I want to start blogging regularly and so I've planned out several series that I will try to incorporate weekly titled, Living Large on Little. We receive a lot of compliments on how our home is decorated and I think many would be surprised to see how little we've paid for our furniture and decor. Almost everything we own is re-purposed, thrifted, homemade or purchased on clearance. By our countries standard, we are far from wealthy BUT knowing how to stretch the dollar gives a lot of opportunity to "live large on little." Believe it or not, learning how to spend properly will actually teach you how to save. If you know exactly what you want and are willing to wait for the best deal, you begin to learn self discipline and in the long run you will result with (as bad as it sounds) getting close to everything you want. Let me just remind you, that as Christians we are not here to store up earthly treasures where moths and rust can destroy, but at the same time if you can stay level headed about your shopping you can still enjoy the blessing of material goods. To kick off our series, I'm doing a repost of something I posted on my old blog: How I Thrift. Expect part 2 sometime next week. :) kk
I posted this Instagram picture of 3 awesome items I found today...someone asked where I got them from and my answer was simply, our local thrift store. There is nothing glamorous about it. It's just a regular old (somewhat dirty) place where people drop off their junk. My picture makes the items look glamorous but all three items were tucked away, hidden and overlooked by many... I want to teach you how to develop an eye for finding items, prove to you that patience really does pay off (and saves you money too!) and I want to help you navigate through your local thrift store. Thrifting is not only trendy, but it's a form of recycling, teaches frugality and the profits almost always go to a good cause!
Top: $3.50 \ Leather purse: $5.00 \ Antique crate: $10.00
UNDERSTAND THAT THRIFTING IS ADDICTING \Thrifting is a treasure hunt and when you stumble upon that item that has been on your wish list for what seems like forever (and for next to nothing too!) you will find yourself immediately addicted. This is both good and bad. It is good because it is fun and can save you money BUT it is bad in that you can easily become consumed by accumulating material possessions and you may end up spending more money and develop a bad habit called: lack of self control.So, proceed with caution....annnnnnd....HAVE A LIST \ Before I even step foot in the store I have a list (in my head) of items I am looking for. Some of the items on my list include:
old wooden ores (it's been on there for a while...still have yet to find them)(I found three for $2 the day after I wrote this post!)- valuable old film cameras (an ongoing item)
- old wooden crates (an ongoing item)
- antique catalog card cabinets
- large, vintage quilt
- vintage dresses (ongoing item)
Having a list of things helps me to keep from having brain overload when I walk into a store. There are literally thousands of items at my fingertips and when I have a hyper toddler, I don't have time to browse for hours. With my list, I am able to navigate through the different sections of the store, knowing where to spend more time than others.PRACTICE SELF CONTROL \
Just because it's inexpensive doesn't mean you should buy it. Ask yourselves these questions...
- Do I love it? It's not enough to just like it. Once you start thrifting regularly, you will find TONS of amazing stuff that you like. That will end up costing you in the long run and before you know it, you will be a pack rat. Say this with me people: I don't want to end up on the show Hoarders. I will not be a packrat! This happened to me when I first started and now I find myself giving away the very things I bought. Now? I only buy what I truly love. Love it or leave it, people!
- Is it worth the price listed? Dollars become a whole new currency when you start thrifting. You can stretch your dollar a long way. The more you thrift, the more you become stingy. I can't get myself to pay $7 for a vintage picture frame (that I know may sell for way more at an antique store) because I've paid as low as 50 cents for them before. I could get 14 (theoretically speaking) for the price of that one! For $7, I could also get a vintage desk...or two chairs.
- How's the condition? Is it still usable? How will it hold up in the washing machine/dryer? Will the kids destroy it?
- Do I need it? The point of thrifting is to spend as little money as possible. Put it in your cart and think about it as you browse the store. If you don't "need" it, don't buy it. Of course the definition of need can be bent a little bit...I didn't really need that sequined top lol.
Hopefully these tips help you as begin your thrifting adventures. Stay tuned for part 2 sometime next week.