Thrift finds.

Well what can I say? We found a few different items this week. Some at a church sale, some at garage sales, and some at thrift stores. Some for us, some for friends and some for the store. My daughter was approved through our city for a program for first time home buyers along with her employer so after the first of the year we will be beginning our search for a new home. It's been several years of building and growing to get to this point, but well worth it. We are hunting items we know we will use in the new home and although we are being selective we are purchasing and packing for the future.

Some of these items might seem strange for purchases, but when the prices are .10, .15, .25, .50 cents and $1 you take advantage. The two new Sterno were .50 cents, retail price $5.99. I will use these to cook outside and not heat the kitchen. Flower pots always picked up for container gardening and herbs. The popcorn bowls were .50 cents each and will be added to three already listed on her store. There were several vintage Santa's at .10 cents each and the measuring cup is 4 cups and cost .75 cents. There is a vintage toothpick holder behind Santa and the flower on the top twist to take one out. It was .50 cents. Like I said different items.

The vintage Pyrex we found for a friend, the church sale yielded three Doctor Who paperbacks, some vintage holiday stickers and a vintage Japanese turkey. The turkey was in the bottom of a box at the church rummage sale and was .25 cents. It's all packed with holiday decorations.

We found several more books and some electronic charging devices for $1 and new ear buds along with a suction cup handle that is being used in the sewing room on my plastic cutting ruler. 

Another book, cross stitch Care Bear Christmas patterns, a flower pot already washed and bleached to kill any disease from use and replanted with my basil cuttings. There are eight vintage napkins in the bundle and these will go on my daughter's store. 

These pictures are not blurry. They are five sheets of iron ons and there is a cat, dog, flowers, fruit and a barn scene. They were just too cute to leave behind and are vintage calico print style iron ons. That's what the hunt got this week and it's been fun. Like one woman at a yard sale said, "we stopped hunting and gathering food so now we gather stuff." I believe this is a great statement about life today. Thanks for stopping by and happy hunting. 

Thrift finds

This past weekend's adventure took us to a church sale and we found some great items. Some that we will add to our home and some to sell. It was a huge sale with furniture and everything under the sun. I was amazed at how organized it was and the amount of people working it. They were friendly and helpful. I will watch for this one next summer. They seemed to be experts at it.

We found the spice shelf that was in good condition, but the bottles, salt shaker and pepper mill were not useful. It was the shelf my daughter wanted so the bottles were re-donated and the salt and pepper were recycled. The stacking doll was imported from Russia and there were six dolls altogether. I found a Georges Briard linen towel and a couple other vintage linens and a new package of sewing wax.

The large enamel kettle was $2 and I couldn't have been happier. I got it home soaked it well and it came very clean. The handle on the top has been replace, but I cook in the pot and it didn't matter to me that it wasn't original. Now the universe can bring on the tomatoes because I have something to cook them in. We found vintage glassware of all kinds and she's already had requests for the staircase shelf.

When we find these vintage plastic shopping/beach bags they are usually broken or not in good shape, but this one was in very good condition. We found valentine's day, new in package, cupcake liners along with a canning jar and a hand embroidered brush and comb holder that has grommets for hanging.

This was our favorite find. It's a vintage metal plant rack that my daughter will put in her "coming to her soon" home with plants in vintage planters. It is in excellent condition and sturdy. We had a wonderful time rummaging and it was great to find things that we know we will enjoy and use. Even though we are not out thrifting often we are having a great time.

Thrift finds and freebie economics

Church sales have been plentiful this Spring and early Summer and we have found good, useful items. We stopped at one on the way home from the library a couple of Saturdays ago and did quite well. 

This particular sale was held in the Church parking lot and we rummaged and rummaged. We found some used garden picket fence pieces, a new unopened Scrabble game, a Smurf mug and a bundle of used candles to melt down. Along with our finds at this sale were 30 canning jars of various sizes. We got this total package for $2.10. Yes, $2.10. It should have been more, but the young man returned the wrong change and after we realized what had happened we were well down the road. Probably not a good thing for us to do, but we did not go back and make it good. We may pay for it later.

We visited a Goodwill store and found a few items including some t-shirt style tops for my daughter, a religious figure of Mary, a brass unicorn, coffee cup stand, egg slicer and a wonderful daisy print in a frame. the red candle plate was in the bottom of the box used to get these items home. No bag, a box. We have been a bit selective of what we buy and how much we pay and most of these items were 50% off with the color tag sale.

The week before last I scored what the grocery store claimed were free items if you purchased a family pack of meat, however they manage to raise the price per pound of the meat to cover the price of the free items. I know I probably wouldn't have purchased several of these items, but when money is tight and you need to stretch the budget it was worth it to me and I canned the meat I didn't need right away. 

I used a gift card to purchase the two bags of chicken breasts and the one pound of ground turkey. Final price to me was a few cents. As close to free as I could get. I made bourbon barbecued pulled chicken and ate some and canned some for future meals. Total servings for two pounds of chicken was 12 and I could not have been happier. I've stretched two other chicken breast into a wok full of chicken, broccoli and carrot stir fry and another into chicken wraps. Slowly learning to make it all count. The pound of ground turkey will yield 6 servings. Three beef, bean and cheese burritos and three servings of goulash. 

I think for this summers growing season I have acquired all the canning jars I need in quite a variety of sizes. Any more now would be used, but as far as purchasing they will all go to a friend who needs them and we will concentrate on purchasing lids so we have a good supply on hand. Here at the townhouse we are doing what we can to stretch the budget and do the best we can with what we have. We wish everyone a happy 4th of July and please stay safe.  

Thrift Finds

This past Saturday we went to a Church sale with the intention of finding one small item and coming home. It was close by and why wouldn't we find this one small always available item. Well, we didn't so we moved on to a thrift store. We found that item and it was only .99 and then the hunting bug hit her like an F4 tornado and look what she did!

She hunted and hunted and kept putting things in that cart. It was fun to be out, but I think that short trip turned into two thrift stores on top of the Church sale. 

She found a wooden box, bar ware that she sold within minutes of her purchase, shipping envelopes, a spice shelf, sewing notions, the card board book which was the reason for the adventure and a framed print of a female artist she adores, but cannot find any information about.

She continues to bring home vintage sheets and pieces of fabric to sooth her addiction and we found a primary print JC Penny Snoopy drape.

And may I say yes, she got me 15 more canning jars and let me tell you the Good Will was loaded with them, but we play the color tag sale for the 50% off items and the one's we left were not that weeks color. The cashier tried to say they may not be there when we come back, but anyone who pays $1.99 for a used canning jar can have them when you can get a new case with rims and lids for a lot less. I have not filled these. I washed them and put them on the shelf because fruit and vegetable season is coming and we are trying to get some empties on the shelf. This is what happens to her when she needs one very small, always available, most anywhere item. 

Thank you for stopping by my post and have a great week.