My Frugal Life

Saving Money...that's what I tell my husband every time I buy something on sale!  My husband is quite the bargain hunter too, he has been known to buy dog food when we didn't even have a dog!  His response when I reminded him of that fact...but it was marked way down and someone can use it!  Funny but true.

I just can't help but look for bargains.  It actually hurts my feeling and there for I rarely do buy anything at full price.  It is probably a good thing that I am not real trendy.  I usually begin to like things as they are going out of style and then my nonconformist comes out and I still wear it (because I still like it).  Now it takes patience and knowing where to look to get real good bargains.  Of course, garage sales are my favorite.  They are pure treasure hunting.  What someone else is done with it may be just the thing you have been needing.  However this past week I came upon a coffee table and end table at a curb, couldn't pass it up and brought it to my daughters.  Her sons accused me of stealing and couldn't grasp the idea that it was put on the curb for that purpose, for someone to get.  Any way, the items had considerable character marks yet with a little paint and tlc, they will be beautiful in her home.  My family has gotten use to my stopping for the craziest things, and just let me say "dumpster diving" is divine.  Now I will tell you that most of my dumpster diving is limited to items that come in handy to make props and such for Vacation Bible School, but I am not beyond going in for anything that catches my eye.

Thrift stores and consignment shops are good for bargains.  People have spent the big bucks on high end items and you can get them typically in great shape for next to nothing. 

Repurpose!

Repurpose!  I love that word.  Webster defines it "to give a new purpose or use to".  Having been raised by incredibly frugal parents, I have long taken the discarded, broken down and turned it into something useable and sometimes even unrecognizable.  I love treasure hunting and most Saturday's come rain or shine you will find my husband and I out scouring the neighborhood garage sales for unwanted treasure. I get excited spending pennies on the dollar for an item I can see such potential in.  

My husband, Larry, loves to cook so you might find him holding up an almost new crock pot and telling me, "Hey, Vickie, this is only $5.00", while I'm on the other side of the garage holding up a 410 shotgun, simultaneously saying, "Hey, Larry, this is only $50.00" (true story).  Regardless we usually always come home with my '96 Ford Explorer filled to the brim. 

The challenge is to think outside the box.  Take an old or unused t-shirt, you can make a quilt to commemorate events, you can make scarves, pillows, flowers, rugs, dresses, headbands, totes, necklaces, bracelets, rings, vests and I am sure many more things (all of the above can be found on pinterest.com).  Now who would have thought! 

Today we live in a throwaway society, with disposable everything; yet, people talk “green” not realizing that there are many ways to “go green”.  Of course, some don’t throw away anything, we’ve seen those on “Hoarders”, don’t go that far.  But I challenge you rethink, reuse, repurpose!  It just makes sense.