Shopping $mart- Thrift Store Finds

Have you seen these cute little toys? I seriously considered buying on at Christmas for my daughter but didn't, due to cost, and picked up a pack of the tadoodle markers and crayons instead. She also received some as gifts and seems to enjoy writing with them, especially the crayons.

Well, this week I made a trip up to the local thrift store and found the art station, for $1.41! Needless to say I bought it, put new batteries in and it works great. Sure it didn't include the tadoodles but for less than $2 it was more than a bargain. I also found several Old Navy tshirts for my daugher, all less than $1 and several pair of shorts at great prices!

Regardless of how tight your family budget is, you can find good deals and good prices. All you need is a little time, patience and knowledge that some trips to thrift stores will better than others!

Shopping $mart- Thrift Stores

Not too long ago I was searching for a very specific item and didn't want to pay full price so, at a friends suggestion, I opened the phone book and started calling local thrift stores. When I found one that had what I needed I jumped in the car and drove the 10 minutes to get there. On the way there I thought I knew what to expect, old hats, 20 year old furniture and other items that probably should have been destined for the trash. However, what I found was the opposite. I found children's clothing, in a variety of sizes and styles, in just as good of condition as what I found at yard sales, my other weakness. For example, I picked up a Lands End snow suit, in a 3T, for about $2.00. Sure, my daughter isn't a 3T but she will be in another season or two. I also found several fleece tops for her, all less than $3.00. I picked up a couple Gap and Old Navy tops for less than $1.00. From jeans to shoes, I decided that this was the ultimate indoor yard sale and I make a trip about once a month. Sure, sometimes I walk out with a bag of great finds and other times I have a couple items but either way, it was worth my time. Plus, they have 20% off on Mondays! If you haven't visited local thrift stores in your area I'd suggest you open up the phone book and take a look, some are better than others but if you have children of any age, they are great places to stock up and shop $mart.