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In the past, I haven't had lots of success finding things I like at Goodwill. Either things are a little pricey for a used item, or the only thing there is junky. But I do still like to go just in case. After lunch today, we decided to go and take a look. And then I saw her, wedged between two dreary pieces of furniture and just waiting for someone to come along who would see her true beauty. I am just gaga for those curvy legs and adorable little wheels. And the decorative accents will look amazing when glazed.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, her name is Sylvia. She is a true beauty, but doesn't really know it. She has had a bit of a hard life. Had a few hard knocks and made some bad choices along the way. But she always found her way back and, despite her past, she still loves with her whole heart. She is a tad rough around the edges and has a few bumps and bruises, but she cleans up good. She is a real stunner when she is all decked out. She is also pretty sure of herself and has already decided how she wants to be done. Can't wait to get started on her. :)
This new gal is Chloe. Yes, she told me so. I saw her yesterday at a thrift store and, as soon as I got home, had severe non-buyer's remorse. So I called the store and begged asked them nicely to hold her for me until I could come back today. I've been so in love with all the waterfall desks I've seen on different blogs that I was just tickled pink (or turquoise) when I saw this waterfall chest of drawers. I just wasn't sure I *needed* to bring home anymore furniture right now.
But she is here with me now. She has told me her story and I think we have a plan for sprucing her up. I know it sounds silly, but I see a personality in each piece of furniture I buy. I think of all the hands and lives that have been involved with that piece. Chloe is an old soul. She has been around a while, but still has plenty of spunk. She is a bit of a homebody like me. She likes lace doilies and is a bit of a romantic. She still has a bit of an edge to her though. I hope the plan I have for her truly showcases the amazing gal she really is.
~Me :)
So lets review what we've learned today. If you are spray painting something that has nooks and crannies that you can't *quite* get enough paint into, do not, I repeat DO NOT think to yourself, "Hmmm... I know! I will spray this paint into a plastic cup and use a brush to get into those areas." Apparently, it contains a solvent that eats plastic and the bottom will, quite literally, fall out. :)
Look what I found in the garden this morning! It's froggy season!! :) Sorry it's blurry, but he wasn't interested in a retake.
When doing a little bragging about my most recent coupon adventure, a friend asked me if couponing was *really* worth it. Were the savings really significant enough to offset the time spent clipping, organizing and shopping? My gut reaction was to say, "Well, of COURSE it is!" I mean, I don't want to think that I am surrounded by BBQ sauce, whole wheat pasta, and tuna pouches just for the sake of it. But, I really decided I needed to give that some thought. Well, I did mull it over. I did some math. I considered the options. And the definitive answer is...... it depends.
I am a stockpiler. I buy things when they are on sale and only when they are on sale. I make sure I have enough on hand to last me until they go on sale again. And if I run out, I wait. Cause I'm just cheap like that. Ideally, I would like to have a pantry that is stocked with a year's worth of food. That is just me. It certainly isn't for everyone, and that is fine. It, for me, is like insurance. If something happens, I can feed myself and my family. And that "something" could be job loss, illness, natural disaster or other unforeseen circumstance. If it is not your thing, fine. We are all different.
Couponing is a stockpiling aid. If something goes on sale for $1.00, that is great. But if I also have a coupon, then I can save even more, thus making it possible for me to buy more than I would have been able to even at the sale price. Does it add up? You bet your bottom dollar it does.
Let's do some math, shall we? Recently, canned vegetables went on sale for $.50 a can. This is not a bad price since the price of vegetables has gone up recently. The regular price of these vegetables are $1.25 a can. However, by using a coupon clipping service, I was able to find coupons for $.50 off of two cans. My store doubles coupons making it $1.00 off of two cans. Well, as you can see, that made them FREE. After I paid for the clipping service, I paid approximately $.10 a can for these vegetables. Now, the selection was limited. We are talking green beans, corn, and sweet peas only. I happen to use all of those, so it was a fantastic deal for me.
Let's do a little more math, k? Let's say that I use five cans a week. That is a reasonable estimate. I paid a total of $.50 for those five cans. Over the length of a year that is $26. If I had paid $.50 for each can that would be $2.50 per week and $130 for the year. On vegetables alone, that is a savings of $104. Is that "make you or break you" money? No, of course not. But if you save that much on only ten items you are talking over a grand a year. I don't know about you, but that is quite a bit of money to me. We won't even look at the regular price of $1.25 a can because I simply would never pay that. I can get most store brands for close to $.50.
Even though I don't have coupons for meat, lets look at how stockpiling in general can save you money. I like to have steak. I try for twice a month. That is one ribeye and one t-bone. I usually buy one pound of each. For this example I am going to use round numbers for ease of reading. At the grocery store, they are $10-14 per pound for each cut, depending on the sale. There is a store not very far from me that sells both of these cuts everyday for $7 a pound. The quality is amazing and I prefer their meat to the grocery store any day. Conservatively, that is a savings of $6 for that meal. Again, if that in a twice monthly thing, the yearly difference is $156.
Another meat that I use a lot of is boneless chicken breasts. I typically use two pounds at the time and cook it approximately three times per week. Again, using round numbers, if I pay $2 per pound on sale as opposed to $3.50 at full price, I will save $9 for that week and $468 for the year.
Just by stockpiling those three items, that is a yearly savings of $754. So is couponing worth it? For me it is, as a tool in my stockpiling. It is right for everyone? Not necessarily. There are always things to consider. Do you have the space for it? Do you want to invest the money in a freezer for meat and other perishables? Is your family picky about brands? And are there any dietary limitations that might affect the choice of food for your family?
I believe couponing and stockpiling go hand-in-hand. It is a matter of personal preference and personal comfort as to how far you take it. If you choose to coupon, you can certainly rack up some serious savings. It all comes down to whether you consider the extra time and effort to be worth it for you.
Well, around here lambs eat oats, too.
Each container of my artistically arranged oatmeal tower only set me back $.25. I see a lot of sinful cookies healthy granola in my future.
This is my little froggy friend, Spot. The love in this relationship is pretty one-sided. He peed on me right after I took this pic. But I still love him anyway. And yes, I washed my hands.
