Tuesday, June 14

$28.75 - Confessions of a Yard-sale-aholic

I'm what you could call a yard-sale-aholic. There are few things I enjoy more than hunting down great stuff at great prices, then bargaining for an even better price. And there is no better place to do that than at a yard sale! I decided to start posting my yard sale finds because it's the main way I make my house feel like home without spending a fortune. The title will be the total amount I spent, and I'll break down the individual prices as well. I'm hoping to add a feature down the road where others can link in their yard sale finds so we can all see each others' great deals! (If you want some link fun this week, you can join the fun with The Nesting Place) For my first post I'm including the things I've found in the last 3 weeks. Here we go!

$0.25 - white serving dish. Our future kitchen remodel will include some shelving to display our white dishes on, and I though this would fit perfectly into that display.
 
 $2.00 - metal basket, serving tray, cork boards. Love some cheap storage!
 
$1.00 - 2 rolls of shelf liner and a bundle of wall paper. I plan to use this to line drawers and the back of book cases for some unexpected color.


 $5.00 - baby wrap. I've been wanting a Moby baby carrier, but couldn't fork over the $40 for one, so when I found this knock off I snatched it up! I've already used it a few times and Baby B loves it!

 $0.50 - small folding table. This will be getting a makeover. Then it will be a handy nightstand for the guest room.

$1.00 - big picture frame. I love finding picture frames at yard sales, and it's rare to find one that so big with glass and a matte for so cheap! A coat of paint and a new picture will turn this into a beautiful piece for our living room. 
 
$1.00 - salt & pepper shakers. I loved the great shape of these and I think a bright coat of paint will bring them up to date.

$0.25 - jammies for Baby B. He'll have to grow into them, but I can't resist stripes and plaids for the boy!

$1.00 - two floor cushions. We don't have room for a lot of seating in our living room, and tend to have a lot of guests when my family comes to town to visit Baby B. I plan to slip cover them and then I can pull them out when we have guests.


$7.00 - folding picnic table, laser level, and hammer. I've been wanting a folding table for camping and couldn't believe I found one so cheap! The stud finder will be super handy for our upcoming kitchen project, and the hammer was just so we can have one in the house and one in the garage because we're tired of going back and forth looking for the only one we have!

$1.50 - two flower pots. I'm planning to put the small one in the kitchen to hold measuring spoons. After a good washing, of course. 

$0.25 - new shoes for me

$3.00 - plastic salad bowl set for the patio, purple tote, and...be still my heart...a beautiful green purse. I'm definitely a purse girl, but after finding this baby I think I can get rid of all my other purses. That's how much I love it. 

 Tuck-and-run find of the day: (This is an item you feel like you got an outrageously good deal on. Something so good you instantly grab it, pay for it, and run before the seller realizes they could have made way more on it! You don't always find an item like that, but it sure is fun when you do!) Here's mine for this week:
$5.00 - brand new kitchen cabinet! I mentioned remodeling our kitchen in the future, and we need to do it as cheap as possible so we're planning to paint the existing cabinets and add a few more painted to match (so color of the new cabinets doesn't matter). Buying new cabinets would run over $100 each, so when I saw this for $5 I grabbed it and didn't let go! New kitchen, here I come! :)

And the one that got away: $130 for a whole set of kitchen cabinets. I passed because I only wanted to buy a few out of the set, but I'm totally kicking myself. I should have bought it and then put the ones I didn't want in my own yard sale! Oops.

That's it so far this summer.As for the rest of the summer, there are certain things I always keep my eyes open for at yard sales. For me they are camping supplies, tools, baskets & other storage, fabric, furniture that can be painted or refinished, and picture frames. I also have a few things I'm specifically looking for this year:
-cabinets (for the kitchen & a basement bar)
-bar stools for the kitchen remodel (I found the perfect ones last weekend, but they were $25 each and the sellers wouldn't come down. Too steep for me, so I'll keep hunting!)
-shower curtain
-lamp shades (really want some drum shades!)
-weed eater
-cast iron skillet
-area rugs (for living room, guest room, and bedroom...I dreamed I found them the other night. Yes, I dream about going to yard sales)
-garbage can (the kind with a pedal to open the lid)
-outdoor cushions (I may end up getting them at IKEA instead)

I'm doing things a little different this year and trying really hard not to buy anything unless I know I have a place and a use for it. So hard! But I know it will pay off because it will keep my house from being over cluttered. And of course I can  have yard sales of my own to make room for new things, too! I'm working on a big purge and planning a yard sale later this summer. I'll fill you in on that later.

For anyone interested in getting in on the yard sale action (whether as a shopper or a seller) I recommend this post by The Nester full of helpful tips and advice. And you're welcome to share your spoils (and the ones that got away) here! I'd love to see! Special thanks to Finding My Feet for inspiration for this post.

3 comments:

  1. YOU are an awesome shopper!
    25 cents for the white pedestal dish?
    And 25 cents for new shoes?
    Congratulations! You beat my deals!
    HUGS and blessings to you!
    ~Leslie

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  2. What great finds! I have yet to master the patience for yard sales. I stop by occasionally but have yet to be hooked :)

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  3. Thanks! I totally just get lucky. Some weeks are better than others! :)
    And I'm way beyond hooked. :)

    ReplyDelete

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