It was time!

I've been on the lookout for a new toaster oven. I think we are all in agreement that my old toaster oven was in need of replacement. I mean, it still worked, but the funk factor and the ability to clean said funk was the overwhelming (funk) factor in deciding to replace. So long toaster oven. You've been a good friend for the last 15 years. (Yes... 15 years!)

I was at Goodwill yesterday and spotted this KRUPS oven/toaster/convection combo and I promptly loaded it into my cart. It was spotless. It looked brand new. It was $12.00. It works perfectly.

Everyone is happy.

So long good friend.

Hello new friend.

Jackets and Coats

Goodwill has their coats out now and there's a great selection of light jackets, light coats, heavy coats, trenches, denim, leather, wool, exercise, etc. The list goes on and on...

I saw a beautiful dressy swing coat for little girls that was red and black with black flower embroidered on the collar. It was 100% wool and it was $10.00. I almost bought it, but we just aren't very "formal" people and I couldn't imagine my daughter getting much use out of it. I'd have to venture a guess and say that coat was probably $80.00 or more retail.

Anyway...

I love vests in the wintertime. I love how versatile they are. Plus, they are super comfortable to wear while driving... no bulky coat!

I had my eye on a white vest last year, but just couldn't pull the trigger, so when I saw this vest by Kenneth Cole Reaction, I knew I had to have it. It had some makeup around the collar (that easily washed off), but was otherwise in perfect condition! I paid $7.00.

(BTW, it's really hard to photograph anything white... but you get the idea!)

Patience is a virtue!

One of the unofficial rules of shopping at Goodwill is if you are looking for something in particular, then you need to be patient!

My youngest daughter has been needing a bible carrying case for the longest time and truthfully, I wasn't interested in buying a brand new case at the store. Several months ago, I told her that we'd begin our search for a bible case for her.

Each time we'd enter a Goodwill, she'd remind me to look for her a bible case. After months of looking for a bible case, we finally found one! And oh my... it's so cute!

I paid $5.00 for this bible case and my little girl is thrilled! It's such a great lesson for them (and me too!) that it's okay to wait for things we want and oftentimes, we'll be blessed by just waiting.

The other lesson is... you can find just about anything at Goodwill if you look hard enough!

Back to School Shopping for Jeans

There really are deals to be had at thrift stores when you are in the market for jeans.

Over the last few weeks, I've been stocking up on jeans, jean shorts and skirts for the girls for school this year.


What I like about shopping thrift stores for jeans is of course the price. Second, the brand names. Sorry people, but you will never find me paying full price for a pair of Gap jean shorts. But, I'll pay $1.50 everyday of the week for these Gap jean shorts! I found this pair of adjustable waist demin shorts by the GAP for Elisan at the Salvation Army. They were priced at $3.00 and were half off!

Of course, not every pair of jeans found at a thrift store are in excellent condition. Many have the knees worn out, faded in the bum or stained. So, you have to be careful in your picks. But, with the vast amount of denim that thrift stores carry, you're sure to find exactly what you are looking for. Seriously.

Here's a run down of my purchases:

• 2 pairs Old Navy girlfriend blue jeans (adjustable waist) size 7 - $4.00/each (Goodwill)
• 1 pair Old Navy black skinny jeans (adjustable waist) size 8 - $4.00 (Goodwill)
• 1 pair MUDD jeans (adjustable waist) size 8 - $1.50 (Salvation Army)
• 1 pair Old Navy capri roll cuff jeans (adjustable waist) size 8 - $4.00 (Goodwill)
• 1 pair GAP bermuda length jean shorts (adjustable waist) size 8 - $1.50 (Salvation Army)
• 1 pair Arizona bermuda length jean shorts (adjustable waist) size 7 - $2.00 (Goodwill)
• 1 skirt OP brand size 7 - $1.00 (Salvation Army)

$20.50 without tax! Not bad!

Good finds + Good friends = Awesomeness!

I have a friend who loves to thrift shop probably more than I do. On one of her trips to Goodwill she saw this awesome Athleta tank in the linens section and grabbed it for me.

She called to tell me I had a Goodwill find in the mail and to be on the look out for it! I was so excited when I opened my package and found this awesome tank.

Never a bad idea to keep your thrifting friends in the loop as to what you are looking for! You never know… your friend may have better luck than you!

Deal of the Year!

I'm so excited to blog about my best deal ever!

Today after my workout, I headed over to my favorite Goodwill. Look what I found for $9.00 dollars. That's right... N-I-N-E dollars!


Here's the price to prove it... although, I didn't realize you can hardly read the tag... but trust me, it was $9.00.


I wondered why it was at Goodwill, figuring something must be wrong with it. So, after double checking the return policy (full refund within 48 hours) I decided to buy it.

I made a quick stop by my local grocery store to buy the k-cup coffee cups that this machine uses and I headed home.

I cleaned it up and everything seemed to work fine. I put the k-cup coffee cup in the holder and hit "brew".

Ummm, something was not right...

After doing some research online, I discovered that the K-cup holder or "funnel" was missing. So, I did some more research and discovered that a Keurig replacement funnel was $40. Argh! My good deal was no longer a good deal.

So, I called up one of my friends who owns a Keurig machine and she said that she owns a "My K-Cup" reusable filter and that is should work for me if I wanted to just use my own ground coffee, etc. (Which is a heck of a lot cheaper than buying the k-cup coffee cups if you ask me!)

I made a bee-line to Walmart, purchased the "My K-Cup" reusable filter and what do you know? It works PERFECTLY! I can even use the k-cup coffee cups (if I punch a hole in the side of it - for you Keurig owners - you know what I mean...) To make the deal even sweeter, I used a $5.00 off coupon from Walmart on the purchase.


In total, for my new machine, etc., I paid approximately $25.00. This machine retails for $149.00 on Amazon. Whoohoo!

Total score for me, as I was just looking at these machines last weekend with Randy.

Goodwill Hunting shopping day - Recap!

I met my friend Heather on Saturday and we headed out for a day of Goodwill shopping.

Heather and I know each other from church and have many mutual friends, but we've never had the opportunity to hang out together. It was fun getting to know her a bit better and realize that we have A LOT in common. Aside from loving a good deal at any type of thrift or resale store, we both are stay at home moms with common values in how we raise our kids. She's also a type A personality which is always a good pairing for this type A personality!

We ended up stopping at two Goodwill stores and the Salvation Army. Heather had never been to the Salvation Army, so it was great to introduce her to the 1/2 price deals of SA.

Heather got some great deals on school uniforms for her daughter who will be starting Kindergarten this year. She also found several really cute outfits for her youngest daughter who is almost two. She also scored some really great clothing items for herself.

I found a variety of items and ended up spending less than $30 the entire day.

• Banana Republic tank
• 2 New Balance sport bras
• Nike skort and soccer shirt for soccer practice
• 5 books
  
• Littlest Pet Shop playhouse
• Ron Jon Surf Shop boogie board

It was a fun day and Heather and I agreed that we will need to set up another Goodwill Hunting shopping day soon.