Finding More for Less in Unique Places
Last week we had some great interaction on when to buy “the good stuff” and when to pass. Thanks for your experiences! There are things that really make a difference when you buy quality. Did I mention I wish we would have bought the $900 dishwasher instead of the $550 model? (Apparently $550 isn’t what it used to be when it comes to dishwashers…)
Paying a lot for “the good stuff” is well and dandy, but sometimes we just need to find a frugal solution C-H-E-A-P. Everybody and their frugal sister knows that yard sales, thrift stores and consignment shops are usually “The” premier place to snag great stuff at even better prices. But there are great buys to be found in unique places. Those buys could be actual places you'd never think to look, things you might never think to create or a new perspective you might not have considered.
This week I’m going to link some of the things I’ve written about finding more for less in unique places. Enjoy the journey, but before you go… Where have you found good stuff cheap in a unique place?
Food
¤ Local Produce. Great food in unlikely places.
¤ Easily Make Your Own Artisan Bread. Artisan breads are the rustic ones that places like Panera sell for $4 a loaf. The good stuff.
¤ Knowing How to Cook Saves a LOT of Money. Most of these things can be learned from any basic cookbook or a grandmother at church. Good old trial and error is a good teacher too! lol
Home
¤ Decorating on the Cheap. I decorated our 3500 sq. ft. house for about $500. This link is how I pulled it off.
¤ Yellow Pages. It’s amazing how much you can save when you let your fingers do the walking.
Clothing (I guess I should title it “Sewing” instead)
¤ Knowing What Looks Good on You Saves a Bunch. You'll leave that empire waist blouse on the rack when you realize it makes you look pregnant, and you aren't.
¤ Finding Great Deals on Sewing Supplies. When you can get the cost of sewing supplies down to a reasonable price, it really pays to make some good clothes in classic styles.
¤ You can’t beat a great, feminine little girl dress for $6 or less! I just finished a new one last week and have 3 more to finish. All under $6 for a size 5 little girl.
¤ Wrap It Up. Everybody’s favorite Tznius wrap skirt for much, much less. I've made two so so far. One cost less than a buck for material. The other one was $3.
(psssst! In case you don’t know how to sew and would like to learn… I have a post on that too. Sewing can be really frugal!)
Autos
¤ Buying Good, but Cheap Used Vehicles. Not always a popular idea to do it this way, but it works.
¤ Save on Gas. A couple pennies on the way add up.
¤ The True Cost of a “Quick Trip.” At the IRS rate of 48.5¢ per mile, we need to consider just how much a quick trip costs in the long run.
Next Time... The age old question: If everyone you admired jumped off a bridge, would you jump too?
Have a terrific week!
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8 Responses to “Finding More for Less in Unique Places”
October 10th, 2007 at 8:16 am
One of the places that I find bargains is at our “county farm”. It is actually a prison that has a big farm. They sell 50 lb. bags of potatoes for around $8.00. Every year we stop in there and buy 100 lbs. and we also buy lots of yummy squash, which is also a great price!! :0)
October 10th, 2007 at 9:22 am
I love this blog and have included in my top 10 spots of where I go to read!
October 10th, 2007 at 9:22 am
Sorry to be nitpicky, but I think the bread you’re referring to is “artisan” bread — bread made by a skilled baker (who can now be you, in your own kitchen!). “Artesian” usually refers to wells.
Either way, thanks for the fabulous set of links! I can tell I’ll be learning a lot today as I follow them.
October 10th, 2007 at 10:46 am
Thanks Hypatia. You’re right. It was a spell check error. Gotta love technology. :p I fixed it.
Thanks for the link Hollie!
Lesley, we have a farm like that near us, but the don’t sell to the public. I think it goes to a soup kitchen or something similar.
October 10th, 2007 at 11:54 am
a word to the wise–paying more for a dishwasher does NOT mean you get a better one! we spent way more than I was comfortable with on a top of the line dishwasher and it has never actually cleaned the dishes. we do them by hand now…..which has saved us money on water bills, actually.
October 11th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Food from a prison farm? Now that’s truly an unexpected resource!
Hmmm…I’d have to say that Dollar General Stores (not to be confused with Dollar Tree) are my favorite “unexpected place” for saving money.
Sure, everyone knows the yellow-and-black generic image, but did you know that some high value items are there? Children’s OTC Tylenol generics for half the cost of Walmart’s. Oasis floral foam 3 bricks for a dollar. And this week, Martha Stewart DVDs for only $3 apiece.
I’d choose Dollar General over Target any day of the week.
October 15th, 2007 at 4:54 am
I just read your article about the cost of “quick trips” and it’s so good! I have always lived “out in the country” and it really makes me think twice about going into town when I know how long the trip is. I try to consolidate all my trips for one day per week or a day when I’m at work.
October 15th, 2007 at 9:16 am
Noelle, I’ve heard all kinds of horror stories about dishwashers – cheap and expensive. I’ve heard great things about the small commercial ones. We might try one of those next.
Meredith, we have Dollar Trees, but no Dollar Generals. There are a DG around my mom’s though. I might have to stop the next time we visit. I like those MS videos.
Brooke, thanks. The cost of a quick trip is pretty eye opening when you stop to consider the numbers.
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