Truly Thrifty

SisterT isn't one for gimmicks.  In fact, I so dislike the hard sell that I will walk AWAY before my money can be snatched out from under my eyes~I do think that solidly researching a product is useful though. 

Today I went yard sale shopping and found myself at a home with OF ALL THINGS, canning jars. These were older jars, dirty OF COURSE, and no lids or rings.  There were several boxes of jars of the quart and pint variety and since we are beginning to get in our garden produce, I thought that getting jars at a savings would be smart.  So I asked the gentleman running the garage sale how much he wanted.  OK, HERE is SisterT's take on a MAN running a garage sale with no lady of the house in sight: OFTEN the prices are not as good and they don't know what is a good price.  I realize this is a generalization, but I have found it to be true too often.  As I expected, the gentleman gave me a price that was too high.  I asked him would he consider less.  (TIME TO BARGAIN...) and he said, "why, do you think it's too high?" Now, gentle reader, you KNOW I wouldn't have said such if I had thought his price was fair! Then I replied, "well, I'm not going to argue about it..." I did not purchase jars, but I did purchase a pressure cooker WITH THE WEIGHT which is something I had looked for, for quite some time. The pressure cooker was $4.  It was clean and sturdy.  A good deal!!

I went to several sales and found items I didn't want to purchase for the prices they were asking, and in more than that ONE case I walked away.  There was a hanging light...I don't even WANT a hanging light, but I did like the globes and could use them on the lights my husband had made for our bedroom for the sconces, but I didn't want to pay the BUCK! I walked...later on, we were out again and happened to drive by the site of that sale...LO AND BEHOLD...LOL...there was a FREE sign on several boxes by the street...OMgoodness, and there was my light...how cool is that!! AND A pair of American Eagle leather slides IN MY SIZE...soo cute!! I had failed to see them b/c often yard sales don't carry my size 11 shoe size so I don't even look!! WOW!! OK, so I know, I am thrifty...I am in fact, cheap...but isn't it amazing that I got just what I wanted...now it's my joy to get them washed up and globes on those lights~amazing!!

When you are shopping do you pay the first price you see?

I have learned that even the secondary market is divided by best pricing.  Garage/yard sales tend to be cheaper than thrift stores and Craig's List.  I also think that some garage sales are over priced in some items.  Another case in my shopping today was happening upon an estate sale by a family member...something done quite different than a non emotionally involved party.  The dear lady who was there manning the sale was obviously having a hard time letting go of her parent's items.  She had not only priced them waaaayyy too high~1970s floral couch with a urine smell she had marked $75.  Don't get me wrong, the price might not have been high for something clean and undated..dunno...but for ME it was too high...I'm sure she had missed the smell because she told me her parents had lived in that house 69 years and they had grown up there...it was obvious she was still grieving...I felt for her and offered my sympathy... ... ... and gently left...

There are all kinds of situations at these kinds of sales, but often the bargains are out there for the hunting!  I call our absolute bargain our "deal of the day." Oh yeah, we had one..how about a nice brown recliner for $5??? You cannot hardly beat that UNLESS it too had had that free sign!!

So I want to remind you to pay what you know to be the best price and what an item is worth considering your research. I knew that the canning jars could be purchased WITH rings/lids for just a few dollars more...so his deal wasn't worth it to me TODAY...

Go ahead and hunt up your deal of the day and it will surprise you what you just might find...I call it, the thrill of the hunt...you go!!