Prairie Eco-Thrifter

MAY 23, 2017

Those affected by our recent Great Recession have had the benefits of saving reinforced as well. As a young mom, I saved like mad – going to garage sales, thrift stores and accepting hand me downs on toys and clothing. Included here is peer pressure.

Making 124

Making Recession College 401K 124

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

MARCH 15, 2012

Well, you know the saying… ask and ye shall receive! I have found that garage sales , flea markets , estate sales or Mom/Grandma’s basement are the best places to score a great deal on used canning jars. Canning lids are extremely cheap and well worth the investment to purchase new.

Canning 185

Canning Cheap Garage Sale Garage 185

Family Balance Sheet

MAY 24, 2011

I painted it and added some fun baskets to it for organizing as well. The picnic basket on the bottom was passed on from my Mom, and I treasure it. The picnic basket in the middle was an estate sale find and the little one on top.came from a garage sale. Do you see the Baker's Rack in the picture too?

Swap 138

Swap Organic Organization Homemade 138

The Frugal Girl

NOVEMBER 13, 2023

Brian and me at the Sears Tower Having our first child just one month after our first wedding anniversary was NOT in the plan, but so far it’s worked out well! They had me, and then my mom decided to go back to school full-time and get a PhD. Hosting garage sales & reselling items.

Kids and Family 192

Kids and Family Parenting Cars Car 192

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

FEBRUARY 13, 2017

We leave the nest – move out of Mom and Dad’s well stocked home. Some get stuff from stores, the less financially favored head for thrift stores, garage sales, Mom’s house or the trash pickup routes. Starting the life independent. You get stuff. We rent a shelter (usually), and it is bare!

Cycle 113

Cycle Kids and Family Friends And Family Sale Garage Sale 113

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

SEPTEMBER 25, 2012

Peggy: Well, probably some of the same ones being espoused now (maybe our kids did pick up on some of our examples!). We shopped at garage sales, turned down the heat, combined errands to use less gas, didn’t buy a lot of prepared food, cooked at home and the like. Peggy: Well, we did everything ourselves.

Thrifty 213

Thrifty Garage Spendthrift Fair-Trade 213

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

APRIL 22, 2014

I took at least three trunks full of “stuff” to Goodwill, I had a garage sale, and I sold things online. And then, well, like a weed that just won’t stop growing, the stuff started piling up again. Three years ago, before we moved to our current home, I decluttered. Boy, did I declutter. We loved the feeling.

Home 189

Home Re-use Painting Garage Sale 189

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

APRIL 3, 2013

Although Mom didn’t sew much (she did mend), she made sure I took Home Ec in high school. I believe that your opportunity cost would be too great as well. Today it is much less expensive to buy your clothes, even if you buy brand new and certainly if you shop some of the chic re-sale shops or even the thrift stores.

Sewing 201

Sewing Sewing Machines Machines Saving Money 201

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

APRIL 11, 2016

In spite of the expense, some of the newer furniture is much less well made than older pieces. Garage sale and thrift store furniture bargains abound. I used several boxes of baking soda to help sanitize and deodorize them as well. There another product called Krammer’s Best Antique Improver that also works well.

Re-use 100

Re-use Used Furniture Furniture Recycle 100

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

NOVEMBER 21, 2013

We were poor, Mom and Dad lived every day showing us what it meant to ‘make it do’ and we often ‘did without’ Here are my thoughts on frugal ways to make things do. If you maintain it by changing the oil, rotating the tires and keeping it clean you are well on your way to having a serviceable car for years.

Making Do 219

Making Do Making Green And Frugal Friends And Family Sale 219

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

SEPTEMBER 15, 2015

After all, both Mom and Dad had been do-it-yourselfers and had trained me up to work right alongside them. When I go to garage sales, I see folks selling nearly new home decorations for a pittance. I’ve been a homeowner since 1978, when we bought our fixer upper little ranch house when our second baby was 6 months old.

Home 100

Home Washer and Dryer Do It Yourself Garage 100

Saving Cents With Sense

JANUARY 19, 2013

Curtail your future furniture expenses by purchasing a well-made convertible crib. Buy a dated, smooth-gliding rocker at a garage sale for next to nothing and customize it with several yards of fabric and a staple gun. In just two or three years, your baby will be ready for a bigger bed. Reupholster Second-Hand Furniture.

Budgeting 94

Budgeting Budget Painting Hardware 94