Remember the wonderful painting my son-in-law gave me for my birthday? It needed a frame, so I went out shopping for frames. Holy Moly! The kind of frame I wanted—a nice wide, dark wood frame with a linen liner—was going to cost me something like $200. It occurred to me to check out eBay. And I found the perfect frame. Perfect size, perfect style, perfect color. Perfect, I tell you! I was the only bidder and got it for a pittance. The shipping was actually more than the bid price and altogether, a fraction of what I had found locally. It arrived a couple days ago and I could not be more pleased. It is a beautiful frame and I think it makes the painting look just great.
With all that has happened to real estate and our retirement funds in recent months, I am reverting to a thriftier self from my younger days and it is quite satisfying. I love a bargain, especially when it is really just what you wanted and would have paid more for if you'd had to. This is one challenge of economic hardships that I feel prepared for.
The other day we saw a yard sale and stopped. We found this heavy iron plant stand that folds. We liked it and the price was right.
When I tried putting pots into the metal baskets I found that the one on the left was impossible to fit a pot into because of that bar across the top. "What a dumb design" I thought, until it occurred to me that you were probably meant to line the metal basket with moss and plant directly into that. I got a bag of moss yesterday and some small plants that will get bigger and got it planted. It looks good on the front porch and will be even better when the plants grow and the trailing petunias are trailing and blooming.
I'm shopping at Goodwill and watching for sales and even clipping a few coupons, though I haven't a lot of patience with that. Look at the nice mugs I found at the Dollar Store.
When we moved I got rid of all the motley advertising mugs and bought a bunch of these in these three colors. I love them.
Are you bargain shopping these days?
GREAT finds! That frame is just perfect. I love ebay, lol! Love the metal frame and the mugs too. I always shop thrift now - all of our clothing [some still with tags, designer no less], fabric, even old quilts and vintage tablecloths. It's funny, but if I know what I want, I usually find it. Lamps, fans, tables, etc. I adore bargain hunting anymore, and can't bring myself to pay retail. If I could afford it, I'd only buy from independent designers.
ReplyDeleteI just made my first e-bay purchase. My sewing machine died so yesterday I was the winning bidder. I was so excited. There is something to be said for a good thrifty purchase. I do like bargain hunting and with 2 kids in college it has become very important.
ReplyDeleteLove the frame! I would never have thought to check eBay for such an item. If I have the luxury of time and I'm flexible with what I want, I'm definitely a bargain shopper. Worse case, I wait for a sale. Recently I got a wild hair to make my guest room/studio
ReplyDeletemore practical and found a drop leaf cabinet and a futon on Craig's list. Unfortunately, no one seems to want the bargains *I'm* offering on Craig's List.
Good for you! There are bargains to be had out there if you just look. And you are obviously doing just that!
ReplyDeleteI furnished our FL house for a pittance with purchases on eBay and repurposed items.
ReplyDeleteIt's great fun and you have things that aren't what everyone else is buying.
K
I've always been a bargain shopper; it's the way I was raised. There's a lot of satisfaction, isn't there, in finding what you want for a fraction of what you'd spend to buy something new.
ReplyDeleteOh, where to begin? First off, the frame is perfect. It's surprising that the painting can look even better, but the frame really works. Congrats on the eBay score!
ReplyDeleteWe've had to tighten our belts, too. After the initial -shock? -disappointment? I found that, while I like having more disposable income (what an offensive term), I really get a charge out of finding "deals".
It's often an adventure to visit Goodwill (if you're heading toward Seattle, be sure to stop at the one in Centralia - clean, organized, big and FULL of helpful employees!), and I just get a thrill when I pay $6 for a new cashmere sweater.
I've also discovered the joys of homemade bread. I don't know if it's really saving $$ (sure isn't saving calories!!), but every loaf gives me a sense of accomplishment. May be some sort of "roots" thing going on there...
What great finds! I love the Thrift Store and garage sales. It is the hunt that is so much fun! And bragging about "look what I found; and guess what I paid for it?"
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