking up here and there, you will see your grocery bills getting lower and lower. You may find you start spending that little bit of extra money somewhere else, but at least you have the choice to decide where you want that money to go. Don't feel like you have to spend a lot of money on groceries--I'm living proof that you don't have to!
Originally published at Suite 101. Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For recipes, tips to organize your home, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at www.creativehomemaking.com.
I used to not pay attention to grocery prices much at all. I have never been one to spend excessively, and have always been pretty good about only getting what's on my shopping list (a necessity!), but it took me awhile to realize that I could save some extra money if I started paying a little more attention to grocery price variations.
I recognize the fact that some people need to reduce their monthly bills as much as possible, and how necessary it is for some to spend as little as possible on groceries, especially if you have a lot of mouths to feed. Although we have no money leftover at the end of the month, so to speak, I never tried to drastically reduce our grocery bill until quite by accident I discovered that if I spent less on groceries, I would have more money to spend on other things! That's when I really started to change my ways. You'll find that my approach to being frugal-minded is not as drastic as some, but I consider myself to be a person who saves money when I can, and have made it a personal challenge to not spend money I don't have to. If you follow my advice, you will definitely see a reduction in your grocery bill.
Like I mentioned previously, I have always made a list before going to the grocery store. Every Saturday or Sunday I sit down and figure out what to serve for dinner every night for the next week. This list also includes snack ideas and lunch menus for my daughter. Every Wednesday I glance through the coupons in the local newspaper and make a mental note of what's on sale and where. Remember, just because something's on sale doesn't mean you need it. Stick only to things you would have bought anyway. If I notice chicken, hamburger, or pork chops are on sale, for example, I might alter my menu to include one of these items.
I decide which store to shop at based on my findings in the advertisements. I usually don't go to more than one store unless one store is having a particularly good deal not found anywhere else. The grocery stores in our area are usually pretty competitive with each other; consequently, their sale prices are fairly predictable.
I have never been one to stock up much, due to limited freezer and pantry space, but I recently realized the value of buying a lot of one item on sale. I usually avoid our neighborhood market because it is a small store and often overpriced, but they finally caught on to the idea of having specials to draw people in. One day I noticed they had 5-lb. chubs of lean hamburger on sale for .69 a pound! I couldn't believe it. I initially bought 2 chubs, and then a few days later couldn't resist going back to get 2 more. I divided them into 1 lb. portions (20 lb. altogether!), wrapped them in foil, and stuck them in the freezer. I was psyched. That same weekend I found an unbelievable deal on pork chops and chicken breasts at another grocery store. I bought several packages of those also. I spent probably $40 to $50 on meat that week, but it lasted for months! I was hooked...I knew I had to start stocking up more when I could. It didn't make sense not to. My freezer was packed to overflowing.
Just this last week I was lamenting the .89 per can price of tuna and wishing I had stocked up more than I had. Tonight on my way home from dropping off my daughter at her bible class, I stopped at the neighborhood market to get some pretzels (1 1/2 pounds for $1.29!) and just happened to notice their Starkist tuna was .59 per can with no limit! I couldn't believe my luck and stocked up again. I also bought another bag of pretzels because my husband and daughter are trying to wean themselves from Doritos, which I'm trying to help with in any way I can!
Anyway, you get the idea. You may not see big changes at first, but if you start stocking up here and there, you will see your grocery bills getting lower and lower. You may find you start spending that little bit of extra money somewhere else, but at least you have the choice to decide where you want that money to go. Don't feel like you have to spend a lot of money on groceries--I'm living proof that you don't have to!
Originally published at Suite 101. Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For recipes, tips to organize your home, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at www.creativehomemaking.com.
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