I grew up with what I call an extreme bargain hunter. We would spend every Saturday at thrift and discount stores looking for the best bargains. One of my fondest memories with my mother is spending her last mother's day antiquing in a little town about an hour from our house. I bought her a wicker stool to hold a plant for $5. She was unbelievably happy and we had a wonderful day!
I always enjoyed the savings but being that we have moved around so much, I never got back into the habit of finding the best deals. Sure, I always shopped the sales racks at Target or in the malls, but I forgot how much fun getting extreme bargains really is!
I am all about thrift and consignment shops and truly believe that something does not have to be new to be great. However, there is something about brand new that I also greatly enjoy. Therefore, discount stores are the way to go!
Sure, TJ Maxx and Marshalls have good deals, but truthfully there are better deals out there. For instance, last Christmas I wanted to get my husband and dog a few stocking stuffers so I headed out to Big Lots to find a few "junky" items. While digging around in their $5 bin, I found three seasons of my all-time favorite TV show, 7th Heaven, each for $5. These go on amazon for about $25 per season! I was overjoyed! And yes, I still found the Christmas presents I originally came for, but who can pass up a fantastic deal for themselves too! :)
Anyway, today I was feeling down in the dumps. I lost my job on Monday (It was a contract job and they didn't need me any longer) leaving me without an income and in an extreme depressive state as I know it will be impossible to find a job at 8 months pregnant. We really counted on that little income, especially as the due date nears.
So I did what every responsible saver and adult who just lost their job should do... I went shopping! OK, probably not the best move, but I needed something to lift my spirits! Since we moved back to my hometown I know where all the best bargain places are. We have this store called Gabriel Brother's where they sell overstocked and damaged items from many different retailers. This is where I used to buy the majority of my NY and Co clothes from because they were seriously $3/sweater!
I needed a rug for the baby's room and I just wanted to walk through the baby clothes! Well, I found a rug with no price tag on it, and another rug for our hallway (we are so not used to all hardwood floors!). Each rug was only $4.99 (the hallway was a runner and the baby's room was a large area rug that covers most of the floor!) Onto the baby clothes -- they were having a buy one get one 50% off sale! I got a few little outfits... many of them Disney or Dr. Seuss and two packs of Disney washcloths. Total spent $21!!!!
I know many people who won't go to these type of stores because they don't like checking the merchandise to make sure it is damage-free or they don't like the clientele that frequent these stores. Well all I can say to that is they are missing out!!! My discount-shopping days are coming back to me and I love the hunt! My next challenge is to find some cowboy boots for a wedding I'm in.... here's to hoping!
Happy Bargain Hunting Friends!!!
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