Blog: Pam's Pennypinching With STYLE

Thrifty Shopping Spree?

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

I know why hubby thinks I am so expensive - because when we are out & about on wkends and holidays - like last week's spring break - I go shopping! But then, I don't the REST of the time - and when I do shop, I get bargains....

OK - I have been collecting costume jewelry like a magpie lately - but so many good deals! (a few dollars) I have a VAST costume jewelry collection - One cannot wear all of it all of the time - but these things keep their value over time. That consoles me.

There has been a lot of silver coming my way lately. I found a $3 drawn silver choker in a thrift shop - plus a $1 !! wide bangle (looks Japanese)? and a pair of $4 turquoise & silver screw-on earrings (they look Mexican - 50's??) At those prices it's hard to go too wrong. Over the years I have found that silver has a distinct SMELL when oxidizing. It has helped me identify blackened pieces of silver and silver plate - which I got for a song (another $1 silver bracelet - which would have cost $30-40 at least in a real store!) That it is silver is important to me, because of my allergies to nickel and so on. I can really only wear silver/gold/stainless steel next to my skin. (OK. platinum, but when does one run across platinum?)

I also pick up miscellaneous scarves - another item which is pricey if new - I just got a nice ORANGE net one. They are so good to glam up t-shirts, and so on....I also look for visors - and got a paisley sort of one (a Liz Claiborne!) for $1 - They are great for when I have my hair up in the summer....& I like to coordinate the colors - but only pick them up when I see them for a dollar or so...

I do try to look nice for hubby...and also have hairbands to put in my hair, and casual jewelry - bracelets, necklaces, etc....He thinks I am terribly girly.

It's funny what you find in the oddest places. I scored a whole kit of skin care items - 9 in all - for $9. That included 2 lip gloss sticks/moisturizer AM & PM/cleanser/shampoo/and more. Looked it up on the net when I got home (that's a fun thing to do) & found that the jars were worth $10 each - so I probably got almost $100 worth of product for $9.... I also found a LARGE bottle of Jean Nate - which is a nice basic citrus cologne - for $4. (Worth $16 online & $30 reg. price!) Those finds - and the turquoise earrings were in what we call a junky & expensive thrift shop. So you never can tell.

I also always pick up barrettes whenever I see them, as you never seem have enough. The same thing seems to be true of reading glasses, sunglasses, eye glass cases and hair pins! I am a much happier camper when I have those items in multiples around the house - and several pairs of sunglasses. A screw came out of my favorite "lighter" pair last wkend - and one is always LOSIING them! So when I see a deal , I am now in the habit of buying SEVERAL - so I have backups and don't have to resort to regular prices ($20 for reading glasses?)

I watch fashion & realized that the turquoise snakeskin bangle was IN & a STEAL for $1 - even tho it was probably 80's - ditto the big necklaces I found...It's those touches that glam up a wardrobe for very little. And it's scandalous how much even plastic bangles can be on CLEARANCE on the internet - $5 each?

Thought I had lost a makeup bag and actually managed to REPLACE most of the contents by poking around the 99 cent store I had got the lip stuff in! (It was a weird color which I like - but doesn't suit everybody.) And then I FOUND the bag - so now i am supplied! It's hard to turn down Revlon lipsticks and pots of lip color at 99 cents apiece! Hubby has NO idea how much these things COULD cost. I HATE spending $7 for a lipstick! When I buy new, I get Wet N'Wild in my favorite colors...(You have to match the numbers, as there are no names to shades...)

So I sound & feel very frivolous - also got more paperback mysteries and other reading material at $.50 a pop - Have to have a pile by my bed.

Hubby treated himself to a 12-string guitar for $80 from a pawn shop - which has been pronounced a good deal.

But then we go back to the daily grind and only seem to go to the pharmacy and the grocery store....

Looked for yarn, but couldn't find any - started a new project with what I have left...too narrow, I think, so tonite I tear it up & start over.

We sang & played for our suppers twice at the Deer Lodge (see pic). Which was fun & economical, too. All in all, we went to our usual haunts and got lots of sunshine (even if the allergies were sometimes on the rampage - there are a lot of health food stores up there, too!) Do you know you can actually ADD a benadryl capsule (25 mg.) to Zyrtec if the Zyrtec isn't enough? You get dingy, but it alleviates the symptoms...) And you can get generic benadryl at the dollar store, too! It's always the last resort when allergies loom...

So back to TV & movies and so on - not to mention the artistic job search. Have a movie coming up soon - don't know when they will be shooting....a couple of character woman scenes....

Take care out there, you blog readers...

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