Frugalling fun

(Please note: I took the photos before writing the post so some pictures have stuff from more than one place. Argh!)

Taph had a day off work on Wednesday and I was easily persuaded that op shopping could be considered TSS work (as long as I bought at least one piece of manchester that I might, one day before I die, turn into a bag) and so it was that we spent the afternoon catching up with the state of op shops in Canberra and surrounds. It was our first trip out in tandem which could have been scary but it worked out very well.

Our first stop was Kingston YMCA Op Shop. After a frugal coffee from Taph's thermos (which we drank on the brick wall outside the public toilets) we ventured inside and I found One Step Beyond: 45 classic Ska hits on CD - another of life's mysteries. A double CD, marked "normally £18.99, Sale Price £9.99" and I got it for $2.00. On the other side of the world. Hot on the heels of seeing This is England. Do you think the universe is telling me it's time to head back to Motorini and buy another Vespa?

Next stop was Vinnies Queanbeyan where we walked away empty handed (not surprisingly as it's a new style Vinnies. But Taph hadn't been there before so had to experience the full je ne sais quoi of it) Next door at Bargain Hunter we had better luck. I picked up a cotton chambray doona cover for $8.00 (destined for bag stash), a pair of cream knitting needles for $1.00 and two balls of red mohair for 75 cents.

Over the road we headed to Big Salvos where we discovered they've done some major rearranging. Yes it's lighter and airier but after having honed our journey through the store over many visits it's very disconcerting to have to reorient ourselves. I bought another Nokia 3310 car charger for $1.00 as mine was dead. And stopped to chat to my gym instructor who was behind the counter. Gotta love Canberra (and surrounding areas). Do you think the universe is telling me it's time to head back to the gym?

At Little Salvos I found a Holly Hobbie doona cover for $5 and some more cream knitting needles for $2.00. I was happy. Little Salvos remains the same. It's good to see some things haven't changed... At this point we paused for a frugal lunch of egg and parsley wraps and apples, once again courtesy of Taph, who is obviously a much better prepared frugaller than I. I bow to her greater organisational skills (I usually return from a day's frugalling dehydrated, starving (if I've not succumbed to $2 sushi rolls at the mall in Queanbeyan or $2 spinach pasties at Ali Baba) and with hands that feel like they need to be sandblasted to get clean...

Then, much refreshed we headed south to Tuggeranong. At Salvos I found a full length skirt which could be useful for formal nights on my upcoming cruise (since it's a 16 nighter I have 3 formal nights and I've kinda grown out of the other two long skirts I usually use for formal nights, and although I hope to shrink back into them (once I return to the gym) it's good to have a backup. Especially when it cost $3.50 (Taph had a half price card, bless her cotton (probably hand knitted) socks). And Taph found me a red cord jeans jacket which I certainly don't need (let me count the jackets I own, the red jackets I own. And the jeans jackets I own). But it was $12, half price to $6, fitted beautifully, so what the hey...

Lastly, I bought a set of Delicious magazine magnets for $1. Yes, I know they were originally free but if I remove the ones with "DELICIOUS" stamped all over them and repackage the rest I think I have a cool "extra" gift for Princess B's birthday (or Christmas)

The day ended back at Kingston (where I had left Miss Daisy) with more frugal coffee and the decision that we made good frugalling partners.

Total cost: just under $30. Oh, and if you want to know what Taph got, you'll have to ask her :-)