Thrifty Thrifty Thrifting!

It will come as no surprise to those of you who know me that I love to thrift. In fact, I'd say the majority of my furniture (and clothing! And, well, everything!) comes second hand. I just find it so exciting to find pieces second hand for a fraction of the price you would normally pay for a comparable item in a store. Not to mention the environmental benefits. Just today I bought a new teapot for $2.75, and it is awesome!

Let me give you some examples:

This is our parlour.

1. I bought the matching blue couch and chair off of Kijiji for $300.

2. The coffee table/games chest was a $75 find at a thrift/junk store downtown.

3. The vase was $2 at another thrift shop. The dried hydrangeas came from my backyard for free :) 

4. Only the pillows and the carpet were bought new. 

On the other side of the parlour is the china cabinet that my equally (if not more) thrifty sister found for me at the side of the road. When she found it, the wood was unfinished, and the shelves and doors were not attached. Knowing that I love thrifty things, she repainted it (it was unfinished wood), stained the inner shelves, and added new handles and hinges and gave it to me for Christmas. I love it! It is probably my favourite piece of furniture, and was maybe the best gift ever. Thanks, Kate! 

Other favourites:

1. My massive real-wood kitchen table: Probably big enough to seat 8 people comfortably. I got this for $250 on Kijiji and have dreams of one day sanding it down and refinishing it in a darker stain. Still looking for a set of chairs to put with it, and still using the ones a friend gave me for free. 

2. The wooden bench that is at my table - I found it on the side of the road at the end of one summer. Garbage hunting is always best at the end of August when a lot of people move apartments/cities.

3. My mattress. I know, a lot of people say "EW!" But, hear me out. It is an $1800 pillow top Queen size mattress and boxspring that I bought for $150. The woman selling it had cerebral palsy and was never able to sleep in it as it was not comfortable for her. It was still in the plastic. 

4. The round side-table in our new 3-season sunroom. I bought it for $15 at a thrift store. Similar ones sell for $75 and up new. 

5. My large bathroom mirror with a wooden frame. $10, and used paint I already had to spruce it up.

Here are some tips for thrifting.

- Go often. What you're looking for might appear a day after you've already looked!

- Have certain things in mind. Figure out what you want and look until you find it! For example, I had a small, round side table in mind for about a month before I actually found one that fit the description. Now that I have it, I'm so happy with it! 

- Don't buy things that you don't have a place in mind for. This can lead to hoarding. 

- Try out all of the thrift stores in town. Don't only go to Value Village. (Trust me, it's more expensive than most others and not necessarily as good!)

- If you're unsure, ask yourself what a fresh coat of paint might do! 

Happy Thrifting!