Thrifty Thursday

So, another trip to Eastern Washington this passed weekend (Lake Chelan) and we had the car full to the max after 4 yard sales. It was pretty hilarious, we even had stuff piled on our laps by the end of our adventure. Of course, I took a picture to capture the memory. We could have dropped a load off and kept going but I had a friend coming into town so we decided it was time to stop. I found everything from a world globe (for free) to hair rollers that have never been used, and a huge pile of handmade Halloween costumes for 10 bucks. Totally scored and ONLY spent a total of $40 bucks.What? huh? how? I KNOW. It amazes me too. 

Here are a few of my finds I want to share to inspire YOU: 

$1 Clutch. I found tickets in here to the Paramount Theater back from 1992...love the gold tips

$2 Bowls. These were very unique to me and come in a stack-able set of 3

 25 cent earrings. These over-sized earrings are big right now, and I love the coral/pink.

$2.50 Levi's Jacket. I was hoping this would fit my brother, but it did not so it sold to a friend in Miami

 $5 Vintage Jansport. I use this for my dog bag now and it works great

THE TRUNK

Here are some YARD SALE tips to check out!

1.If you are at a yard sale that has a "fill a bag of clothes for $5" deal (or similar), you can get more clothes into a bag if you roll them up like a sausage rather than just stuffing them into the bag willy-nilly. 

2. Make sure you have cash on hand, and small bills. I personally like to bring only a certain amount of cash and when it's gone, it's gone. No mas! Don’t be afraid to haggle a price down if you feel it is too high. The worst the seller can say is no.

3. Don't be afraid of NOT buying something at a yard sale. I know some people who feel a weird obligation to buy something at every yard sale whether they need it or not. I just say, "sorry I don’t see anything I need - good luck with your sale, you have a great day for it", and then I’m off to the next one. Otherwise you’ll end up with so much stuff you’ll have to have your own yard sale. 

4. I've trained myself to keep my eyes opened for upcoming yard sales and mark the calendar so I don't forget. For instance, when I see announcement that a local organization is soliciting donations for an upcoming yard sale - I run to the calendar and mark it down. And some organizations will hold a yard sale the same time every year (so I mark that on my calendars and when the year changes I'll pencil in potential yard sales).

5. Lastly, if you see an item you would like (but is priced too high and the seller won't negotiate), give the seller your name and telephone number and tell them you are interested if it doesn't sell by the end of the day and they are willing to come down on the price. One reader's suggestion: carry extra business cards for this purpose, who knows, YOU may end up selling THEM something!  

Add me on Twitter for more fun thrift finds and ideas: CHELSEA___MAE