Thrifty Finds for Our New Home

Most of this week's thrifty finds were purchased for our new home. We downsized from our Alberta home with 3600 sq foot of living area (two storey with finished walkout basement) to 1700 sq foot bungalow with crawlspace. Yes, we were spoiled with space on our previous residence. I used to have two fridges plus a full size industrial freezer. The previous owner of that house was an appliance dealer so we had great appliances. Our new home has good appliances but the tiniest freezer on the fridge. Too small to put a frozen pizza in without removing some of the shelves (goes down the full right hand side of the fridge but only about seven inches wide). I tried to cope with it, but with no hope of ever fitting a frozen turkey or lasagna in it something had to give.

Enter Kijiji.ca! For $120 we purchased a 3.5 cubic ft mini Danby freezer. We have almost no space to put a freezer so this was the maximum size or I would have had to live with the current fridge-freezer. They are new at Costco and Canadian Tire for $230 including tax but I didn't want to spend that much. This one even had the original tags from Costco still on it, works like a charm and was spotless. The couple who sold it to us even delivered it in their car as our car was not quite big enough (we tried). It has so-so reviews on the internet but for $120 I am willing to take a chance. I have already filled it with family packs of meat in an effort to keep my overall grocery bill down (although I have already blown the July grocery budget - crap). It fits very nicely in my laundry room(off the kitchen) and has wheels so can be moved if it gets in the way.

Husband found this sweet little Czeckoslovakian egg cup sitting on a dumpster at the recycling centre so he brought it home for me. It has a couple of chips so I turned them to the back and he now lives on my stove.

I found one item for resale which is also my first Holt Howard piece - this cute little psychedelic piggie trivet. Who knew Holt Howard made trivets? I didn't.

I have a self-imposed rule that I can only purchase books now if 25 cents or less and it is something I can later resell at a flea market (due to large amount of books sitting in my "to read" pile). These three books were 25 cents each this morning at a garage sale.

Finally, one find I am a bit on the fence about. We need some art for a couple of walls and I bought this at a garage sale this morning for $20 but may resell it as not really sure I love it. Initially I was attracted to the seagulls, and Husband likes it and so we have agreed to temporarily put it up and will replace it with something we like better at a later date. For now it actually goes with the colours of our living room. This large painting was done by Vanguard Studios who mass produced affordable art in California in the 1970s. The prices on their large art pieces like this(5 ft x 3 ft) is all over the map as many artists worked under one name at this studio. A similar piece is selling for $600 on EBAY here
but as we all know, true value is only in what someone is really willing to pay, not the asking price. It was filthy so I gave it a good scrubbing (not fine art so won't hurt it) with a solution of water and dish soap. Fortunately, it does not appear to be from a smoking home as does not smell and came fairly clean.

Would you have bought it?

Busy Week: Funeral, Showing home, Selling Stuff!

Sold:

Two side tables and a chest of drawers. $50 (fibreboard hubby's post divorce used furniture bought 12 years ago-we have been married 5.5 yrs now - time to say goodbye). The TV hasn't sold - it is extremely difficult to unload old TVs - I asked all my friends if they wanted it free and no takers. I will likely have to freecycle it. We shall give it a little more time as I am trying to get as much money out of selling off our belongings as possible.

Mirror $20 - this was an 8 year old gift that no longer works with our downsize decor

Hoover shampooer $60. Purchased for about $200 eight years ago, used about 15 times-paid for itself many times over. We still need one but as I bought the exact same model for my mother five years ago to help her deal with aging pets we are sharing hers until a new one needs to be bought - we will then buy the replacement when hers dies(she also lives on Vancouver Island). Sharing rarely used items with family or friends saves money and space.

Total Household Crap Sold to Date: $1665

The only thing we have sold that requires replacing when we get to Vancouver Island is a patio set - our old one weighed too much (800 lbs or so) to consider shipping it.

Today we went to the funeral of hubby's 90 year old Uncle, a bit of a reclusive man but honored WWII veteran - a tank driver who joined the Canadian military voluntarily at age of 20. Hubby's family is Ukrainian Roman Catholic on his fathers side and Ukrainian Orthodox on his mothers side. This is the first time (other than a trip to Greece) where I have been inside an Orthodox Church. It was extremely beautiful - three gigantic glass chandeliers, gilt woodwork, red velvet, at least 50 religious iconic paintings and Priest robes of royal purple and gold. His cousin is an Orthodox Priest and he officiated for his Uncles funeral. We wanted to take a picture inside the church - with the sunshine streaming in the stained windows but unfortunately based on the circumstances it was not the right time. The ceremony was mostly singing both in Ukrainian and English - lots of holy water and incense. A very long day(2 hrs church, 1 hr graveside both religious and veteran service, then 1.5 hr lunch), but a nice way to remember someone.

We came back home to this little guy sunning himself and chewing on old grass in our backyard. Mr jackrabbit is starting to change from his winter white to his summer brown. A little splotchy right now but yet another sign of Spring.

We have a showing tommorrow evening of the house - wish us luck!

How Did We Accumulate So Much Crap? Update on Downsize

It is really mind boggling that we have already sold $1475 worth of household crap since Fall, and you can't even really tell. The house is still fully furnished as we are carefully downsizing but need the house to show with furniture.

Sold this week on Kijiji.ca (stools and cabinet pictured here):

Spare double bed including boxspring and metal frame $175 (we delivered-we have a truck and they didn't - beds sell much easier this way)
Two Wooden Stools $20
Metal File cabinet $15 (we got this item free a few years ago when we bought hubby's office set used)
Desk $40

We only have two items that we listed that have not yet sold and two of the above items were relisted so that they would show up on the first page as were buried on page 6 after just a few days. We dropped their price by $5 each and they went. The most amazing is that everyone who said they were coming to buy showed up! Not a single no show.

Fate is also making a play in this downsize: shattered a pot lid by dropping it(metal with glass - not replacing) and killed the 4 piece toaster (ok, it just died) so we had to buy a new one but downsized just to a 2 piece. I even let hubby take it apart (for show) to try and fix it before it went to the appliance guy in the sky.

I also dropped off 40 wire hangers at our drycleaners rather than take them to the landfill.

You would think it would be easier to have a garage sale, and we likely will if still here in Alberta when the weather permits (earliest garage sales are May here) but prices sell for much lower and I hate to leave everything to the last minute.

Now we look around and say "What else can we get rid of?" It begs the question, how much stuff does it take for you to have a happy life? A lot less I would say.

Prowling On Kijiji For Used Furniture

No, I have not lost my mind. I am not shopping for furniture before our move. I have to confess though, I am a Kijiji furniture lurker. The following items were all posted up for free or for sale this week. If only I was in the market....

Table with two chairs $50 - these would look great painted up and a new cover on the seats.

Solid teak coffee table - mid-century modern $50. Likely negotiable on the price.

Open filing system $25 - not sure why I like this so much but I do.

Kitchen cart $30 - great for any small kitchen

Not terrible Free loveseat - hopefully someone will scoop this up.

Slate top table with iron base $20

Dresser $10 - love the handles.

My favorite of the whole bunch - does this just scream "Springtime on the patio"? Wicker Table $40

If you are interested in any of these items all are listed on Edmonton Kijiji.ca. Hurry!

"Sold" on Kijiji

Last weekend we posted six items on Kijiji.ca. The two items we thought would sell the fastest have already gone (and no no-shows!)

Furniture Dolly. We purchased this two years ago at a garage sale down the block. I thought it was a great deal for $15. We have only used it a couple of times so in hindsight likely should not have bought it. Fortunately someone else thought they should have one. Sold for $25- a gain of $10! It sure pays to buy things used - you have a hope of getting your money out should you ever need to sell it.

The second item we were not quite so lucky. Thrifty hubby has a bad back. Years of chiropractor fees later, he is constantly trying to find relief. He bought this back massager at Bed Bath and Beyond for $250. Hardly used as right after he bought it I found a $3500 used massage chair (the kind that does your legs and arms too) that we managed to buy for $1800 on Kijiji. We have no regrets on the purchase and consider it money well spent on health. Hubby uses it on a daily basis and has hardly needed to see the chiropractor since. This Homedics back massager sold for $100 - yes, a loss of $150. That is what we get for buying new - instant depreciation.

We have had some other inquiries and hope to sell some of the other items in the coming weeks. Every sale is a victory and one step closer to our goal of downsizing and the big move to Vancouver Island!

Thrifting Finds and the A Great Reuse Craft

This weekend was spend gathering, photographing and posting items to sell on Kijiji. In Edmonton and area Kijiji is much better than Craigslist and we have sold 90% of anything we have ever posted on there for free. If successful I will share later in the week what we managed to sell.

There was still time for some thrifting this weekend as well:

1968 Childrens book "The Secret of The Grange". Obviously a British knockoff of Nancy Drew Mysteries but in really good condition. Goodwill $1.49

Salvation Army .99

I have always wanted a cake decorating tool but don't bake that much so never justified the cost. For .99 it is worth taking a chance on. It isn't marked but looks like it is likely 1970's and made from aluminum with four different decorating heads. I can't wait to try it out!

Finally, our Valentines day plans include hubby making his fabulous grape jelly and heinz chili sauce ribs(bought on sale last week), slow roasted all day and finished on the BBQ, beers with lime and some candlelight. This is our version of a non-consumer Valentines day. No storebought cards for us. Just a personal note to each other - then for the evening we will then watch a pre-recorded movie (on the PVR).

If I was going to decorate for Valentines Day (which I never do-hubby is the romantic not me) I found this great tutorial on making heart shaped boxes out of recycled magazines and a little glue from savedbylovecreatons.

Source: savedbylovecreations.com via on Pinterest

Linking to herlibraryadventures fleamarket finds. I have found so many great blogs from her link-ups. Check it out!

The Down-size Continues

Excellent luck selling things on Kijiji this week.

We sold:

Hand weights $100 (there is something wrong with the mechanism that holds the weights on the bell - the purchaser was aware of that and still bought them!) Originally hubby was going to throw these in with the sale of one of our other fitness items but someone made him an offer he couldn't refuse!

Treadmill $325

Total in Vancouver Island furniture replacement account: $825

I also managed to give away four full boxes (sorry no photos) of Halloween decorations to a friend at work who has a four year old son who can appreciate them as our kids have outgrown them.

If you have never tried buying or selling on Kijiji the basic ad is free. If you want your ad to be front and centre you can pay extra. We have bought and sold boats, vehicles, and furniture this way. I highly recommend it.

Merry Christmas to All

Busy Busy Busy week! My new kitchen table finally arrived from the Brick (after waiting 2 months), bought with gift cards from my summer $4000 liquor contest win. We sold our old kitchen table and chairs for full price of $250 on Kijiji on Tuesday night, a bit shocking that someone has the cash only 4 days before Christmas. The spring on the trunk of my car broke yesterday while in the parking lot of the grocery store. This is a cold weather mishap, due to minus 20 degrees Celsius Alberta winters. $230 later I will be back on the road tomorrow. Meanwhile I was unable to do all my Christmas grocery shopping so had to take hubbies monster truck 4x4 tonight - dodging traffic and mad shoppers, but we now have all the goodies for Christmas dinner. The week has been spent wrapping, making fudge, and still waiting for one package to arrive from Amazon.ca in the mail in time for Christmas (fingers crossed). I ordered quite a few gifts online but all seem to be taking much longer than promised due to storms in every country and every province. Driving in my neighborhood is interesting after our 1.5 ft snowstorm last week - and they have no intention of plowing my street anytime soon. I am dreaming of the day when winters will be spent with a little rain on Vancouver island, our future dream home. For now, as I crank up my electric blanket and sip on a spiced rum and eggnog, I would like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas!

Art by Hubpages.com

Buying Used Pays

$100 new area rug purchased on Kijiji

I am a big fan of buying used to save money. On average you usually end up paying no more than .40 cents on the dollar versus retail. Often the price is even lower at garage sales where people are just trying to rid themselves of years worth of stuff for little money. Where do you buy used?

Kijiji
Thrift stores
Garage Sales
Flea Markets
Co-workers/friends/family
Ebay
Antique stores
Second hand stores
Kijiji

$40 Abdominizer bought on Kijiji


We have had very good luck both buying and selling on Kijiji.
Purchases:
boat motor and trailer
large Ikea picture
small television
workout equipment
brand new area rug
high end massage chair
snowblower
executive desk and cabinets

Sold Items:
boat, motor and trailer (yes, same one as above list-turns out we are not boaters!)
weight set
children's captain's bed
3 vehicles
couch, chair, lamps, coffee table set

The basic advertisement on Kijiji is free which makes it a great marketplace with no cash outlay upfront. If you wish to have your advertisement posted at the top of each page you can pay more. We have purchased the second option when selling large items like vehicles and boats. We have sold 100% of our items listed on Kijiji, most within a week. I highly recommend it as a great used marketplace of goods. Kijiji especially works well in major cities and often a map location of the item is given in the ad so you know if you have to drive across town or not to pick up your goods. We ensure that items for sale are spotless and like new condition and ensure multiple photos are included in our advertisement.

When buying, we always feel more comfortable if two of us go for safety sake. I highly recommend it and have had only positive experiences.

Thrift Stores

$2 container found in thrift store


I am a thrift store addict, although I usually only come home with one or two items per shopping experience. Thrift stores are the one place you can go on a shopping spree and likely will still have change left out of your $20 bill at the end of the day. I usually buy books, clothes and art. Books are the best deal with my local goodwill even organizing their large book room into fiction/nonfiction/alphabetical by author. You can't get much closer to a regular book store than than. I only buy books that are in excellent condition and clean and stockpile my favorite authors until I have time to read. Although the library is free due to my schedule I find it easier to buy books and then pass them on to my Mother who tends to read the same kind of book. She then resells the books at her flea market table and the used circle continues on. I have been very lucky finding nice art at thrift stores and always look for one of a kind pieces versus mass produced art.

In terms of clothing the best buys are often jeans, dress pants and dress shirts used for my work wardrobe. All items are immediately washed upon getting home and once pressed you cannot tell I bought them second hand. Due to my own hibijibi limitations I stay away from shoes and undergarments...although others may have no such hangups. They do seem to have a large variety of shoes there and often in very good condition.

Garage Sales

$3 Hamster house, accessories & ball from garage sale (excluding hamster Chewy)

I love garage sales. Our garage sale season in Edmonton is usually limited to May to July. Items purchased in the last couple of years at garage sales include:

wheelbarrow
dolly (for lifting)
Kitchen strainers and bowls
candle holders
decorative items
stop and go traffic light for our garage (purchased by hubby, for me - least liked garage sale item!)
books
television stand for kids room

You have to go with a few bucks in your pocket cash and zero expectations. Some garage sales are so terrible you can't find a single item to buy. The very best garage sales are those where someone is not trying to make money and just trying to get rid of their stuff. Often you end up finding several items to buy at that kind of garage sale. My motherinlaw has a garage sale every two years as her entire town has a garage sale that day (Mundare Alberta, usually first weekend in May). I volunteer to help her as we always sell 95% of what we bring due to very large crowds. I also sneak away to scope out great deals at nearby garage sales). My step-daughter has now learned how to bargain from garage sales and has no problem what so-ever buying used (she is 12).

Flea markets

I seem to have less luck on used items and more luck on eggs/cool jams/baked items every time I go to a flea market as usually the sellers are trying to make money and have marked up the items to higher than second hand store prices. I still am drawn to them however as any used buying junkie would. My mother sells hand tied fishing flys (she used to own a Fishing supply store and is a professional fly tier) at her fleamarket on Vancouver Island (Cobble Hill Fea Market between Victoria and Duncan). My favorite vendors there are Rozy's Jams. She makes amazing chutneys and the best strawberry rhubarb jam. She also sells at many other flea markets on Vancouver Island.

Co-workers/friends/family

My husband seems to have the best luck at this kind of used purchase. In recent years we have purchased a used snow blower in like new condition and a high end workout weight set from the same guy where my husband works. This kind of purchase requires putting the word out on what you need - you never know what may come back. Don't be afraid to say no if the item does not meet your exact requirement.

Ebay
$40 lithograph bought on Ebay (including shipping)


Although Ebay sells almost anything the only thing I have purchased is art. Be aware that here shipping costs can be sometimes higher than the price of the item. Three purchases later and I have only had good luck. You should have a pay pal account if buying on ebay for your own financial protection.

Antique stores

Usually antique stores have a high markup but on smaller decorative items you can find the odd deal. My mother and I enjoy browsing them for an enjoyable day out but only tend to make smaller item purchases.

Second hand stores

There are not many regular second hand stores in my area but where my Mom lives on Vancouver Island we found several second hand stores with great bargains (located at Whipple Tree Junction) and nice furniture. In saying that most are a waste of time to enter, but as a used item junkie I still tend to check them out. We found one of our best finds ever at this particular second hand store, angel hand carved end tables that came out of a hotel 50 years ago. We do not believe they are old enough to qualify as antique but they are incredibly cool and grace my mother's house.

Regardless of where you buy used great savings can be had. Used is a great way to find one of a kind items.

You may want to check out these cool blogs of fellow yardsaler/thrift store junkies:

Yardsalequeen
Frugalista
Thrift Store Junkie
Yardsale Bloodbath


Finally, you tend to meet a lot of cool, sometimes unusual people when you buy used. That, my friends, is half the fun!