So far this month we have struck gold at the local flea markets and thrift stores. As a family we head out with a list of things we are looking for.

A few months ago our ceiling fan in the kitchen started to smoke. Luckily we were home and caught it before it started a fire but regardless it was pretty scary. Ever since then we have had a hole in our ceiling waiting for a new fan but I didn’t want to pay a ton for a brand new one. As Doug and I were shopping at our local Goodwill thrift store I found a brand spanking new, in-the-box ceiling fan for $7. Incredible right?! Within a few days Scott had the fan installed and it works perfectly.

I also found a frame for my poppy cross-stitch project that has been sitting in a drawer ready to be framed since I finished it in January. Again I didn’t want to spend over a $100 for custom framing so I have been patiently looking for one in our shopping travels. I found one last week again at the Goodwill for 1/2 off. It only cost me $2.50! Get out! I think it looks beautiful.

This past Sunday on Father’s Day we stopped at the flea market on our way through and although Scott and I didn’t see much, Doug rummaged through a couple of vendor’s booths and found a box loaded with computer parts for just $20. Three sticks of RAM, two monitors, 2 graphics cards and a mess of cords and wires only he knows what to do with. He left with a big smile on his face I tell ya!

We buy a lot of our clothes at thrift stores. I mostly go for the stores in college towns because I can find makers like Banana Republic and LOFT at a 1/10 of the original prices sometimes. One example for Doug was a Kobe Bryant T-shirt that originally cost $80 brand new. He found it for only $5 slightly used at the thrift store. The Banana Republic shorts I found for $5 were originally $45 in the stores.

Now the sneakers we have found at the thrift stores have saved us a ton of money over the years. Just recently Doug again found originally priced $150 LeBron James sneakers for only $8. He was ecstatic!

I get that not everyone is comfortable buying clothes and shoes at Thrift Stores. I wasn’t at first either. We fully launder and disinfect the clothes and sneakers before we wear them which everyone should do when purchasing used clothes and footwear.

I have been reading a conversation on another blog by Mavis Butterfield who has written about her frustration with the rising prices at thrift stores. I do agree that on some items like fine china and glassware they have gotten wise that these items are worth a lot more than a $1 and have been uping their prices. However, in my general area it is still pretty easy to find great deals which we are thankful for.

Patience is the number one strategy when thrifting. It has taken me over a year to find exactly what I want sometimes, but if you don’t mind the wait, your patience can really pay off and the journey is exciting!

Do you like a bargain? What do you think about the rising prices at thrift stores? -MM