Living in Aberdeen instilled in me a true love for second-hand shopping. While always one to love a bargain, at one time I used to look askance at purchasing items "used". However, living on a student budget made such fussiness meaningless. Wandering a charity shop or the regular NCT sales was like hunting for treasure. Part of the thrill was the search.While we are no longer in that sort of financial situation, with all the start-up expenses that accompany buying a new home, we still try to maximize our budget however possible (I'll post more about some of what we do in a subsequent blog entry). Twice a year I attend the free shopping event held at a nearby church, which is very much like the NCT sale, complete with tables of clothes, boxes of children's books, furniture, baby apparatuses, and stuffed animals galore. In general I do very well for our children's seasonal clothing needs there. The other thing I have been very successful with is finding girl clothing at yard sales. Last fall, I got much of Genevie's cold weather wardrobe at a couple of yard sales, and then again today at another town wide yard sale, I stocked her up on sun dresses, shorts, and tank tops. I even found a hardly worn pair of sandals.
I have to say there is nothing so satisfying as finding 10 beautiful complete outfits, an Easter dress for next year, and footwear and only parting with $12.50.
4 comments:
I went yard saling too today! I found Lily and myself some summer dresses. I am especially delighted with the finds for myself--5 stylish dresses that fit really well for $20! I could only get one dress at Target for that. Yay for second hand shopping--good for the pocketbook and good for the Earth. :)
Great job, Becky! Aberdeen also gave me the same appreciation of buying secondhand. :-) (Though, I haven't found anything here in Sydney that even compares to the NCT sale! Soooooooo sad.)
But I'd like to know where all your 'great finds' for the boys are! :-P Unless you have the same problem I do . . . girls are SOOOO much easier to shop for (& probably easier on clothes, in general). ;-)
I became addicted to yard sales last summer. With my daughter moving into her first apartment, I completely stocked her kitchen for $35. She wanted all this fancy kitchen stuff (mind you she never cooked a thing in her 23 years of life) and I just couldn't see putting out money for things she "might" use someday. Now that she's engaged she'll be getting new things for her shower, so all the kitchen gadgets for $35 served her well this past year.
I've been seeing neon pink/green signs this weekend and that oh familiar is coming back to me.
i love yard sales and charity shops. and i can't help but get annoyed with my sister, who complains about how they are *so broke*, and then pays $150 at next for half a dozen spring outfits for her daughter... *sigh*
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