Our family spent a long weekend in Maine before the big Memorial holiday. Planned also for just before the crowds and just before the rates go up. We flew kites, enjoyed fine dining and relaxed on the beach. Life the way it should be.
With our daughters back in New Hampshire and my husband back to work, I found myself alone on Saturday afternoon. What to do but run some practical errands. I like to shop when the fever hits, I just don’t like to spend money. Some days I find the balance.
As I get older, I try to declutter our house in some way each week. A drawer gets cleaned out, immaterial items get tossed and the better clothes and houseware get donated. I started my afternoon dropping off a few bags at the local parish thrift shop. While there, frugal me had to look around for any potential bargains. I love Calvin Klein, so when I saw one of his t-shirts with the tag still on, in my size, I decided I needed to own it. They retail between $35-50 so I didn’t hesitate to pay $2. Also, it’s still decluttering if I bring more into the thrift shop than I take out. Mission accomplished.
I headed to another store for a return but more about that later. Along the way, I found a yard sale. An older, by that I respectfully mean older than me, man was sitting outside his garage of records, books and tools with a few other items spewing into the driveway. Of course I stopped to say hello and to see what the earlier dealers may have left behind. I went through the vintage albums but anything of consequence was long gone. Rifling through them made me notice rolled posters in the corner.
“Is this a collection your selling?”, I asked, knowing there was value to some.
“Oh, those. That lot is from a store I bought years ago.”, he sighed and continued, “They’re $1 each, if you see anything.”
“Years ago” usually translates to at least 10 or more years. I’d already seen the poster of interest; one poster in the tall barrel wasn’t rolled to a white backing; there was an image. It was either rolled incorrectly or printed on both sides. I unrolled the pristine thick paper and confirmed I’d spotted a double-sided Matrix Reloaded poster. As I paid, I also spotted some vintage woman’s Gitano jeans with the tags and labels still attached. Garage sale man said they’d been his sister’s. I’ve learned not to ask where the relative is or why she never wore them. I told myself his sister wouldn’t mind me flipping her 80’s denim either.
A piece of silver I wanted to sell was also in my car; I had planned to check the going rate at a nearby shop. The storefront was disappointingly closed for the holiday weekend. Instead, I walked around the corner to an antique shop. I wander through once in awhile to view the inventory and benchmark local price points. In the window of bottles, she was staring back at me. A cut glass spice shaker in the shape of a little girl with braided hair. I turned her upside down to validate my find. Not having a price tag, I walked to the front of the store to ask her price, in a very uniformed sort of way.
“This is cute; how much?”
“That? I think it’s a newer syrup bottle. $5.”
I slapped down a $5 Lincoln, walked quickly back to my car and slapped my knee. I was head over heels for my new Goebel gal.
I continued on to a bargain chain store that still accepts returns with no receipt, if the store tag is still adhered. They only give store credit but I can always find something to use. I brought four previously acquired yard sale items to the return counter and was handed a store credit of $25.97. I quickly shopped off the food shelves and got back in line to “pay”. The cashier said, “$25.96”. “Looks like I owe you a penny.” With one affirming cent in my pocket, I skipped out of the store.
One of the other items I had in my car was a $5 Staples coupon, if I used their new app. They already have my purchase history and personal information, so I bit. I bought my on sale ink for $5 less than advertised.
The last item I had was an unopened container of Greek vanilla yogurt with a May 21 ‘use by’ date that we’d not eaten before vacation. Since it was now May 27, and there was a grocery store along the way home, I inquired within. They honored an exchange for a new non-expired container of the same brand. We now have until July 21 to eat our yogurt. The cultures certainly weren’t going to be thrown away. Not by me anyway.
I still had yogurt for our family breakfast, got a bargain for my printer ink, had nearly $26 of new food for our pantry and invested $9 to flip items in my designer T-shirt this summer. Many have little appreciation for my frugality. That’s just who I am. To me, that’s how life should be.
Ms Toy Whisperer 