Hello everyone. This post has been a long time coming and I’m excited to finally have it put together to post. I’m going to go over a few things that help my family save money, and hopefully you will find something in here that will help you as well.
THRIFTING:
I enjoy thrift shopping. And I have no shame in admitting that even in junior high and high school, though a little embarrassing at the time, I totally had to shop there for clothes. I did in elementary school as well but didn’t know it wasn’t ‘acceptable’ and people thought it was gross. Thank goodness so many do it today and it’s kind of the cool thing to do, right? You can imagine how awkward it was when I bought a cute shirt from DI, wore it to school, and had someone say, “That’s a cute shirt! I used to have one like that…” Uh yah, and then you gave it to DI and I bought it.
So I’m seasoned in thrift shopping.
Obviously to save money, you just don’t go shopping. Sometimes I stay away from the thrift store because I don’t need anything. But sometimes I’m feeling like something new to change up my home a bit, and even though I don’t need it, it helps me save money by thrifting rather than buying new. But maybe your child needs a new pair of shoes, or you need a new dish because yours broke. Shopping used has really helped my family out financially in these circumstances!
Hands down the best deals you will find on clothing, dishware, furniture, books, etc. will be at Deseret Industries, estate sales, and yard sales. 
Savers is also pretty good. I have yet to stop at a Salvation Army because there isn’t one very close to where I live. I seriously have to limit my trips to DI because I always find something to bring home!
Here are some of my finds from the last couple trips:
cups, .50 cents each.
I get SO many pairs of my shoes there, and never pay more than $6.00/pair. See THIS post for two pairs of shoes I thrifted and fancied up a bit.
Pink shoes for Poppy, $2.00. I also bought her six pair of princess dress up shoes for .50 cents each.
I also love to get little knick-knacks for holidays or baskets for gifts while thrifting. THIS bike basket was made using a thrifted basket.
Patterns! Thrift stores are great for patterns! I made Poppy’s birthday dress out of this pattern, and I adore it! I probably have over 30 patterns bought for $0.25 or $0.50 at DI.
This isn’t a thrifted find, but sometimes you just happen to be in the right place at the right time. I don’t love character themed clothing or shoes for my kids, but I was at Walmart at the right time and scored these shoes for $3.00, not the $13.00 they are marked as. I was so happy because he really needed some new shoes at the time.
THRIFTING TOUR:
After looking up the Alt Summit schedule from earlier this year, I found Liz Stanley was a speaker there and was taking people on a thrifting shopping spree. Since I couldn’t go, I looked up her blog and she had written a post about some fun shops around Salt Lake! Perfect! I could go on my own tour. So I’m showing you three places she mentioned.
First I stopped at Decades. This is one awesome place! I was amazed at the vintage clothing choices they had at this store! There was also a selection of antique clothing that was quite old, probably from the early 1900’s. And lots of hats and jewelry! I was disappointed that I wasn’t allowed to take pictures inside, because it had such great things.
See the cute black and white coat in the display window? It was still there last time I drove past. It’s a size small and $45.00 I believe. Cute cute. So it’s not really inexpensive clothing, but if you appreciate fashion and looking back through older styles of clothing, it’s a really fun place to walk around.
I did buy a dress that was $15.00. It has beautiful fabric and I have plans to refashion it. The dress was bought on a whim and I kind of wish I hadn’t bought it, but it should be cute once I work with it a bit.
Next stop was this furniture store called Elemente (which I am pretty sure was the culprit of a parking ticket I unknowingly acquired, so be careful where you park!). There was a ton of unique, used furniture in this store. It had pretty good prices for furniture as well. Couches, mirrors, book cases, tables…downstairs they have some furniture that is a bit more damaged, but could be refinished and look great.
My last stop on Liz’s list was Abode. Well, I lie—the last stop was Home Again but it wasn’t used furniture as far as I could tell, and too much money for me! Abode had a pretty good variety of clothing, sheets, small home décor items, vintage handkerchiefs, and vintage children’s clothing.
But I will tell you that I bought this cute pyrex dish you see below at DI for $1.50 and they had the exact same one at abode for $15.00. So again, DI has proven to be the best place to find things if you are there at the right time!
Yard Sales and KSL:
If you have the time and energy to get up Saturday mornings and hit the yard sales during the warmer months, then great! My husband is often gone Saturday mornings and I find it hard for me to get up and take three kids with me to them. I often just drive by if I’m looking for larger items. I know if I got out and looked I’d probably find some treasures, but until I can go alone I’m not a big Yard Sale shopper, even though it is very appealing to me.
I buy and sell a lot of things online using the classifieds. But be careful and try and research what you are buying, along with thinking of any questions you need to know answers to. I bought a stroller recently for jogging, and although it was a great price at $60.00, and had great reviews, I should have paid attention to ALL of the reviews, good or bad. If I had paid attention to the few negative reviews on Amazon about the front wheel shaking while jogging, I would have asked the lady if it did that. Well, I bought the stroller, went jogging, and the front wheel shakes when I jog. So I will re-sell it and be honest about what they are getting, but just thought I’d throw that out there as a word of caution!
Estate Sales:
I recently have started to receive emails from a sweet friend who forwards Estate Sales on to me. As Estate Sales are still new to me, I don’t know a lot about them but will share a little of what I’ve found. The first one I went to the style just wasn’t what I like, but I did end up with the four Harry Potter books we didn’t have for $7.00. Estate Sales also vary in price depending on the company hired to do them. You’ll find some furniture seems very reasonably priced, and others are priced so much higher that it is confusing. Although I am pretty sure you can negotiate prices. A couple months ago I went to one that opened at 10, but I arrived at 10:30 having already stopped at another Estate Sale. I wish I had stopped at this one first because the man from Decades was there with SIX HUGE GARBAGE bags full of clothing to be sold at his store, obviously priced much higher than what he paid for them (he is trying to run a business so I understand that—I just wish I had been there sooner!). I bought over 20 yards (or even 30-40 yards) of fabric for $7.00. LOVE LOVE LOVE that top blue one! I’m thinking maybe a dress.
It is a little strange going through items belonging to someone who has passed away. I agree with Katy’s post HERE.
LEARN TO SEW!
I say this not to make your own wardrobe, but to keep your eye out for clothing that is on a super great clearance, or at the thrift store, even if they aren’t the right size. In the outfit below, the skirt was too big by four inches so I took it in, the cardigan was too large so I took in the sides, and I made the camisole top much cuter by buying 2 for $5.00, and since they both had lace bottoms, used the lace from one to add to the other. The cardigan was $7.00 and the skirt was $12.00 (a little more than I’d like to pay normally, but still a great deal). The necklace was a gift. But what I’m saying is that if I didn’t sew, I’d have to pass up the clothes because they wouldn’t look good. And the fixes I did on these were so simple that a beginner can totally do these. (camera skills courtesy of my 6 year old!)
And don’t forget my black shoes thrifted at DI for $5.00. Tights on sale at Walmart for $4.50.
GROCERIES:
I’m just quickly going to mention two sites. (they don’t know I’m mentioning them, I just truly find them great). The first one is for produce, and it’s called Bountiful Baskets, and I believe you can do this in quite a few states, but I’m not positive on that. I’m not ALWAYS thrilled with the quality, but I have been happy with it for the most part. You can also get delicious breads from them. The second is one I pay $5.00/month to subscribe to, and it’s called Deals to Meals, but is specific for Utah. I’m sure there are sites like this one for other states. I save at least $1.25/week on my grocery bill using them, so I feel it’s worth it. Basically, it checks all the ads and lets me know the best deals so I can price match or go to the individual stores. Even with the $5.00/month fee, it saves me time and money. Obviously, coupons and things like that are also great, but I used to do couponing and simply don’t have time anymore. Also, going grocery shopping less often really has helped me save a lot!
ONLINE SHOPPING:
I’ll also just link here to two and you can check them out (again, just my opinion, not being paid to mention them). Freebies to Deals, and Groupon (as if you haven’t heard of them). I love those sites! I know there are TONS of other ones and I use some of them, but those are my faves. In fact, I just bought some awesome apparel fabric with a groupon that I paid $15.00 for $30.00 worth of fabric. Yay! I also love when they come out with Old Navy coupons because I get some killer deals when I shop their clearance racks.
AUTO SAVINGS:
You might think this is an odd thing to add to this post, but I just wanted to share an easy way to save money on auto repairs. My husband is a great handy man around the house, but he isn’t into fixing cars beyond very simple things. I find that when I get a quote for something wrong with my van, it’s pretty ridiculous, and I understand they need to make a living but man, it’s hard to come up with the amount of money they ask for! So what I’ve started to do is get the quote and find out what is needed. Rather than having the place do it all (the labor and providing the part), I go to Autozone or some other auto parts store, buy the part, then call around and find the cheapest place to do the labor with the part(s) I already bought. No joke, I have saved at least $150.00 EVERY TIME I’ve done this! The part is under warranty at the place I bought it, and the labor is warrantied.
What about you? What are some of your money-saving tips?
No one wants to hear this, but the best way I save money is to stay home and not go shopping. :)
We recently went meatless and I am saving on my grocery bill with that too.
Also (and this is so hard for me), checking out books and movies from the library instead of buying them can save a ton.
Great tips! I love DI too. I find too many “treasures” there sometime, and I totally agree with you about the sewing patterns. They’re so much cheaper, and there are so many cute ones to pick from.
I think something that is overlooked is to evaluate our wants and our needs. We went several years as a one car family. I am a stay-at-home Mom and we live within walking distance to schools, library, groceries, post office, and even gourmet chocolate (Yes, chocolate is a NEED).
We saved loads of money on insurance, gas, etc. Even my husband started biking or running 7 miles to work and back so we fill our car about once a month. If I really need a car for the day I can drive him to work in the morning and pick him up in the afternoon.
A few of my favorite thrifty tips:
– I try to hit up as many small non-profit thrift shops I can. They often have great prices and will sometimes negotiate with you if an item has been there a long time. I rarely ever go to Goodwill. They’re overpriced. I miss DI shops and wish they would open a shop here in Albuquerque.
– I want holiday decor for our new house, but it isn’t in the budget. I have been hitting up all the Easter clearance. I got a lot of awesome stuff for 50%-90% off. Selection is limited, but still decent.
– Shop with lists. It keeps you from wasting money. If I am looking for a specific thrift shop item, I have a list. It keeps me from browsing and buying tons of things I didn’t need.
– Try it on! Clothes in thrift shops are obviously used. They may have stretched out or shrunk. Try them on to make sure they fit or else you wasted your money.
– Sign up for store loyalty programs for stores you love. I love Cost Plus World Market and Ace Hardware. Their loyalty programs are free and you get awesome coupons. I have a coupon for 10 dollars off 30 at World Market and I saw some amazing items on clearance yesterday.
– Simplify your meals. We only eat one type of pasta (whole wheat rotini), one type of rice (brown), two types of cereal, etc. Keeping the options limited saves money in the long run. If you’re buying 2 types of coffee creamer or 4 types of juice, it gets pricey and may go to waste.
– If you’re an avid Target shopper like I am, always use the same card when you shop. In fact, sign up for a Target redcard debit card. You save 5% every time you shop and it’s easy to sign up. Anyway, use the same card every time because the store tracks your purchases this way. It often spits out good coupons for you. I got an awesome coupon for 50% off 2 window treatments. I bought 2 of the 2pks of simple white curtains. From $60 to $30. I can now put curtains on my giant front window.
– We try to go on the basis of “if it’s not on sale or if we don’t have a coupon we can’t afford it!” I haven’t paid full price in quite some time.
Hey Christie – I have that same baby trend stroller and I read that there is a bolt you can tighten if the front wheel shakes. Mine doesn’t so I haven’t tried it myself, but I wanted to pass along the tip before you get rid of yours.
I’m already loving these great tips! And I agree 100%, if you are really tight, you probably shouldn’t go thrifting, but evaluate needs and wants. Thanks for sharing, ladies!
Thanks for the suggestion on the bolt, Steff. I’ll look into that for sure, as I just listed the stroller and would love to keep it!
Such great ideas! I love thrifting, I’ve also been doing it since I was little (and ended up realizing around middle school that it wasn’t so cool). But it’s gotten my husband and I so many pretty dishes, some great pieces of furniture and sewing patterns. And Bountiful Baskets are great! Thank you so much for sharing all your ideas.
Oh, and I had no idea that you shopped at thrift stores when we were younger! You found really cute things then too!
Deals to Meals serves all of the western US! If you log out of your account you will see the map on the homepage.
How often do you go thrifting? I found it was hard to find a lot of good things in UT because thrifting is so popular there.
You do have to have a lot of self control when thrifting! I also find it helpful to go with a list of things I am looking for and I TRY to have a set budget. Next month I am planning on only using cash when I go.:)
When we moved across the country we gave boxes and boxes of perfectly good things to Goodwill because the cost of moving everything was way more than what the items were worth. It was then that I realized thrift stores aren’t just full of people’s old junk!
Love this post!
Oh wow, great post Christie! Thanks for sharing your savy knowledge, I need to find ways to save :o)
YES YES YES on the auto repairs!!! I went to the dealer to have our side mirror replaced on my 19 year old car. They quoted me $260 for parts and labor. It’s a 5 minute fix, and the part cost like $40 online. YOU CAN DO THIS! Sadly, I’ve had to do it twice. Think of the money I could save if we quit hitting the mirrors on our garage walls!
Thanks for sharing this post. I completely agree with everything said! Growing up I thought shopping at D.I. was gross. But now I got there often and find some amazing things. I’ve found lots of vintage pyrex, like new shirts and shoes as well. I’ve also been adding to my daughters book collection. :)
Thanks again for sharing, I really enjoyed reading this post.
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YAY! You are the master of thrift and I love this post! Also, you adorable. Seriously so beautiful and just the greatest person ever. Awesome post!
Great post!
Stay home more. This is a big one.
Don’t look at too many flyers. This just makes you want more things. :-)
Meal plan. Then buy what you need for that week (or two weeks).
Accept hand-me-downs. And then alter them to fit your children. (Goes with your learn to sew heading up there.)
Go camping for vacation. It’s cheap and fun!
Go for hikes, walks and bike rides in fun places instead of paying big $ for entertainment. Go exploring together. Go geocaching. Things don’t have to cost a lot to be exciting.
First, let me just say how JEALOUS I am that northern UT has a DI on every corner. We have two in our state alone, and the closest is 30 minutes away! I’ve never seen better prices than at DI in utah. That 1.50 pyrex would be $9 at least at the Goodwill by my house. Therefore, I only shop on Dollar Day and cross my fingers something with that special colored tag is available :) I get a lot of my girls’ clothes on dollar day.
Good tip about the auto repairs… I’ll have to implement that!
I have a friend who said that she doesn’t buy clothes in thrift shops because she thinks that it’s bad luck. I’ve got nothing but good luck from buying stuff there! It saves me tons and tons of money! HAHA!
It amazes me how many moms drive their kids to school. Especially when they live so close. Gas is so expensive and kids NEED exercise!
I live near Dunford Bakers. They have 99 cent bread on Mondays.
It is really hard to find nice thrifted shoes for boys once they hit a certain age. I ALWAYS check Target clearance and sometimes you can pay a fair price for nice shoes at Ross.
Savers has 99 cent Mondays on certain tags and 50% off on another color tag. Mondays are the day to go. I have purchased so many name brand things for my boys there. Plus they do Labor Day, Memorial Day, Presidents Day 50% off sales… Clothes and shoes (there may be other things they include in that 50% off).
I never impulse shop! I check out EVERY avenue before I make a bigger purchase. I NEVER make a purchase more than $20 w/out talking to my husband about it (except gas and grocery). It is good to get a second opinion especially when the money is his too!
Love KSL and DI as well! Key is to be patient and love what you buy. Don’t buy something just because it’s a good deal.
If you live in VA, here are 2 great consignment shops–“Chic Envy” at Fairfax Corner in Fairfax, VA and “Chic Again” at Sycamore Square in Midlothian, VA.
I’ve found that Bountiful Baskets has very similar offerings and prices to Sunflower Market’s big deals, and at Sunflower, you get to pick what you get.
I always try to figure in gas when I see a good price at a grocery store that’s not close to me. It has to be significantly lower to accomodate for the gas I spend in getting there and back.
Also, if you live in SLC, gurusdeals.com posts all of the grocery ads in a list with stars on how good of a deal it is.
just found your blog from some one who i followed who in return followed me ( my head hurts now lol) hope that makes sense. love your blog keep up the super work.
As a recovering stroller addict ;), if you call the stroller co, they have a part that should fix the wobble. They know about it and have great customer service!:)
This is such a great post. I love that car repair tip!
We just started doing bountiful baskets too and love it! I am actually going to post about it soon too if I get my ducks together. There are a lot of other states that do it..you’re right. I have never actually tried groupon, but I think I might! Thanks Christie!
Hello! I’ve been a silent follower for awhile. I love this post, I come from a family of thrifters and I never knew about the auto parts thing!
P.S I LOVE those cups you found!
the nice photoes………………………….
I really enjoyed this post. We do a lot of these things and I definitely agree that they help. And the tip for car parts is a great idea! Definitely going to give that a try next time. Anyway, great post all around. So honest and helpful and real. And it definitely makes me miss DI! No thrift store is as cheap as DI. Seriously miss that place.
I couldn’t agree more that you will appreciate it all the more if you can save on every priceless purchases that can go way past your expectations, just like the furniture stores orange county.
When my wife and I were scouting for new homes in Maryland that are for sale, we agreed to check and purchase only properties that give a bang-for-buck deal.