On the few occasions I wander into a real shop I'm now quite lost. Everything is so expensive! And there are displays full of numerous identical items! (booooooring) And if you go back tomorrow the shop will probably have exactly the same stock!
Whereas when you go to an op shop, the stock changes by the hour (which, of course causes that constant desire to just pop in and see what's new just in case the perfect item came and went while you were doing something else), on the whole everything is a one-off and most items can be picked up for the cost of a cup of coffee (or, if you're going crazy, a bought lunch or movie). Not to mention the whole concept of saving something from the landfill and supporting a good cause makes you feel doubly chuffed when you bag a bargain.
Yes, it was a good frugalling week here. I went over budget but with a little creative accounting that can be sorted out (see number 4 below)
1. Lovely brown vintage suitcase in rather good nick: $7.
It reminds me of the classic Globe-Trotter cases but is labeled "K.T. Stewart Pty Ltd South Australia 1982" with a space that says Army No. I plan to store my out of season doonas in it.
This is really funny because I've been wanting one for a while (in fact, over a year) and have never quite been able to justify the $19.95 it would cost and that hassle of getting it home from Sydney. And there I was in Vinnies Belconnen and spied a piece of white metal sticking out of the kitchen corner "Brilliant!" I thought. "I'll take a closer look and see if I could use whatever it is as a pretend IKEA noticeboard". I pulled it out and lo and behold it WAS an IKEA noticeboard! Someone had drawn in it with a marker which hadn't quite come off but, as I suspected, a bit of Chemico and elbow grease and it was right as rain.
3. Four plain round glass lightshades: $2.50 each.
I have some truly daggy warty-looking 60s and 70s style shades in my flat. Every time I see plain white ones for $2.50 or less I buy them, swap them with the ugly ones and then store the old ones in the garage just in case they were my landlady's pride and joy. I think this lot will be the last I need to buy. I'm done. Wee hee!
4. Twelve books: $25
Which just happens to be the same amount I got for the crochet books I sold this week. Fingers crossed that I can take this lot into the second hand bookshop and make some more money. I don't know if you can see from the photo but my haul includes 4 mint Beatrix Potter books which I picked up for $1 each.
5. Brand new sock organiser: $4
A stash management strategy.
6. Fabric: $10 for this ginormous blot of red drill and $3 for three remnants.I think I have enough red fabric to make bags until the end of this century (at least). And I love the grey fabric because it still has this label stapled to it:
It's times like this I love the archeology of op shopping - where has this fabric been for the last 40 (at least) years?!And in related news I got an email from The Salvos yesterday saying:
"Did you also know that you can use your Salvos Stores receipt to enter a $1000 Flight Centre Travel Voucher Competition? Just buy something from your local Salvos Store between 4th March and 15 April 07. Fill out a coupon from That’s Life magazine, attach your Salvos Stores receipt, and describe in 25 words or less your best Salvos purchase! Find the Salvos Stores feature in That’s Life magazine for other offers."
(Listening to: Various, Philadelphia Roots)
6 comments :
Great haul, TSS - you are a natural op-shopper. ;D
Just playing devils advocate here - and dipping into the realms of philosophical discussion
Do you actually need all the material you accumulate at op shops? Yes, 'On the few occasions I wander into a real shop I'm now quite lost. Everything is so expensive!' it is expensive, but say for example, not everyone who heads into a real shop does this as religiously as you do, every Saturday not to mention the other days you pop in to see what's there.....your lunch time frugalling
So in the greater scheme of things, yes, you're saving things from a landfill, but are you accumulating a significant amount of material? 1 person and a 3 bedroom flat completely full....
Dear Anonymous
No, of course I don't need the stuff I accumulate at op shops but then I doubt normal shoppers need most of the stuff they pick up at Target, Big W or DJs.
The good thing about picking up things for a couple of bucks is that they can be happily redonated when the time comes and the flat gets too full ;-)
Hmm.. Can I just say that if anonymous is right and you indeed don't need all of that beautiful red drill that I would happily buy some off you. I have no luck finding decent plain drills in op shops. : )
From one person who op shops every second day to another avid thrifter: You're doing great.
Only every second day?! ;-)
Nup, won't sell it but more than happy to arrange a swap...
Excellent haul. I know exactly what you mean about 'real' shops. I dread going to Chadstone or Southland (in Melb) when I need to get shoes for the kids, or something I need (and I mean *need*) new. It's all way too shiny shiny, matchy matchy and incredibly LOUD. (Was the music always so loud, or am I getting old?)
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