Avoiding the Crowds

Never had understoong why people line up to get into stores like Walmart - and now there is even more reason to avoid THAT - physical DANGER. 

It used to be that it was crowds in theatres stampeding which is the reason that public places have so many marked fire exits. Crowds have a mind of their own and can be deady.  I read somewhere that if caught in one, the best place to be is on the edge of the crowd -  But I just avoid them altogether -  Of course, I am shorter than normal (5'3") - and have always felt overwhelmed by large crowds.  That poor security guard that was the victim of the crowd of shoppers in the East!

But I have also found, other than safety - that avoiding the crowds allowed me to get into the cracks, as it were, and find the deals there - which are anomalies, after all, not fitting into the conventional pattern.  Stopped at the Good Will at Santa Paula on the way to the boat. (Apparently Steve McQueen used to hang out in the Santa Paula airport!  And it once was lemon capital of the U.S., too - )

This Good Will seems to get a lot of merchandise from mass merchandisers, like Target - altho lots of them are discounted ENUF for me!  But there is new stuff to look for. 

This trip I snagged a 1/2 dozen of Hanes underwear - quality stuff - a bit conservative, as they are all white - but serviceable and a really good buy, as Hanes undies are at least $3 each.  (I have also seen new Hanes merchandise at the 99 Cent Store in L.A.....) And got a new Hanes tee - in a lovely apricot color.

This GW has 2 dollar racks - and usually good bargains there - so I found a FLAX linen shirt in a orangey weave for $1  - and a nice nautical t-shirt.   Also found some good books - and - what looks like a Japanese wooden bucket - I had to convince my hubby about that one - but I got it knocked down to $5, cracks & all - and then it couldn't be resisted. (Sometimes you CAN negotiate prices, even at thrift shops.) At present the bucket is holding laundry!  And I bought a nice ornament, which I think I will put into an artsy gift thing as an Xmas gift for our neighbor at the marina, who gave us a very nice boat lantern after we had admired his!

It's alway nice to have little generic Xmas presents around for the last minute.  I have my sister-in-law some of those at Thanksgiving, as she might as well get use out of them.  She received two nice largeish metal ornaments - one a gift box and the other a mailbox that opened (with t-bags inside) plus a jazzy Xmas music CD (it always seem silly to get Xmas music AT Xmas, when you won't play it for a year later - no?) Bargains all - the ornaments were originally $5 each and the CD - how much would that be? And I actually got the ornaments for $.69 each and the CD for $.99!  And no one but my readers is the wiser....Altho if my sister-in-law reads my blog, I am unmasked...

I think I have to say that part of the object of my pennypinching is to live a good life with my slender purse.  So I look for deals and bargains and freebies! I could, of course, be entirely austere and have 2 pairs of shoes and one black handbag - but what fun would that be? 

I came close to a scolding for spending money by a colleague after  my "new" suede purse was espyed -  I really do think that he thought I had spent a lot of my hard-earned money on it and I know I had spent less than $10! Ditto on the sports sweatshirt I had on - which I had gotten in a thrift shop for $4 or less.  But he comes from a world where people actually DO spend money like that - so it's not surprising!

Now, I know that retail these things would be pricey - Perhaps $50 for the purse, at a minimum, and maybe $30 for the sweatshirt!  But on the other hand, I have to hand it to my colleague - he is disciplined enough to take advantage of all his credit card perks and hotel points - and his Thanksgiving vacation in Hawaii was FREE. So it can be done. (My sister is the same way - and has given the family free airline tix with her Skymiles and such )

I am trying to WIN a vacation - as our travel part of the budget goes to our boat! (which we use as much as possible).

Making a lot of things this Xmas - maybe will do my own Xmas cards, as I haven't found any deals on ones I like - I have craft paper stashed that should do for that project.

I know I am chronicling my thrifty way thru life here - and I haven't been as philosophical as I have been.  Do you like to hear about my travels in thrift - or would you like more "Theory"?  Let me know.

The holiday season is starting - and somehow I think I will enjoy it very much this year....

0 Comments | Post Feedback

Holiday Season Without Crowds!

We haven't always been trapped in a crowded mall.

Post Feedback:

You need to be a registered ThriftyFun user post feedback. If you are registered, login using the form at the top of this page. Click here to register.