thrift

Just launched: the Carnival of Thrift Store Addicts, hosted at Idyllic Dreams. Love the idea, so I hope it takes off. Bloggers, if you have thrift-related posts you’d like to see featured in the next edition, you can submit them here. Proudly published by The Bargain Queens, where you'll find 350+ cheap deals on new fashion, style, [...]

I just paid $3.98 for a pair of Abercrombie & Fitch jeans and a Polo tee shirt!How insane is that? I'm pretty sure it would have cost a good $70 at least brand new from the store...not that i'd really know though as i a) NEVER buy anything brand new that's not on sale, and b) have never worn anything Abercrombie before ;) But there was no way i was passing up those bargains last night.The funn

Image: aghman. Get your cheap on. Whether you're on a trip and looking for a cheaper place to get souvenirs, or you're looking for a fun day trip in, and around, your home town, the hunt... Click above for the full article!

You might think gifts courtesy of your local thrift store sound like a poor-- and even tacky-- solution to gift-giving occasions. But in fact, with a bit of planning ahead, some well-chosen items, and knowing your recipient's interests, it's possible to pull together lovely, unique gifts that are as meaningful as they are economical.Like this housewarming gift.Shirley, a fellow blogger (you can vi

Your hostess doesn't get much time off for vacation each year, and what I do get must be hoarded greedily for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season. So when summer comes, and other folks are packing up the Family Truckster and seeing America's great sights, I admit, I find myself becoming a little bit wistful.But not this year! Nope, not this gal. Because this year, I am going on a virtual

A new Bill, H.R. 6312: Credit Union, Bank, and Thrift Regulatory Relief Act of 2008, was introduced June 19, 2008, and passed by the House on June 24, 2008.  The bill has now been sent to the Senate and awaits a vote. Read More...

Summertime, and the thrifting is measly...At least at the moment, anyway. But truth be told, if anything, I need to apply myself more wholeheartedly to getting rid of unnecessary things, instead of acquiring more.I made a good dent in that this week, by going through old clothing and coming up with three jigunda Hefty garbage bags of donations for Goodwill and the Salvation Army.And it felt so GOO

Now I know many of you who visit this site are veteran thrifters... garage sale mavens... and flea market officianados. You already know how to spot a bargain at sixty paces, and find just the right thing for any occasion.And that's why I'd love to hear anything you have to contribute to the list of tips I'm about to share for better thrift store shopping. In a time when gas prices are soaring, th

There is a fine art to thrifting. One must have nerves of steel, no shame and a slightly manic obsession with snagging a bargain. There is no room for morals or modesty and it's every woman for herself. If you are new to thrifting here a few tips to help you decide if you have it in you...

While many of us hard-core thrifters view thrift shopping as an adventure, some of our treasures take an equally exciting journey to reach us. Why, a single day of thrifting might reveal sake cups from Japan, hand-painted tole from France, steins from Germany, beautiful silks from India and elaborate carvings from Bali. My own father found a diggerydo from Australia once (and when space is limited, at over five foot tall, believe me-- it's a bit of a diggery-don't.)As an Anglophile, I'm continually surprised at the sorts of things that turn up in thrift stores that originally came from the British Isles. So I thought I'd group a few of them together today in this Treasure Box Wednesday.Like this Isle of Wite souvenir linen towel....I found this at the Salvation Army Superstore out by Centu

The husband of one my Senators here in Michigan was caught in a prostitution sting: The co-founder and former CEO of the liberal-progressive Democracy Radio and husband of U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow was caught in February by a Troy police sting aimed at catching prostitutes, according to a police report. Thomas L. Athans was stopped Feb. 26 [...]

Read the story, it's short and afterwards read my Howard Cosellian response. If you think it's cunty, fine, fine, fine. "POMONA, Calif. - A thrift store worker in Southern California says she didn't think twice about returning $30,000 she found in donated clothing. Barbarita Nunez was sorting clothes on Tuesday at the Veterans Thrift Store when she found a small box. Inside was an envelope of cash. Nunez said at first she thought the money was fake. But just in case, she gave it to her supervisor.The money turned out to belong to a woman who had recently died. It was returned to her family, who gave Nunez a cash reward.Nunez said she will send some of the reward to Mexico so her mother can have an eye operation and will use the rest to buy a digital camera."If I found 30K in that situatio

Many eBay sellers find their inventory at thrift stores. Thrifting can be overwhelming and confusing, especially if you shop in very large thrift stores. Thrift store shopping requires a lot of looking and rummaging, which can be tiring and time-consuming. Thrifting is not for everyone - the stores are often dirty, smell bad, or are in less desirable parts of town. You have to enjoy the thrill of the hunt for thrifting to work for you. So, if you're new to thrifting, here are a few pointers to help you make the most of a visit to a thrift store.Choose the best time to go. Thrifting requires energy and concentration. Plan to go when you are at your mental and physical best. My best time is in the morning when the store first opens.Make the rounds. Thrift stores tend to cluster together in c

Today I thought I'd show you where a couple of my recent thrift scores ended up in my house. Because, you know, it's always nice to have some perspective...And also, I didn't do much thrifting this week. In part, because of this:Yes, the picturesque landscape of a soft-sand Hawaiian Beach.So, let's go back inside the house, leave your snow boots-- er, waterskis-- by the door, and we'll head into the entrway. Here you'll see a possibly familiar-looking tole tray.Yes, that's right: that came from the Red, White and Blue just a few weeks ago-- along with two other not-long-ago thrifted items. This 1950s lady planter, and some crystal bird candlesticks.I love how different floral patterns, in similar shades, can look like they actually match. Sometimes, getting the right colors together can me

Travel is all about learning. Sometimes it involves becoming immersed in a foreign language or culture...And sometimes it involves critical life lessons. Like new insights into how, when the breeze is particularly strong, dining outside in a tropical setting can make one unexpectedly vulnerable to...Well, let's just say it:Pelican poo.Pelican poo AND scampi butter blown onto the front of one's shirt.Travel is about leaving a restaurant trying to be casual with your purse strategically cradled over your torso.So learning. Travel is about learning.And I learned a great deal about a great many things on my trip to Florida over Thanksgiving-- only a fraction of it, thankfully, related to wind currents and the digestive habits of local waterfowl.I learned that when prepping for a trip, you ca

Stephen Barr, writing for the Washington Post, reports that due to increasing administration costs incurred on account of day traders jumping in and out of the TSP, the board has voted to restrict inter-fund transfers to a maximum of two per month. The policy change will be announced in February 2008 and the computers re-programmed by April. "For example, on Oct. 19, $371 million of the plan's

Life is a beautiful comic highway of changes. Every personal and financial change may cause a swing in your family relationship. Saving money is an essential part of your lie and your future so you must begin to save. The first tip for saving money, is to make a standing order to the bank and save little sum of money every month from your account to a program which you can not open on the next few years. The money can be saved in bonds, stocks or whatever, you must start saving today. You can see some good advice on saving money, here on youtube saving video. Second money saving tip is to create a money box to the kids, put there about 3 or 4 dollars a week and once a year you can put the money in your bank account (about 250$ a year). For a goog idea of thrift saving you can find in this site .

Life is a beautiful comic highway of changes. Every personal and financial change may cause a swing in your family relationship. Saving money is an essential part of your life and your future so you must begin to save. The first tip for saving money, is to make a standing order to the bank and save little sum of money every month from your account to a program which you can not open on the next few years. You can have your money saved in bonds, stocks or whatever. You must start saving today. You can see some good advice on saving money, here on youtube saving video. Second money saving tip is to create a money box to the kids, put there about 3 or 4 dollars a week and once a year you can put the money in your bank account (about 250$ a year). A good idea for thrift saving you can be found on this site .

By now we all know what going on with the lenders and housing -- if you don't know it all you know some of what is going on. I continue to educate myself on what is going on and I am increasing my awareness of downside, the mass impact and the options.  It occured to me that we have not heard from the credit union and they do a large amount of lending to their members and there are a large number of members all over at several credit unions.QUESTION:  Who haven't we heard from during all this chaos?  ANSWER:    The member-based credit unions!Just a recap... the leading stories that we hear on the television, internet, radio, and all over unless you are under a rock and even then....lead storiesSoftness in the housing industryDeclining home prices in some areas The problems facing the subprime mortgage industry today. Foreclosures The stress of the poor loan optionsThe credit unions' mission is "to encourage ha

Last week for Corporate Responsibility Monday’s we talked about purchasing generic brand items over name brand when you were unsure of the ethics of the companies and their human rights history. I’ll encourage you to continue in that capacity but I want to take even another step away from Corporations and emphasize the value of buying second hand. I know some people have an apprehension to buying used items, whether it’s clothes, kitchen items or toys, but I’ll just say right here, get over it. There are a few isolated unique situations were for sanitary health concerns or otherwise you need to buy new, but the vast majority of items can easily be used second hand. Here are three reasons why I think buying second hand whenever possible is the way to go. It’s More Environmentally Friendly- No matter how ‘green’ your household items become, there is still production, packaging, shipping and more that is done to get them to you. The items you b

The moving project grinds slowly forward. Well, not-so-slowly, actually. Last night they moved all the living room furniture; tonight it's going to be the beds and the clothes. So we're sleeping over there tonight! I don't want to be at work today; I want to be at home helping to pack.Anyway, this morning between racing around trying to find boxes in which to pack things (this involved diving into dumpsters while wear a bandanna to cover my unwashed hair) I made it to the thrift stores to look for a new desk. My current one is truly impossible, so I went scouring about and found:a set of four green-striped placemats for $1a pair of green and yellow converse hightops for one of the inlaws, for $2a pair of shoes for another friend, $2a child-sized folding chair, $1a desk, $10. Now, you have to understand: this is one of those monstrosities from the sixties that's big enough to perform surgery. It's beige and metal, with a laminate top. However, it has plenty of filing drawers (which

This is a great way to save money. If you have kids than you know how fast they grow and how expensive their clothes can be. I shop at thrift stores for most of my kids clothing. I can get name-brand clothing at next to nothing prices. They have more clothes to wear because of this!! For the price of 1 pair of jeans I can go to a thrift store and get my kids a few outfits and the accessories. You will have to hunt in the store for the good stuff and make sure you look the items over really good. Check the zippers and buttons. Although I did buy my hubby a Christian Dior dress shirt for a $1.00 that had a button missing because I knew I could go home and sew one on!!!! Now I have a new baby and if it was not for thrift stores he would be naked right now! Also when I was pregnant I got all of my maternity clothes at thrift stores and then resold it on ebay and made 3 times more than what I bought it for! Some people even make a business out of thrift stores - go to them and buy high end

In the great depression of the 1930s, GDP fell, unemployment rose and the UK experienced a long period of deflation. In response to this disastrous economic situation, mainstream economists were at a loss as how to respond. Such a lengthy period of disequilibrium didn’t sit well with Classical theory which expected markets to operate smoothly and efficiently. One policy the National government did approve was the cutting of unemployment benefits. The rationale was that in times of a depression the govt should set an example by reducing its debt. This example actually inspired members of the public to send in their savings in the hope that it would help the economy.Alas this is precisely the worst response the Government could have taken. By reducing benefits they further reduced consumer spending and AD. This made areas of high unemployment even more impoverished. When people saved rather than spent their money it just made the recession worse. It was J.M. Keynes who was one of the m

Today’s guest post comes from Nadine in New Zealand, who writes a new budget shopping blog called Thriftyspend. If you’d like to be a guest Bargain Queen, send me an email. Savemart is a recycled-clothing chain of barn-size shops in New Zealand. You’ve really got to go in there with a plan of attack and a serious chunk of time. Here’s the shopping tips that recently netted me three great dresses for $65 (and a photo of my haul!) Leave husbands and children behind… …unless you are shopping for them and need them for input or trying-on. The last time I was there I had sent my kids to the circus with their grandparents. Know what you need I was focused on the single category of ’summer dresses’. Grab as you go I collected as I went up and down the ‘dress’ aisles. I grabbed what I liked as I passed — you don’t want to dither and then try to go back and find something. Know what suits you I was doing a first eye-sort

This is what I recently picked up on a thrift-shopping outing for only $50: On the left-hand side, from top to bottom: White cotton boatneck sweater with navy trim (brand new!), $3 Pale blue stretch-cotton long-sleeve shirt, $5 Cute lilac t-shirt with a low neckline, puffy little sleeves and lace trim, $3 Red ‘Joe’s lemonade’ tank top, $2 Knee-length polka-dot cotton skirt, $5 On the right-hand side, from top to bottom: Grey Sportsgirl cami with sequined trim, $10 Red satin Blue Juice top, $8 Purple top, cheap synthetic but I like the colour, $3 Printed cami, $3 Burgundy shirt with mid-length sleeves and ruffle trim, $8 Please excuse the poor quality photo. Everything’s much cuter in real life, I just didn’t have time to carefully photograph them all.

Them who been around me knows I likes to take photographs of things I sees and things I imagines I sees whenever I gits a notion. Anybodder close to me can tell you I love to dig in me some trash, too. You fancy peoples call it dumpster divin'.I was downtown yonder to the thrift store, an' they done throwed some stuff out the back door that they thought they couldn't sell. The lady there, she told me I was free to get any of the stuffs they tossed out, if I wanted.An old white metal can made out of the same stuff like the bowl Granny used to mix up biscuits in was amongst the reject stuffs. This here can had a nozzle thangy on it, and a rolled-up hose wuz stuck inside. The label said "hospital irrigator," so I figured you attached the hose, filled the can with water an' carried it around the hospital floor an' watered the plants.To me, the most important thang about that can wuz this here: I could see right away that it was antique, or at least vintage -- whatever vintage means --

Hi, I just picked up a Bernina 817 at a thrift store for $25. Can anyone tell me anything about the machine? What type of feet it takes, needles, etc? I don't have it at home yet since I rode my bike to the store and did not have anyway to carry it home. I suppose I should take it to be serviced. How much should I expect servicing to cost? Thanks for your help everyone! JessicaLast post by nervous_system at Sun 12 Aug 2007 06:00:17 PM Total posts: 4 Visit PatternReview.com to read this entire topic.Research Necchi Sewing Machines and Sergers at PatternReview.com.