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In my buggy…

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My debit card has been doing quite the workout lately…must. stop. if. I. want. to. celebrate. christmas.

(sorry that was way longer than I anticipated and required way too many periods.)

You get the point though, right?  And since I am sortof prouder than a peacock on some of my purchases (and they are great segways into the crafty posts I have up my sleeve) I thought it would be only proper to share what items made their way into my shopping buggy. And yes, here in the south, they call it a buggy. not a cart like the rest of the world. and yes, I called it a buggy to mock the rednecks within earshot and then one day it came out of my mouth like one of those nasty tastin’ burps. It’s stuck since then.  dang catchy name for a shapping cart.

First up – my goodwill stuff:

I got two of these classy faux brass lamps at Goodwill for $7 dollars a piece.  I know what you are thinking…and no, I didn’t even have to pay extra for those super chic floral pleated lampshades 🙂 I think the girl at checkout felt sorry for me because she didn’t even remove the lightbulb like normal.  Just wait though…I did em over and they look super now. 

Also in the Goodwill aisle, I picked up one of these little plastic urns.  The bottom actually says “Edible Arrangements” 🙂  I am really excited about this because I think it’ll be perfect for my Halloween scheme this year with a little spraypaint.   

For a little inspiration of halloween urns…here’s a Pottery Barn picture that really shows how to incorporate one in a classy and simple look.   Urn, leaves, pumpkin…and wahla-insant fall inspired charm. 

Next up – this small creamy colored pitcher.  I love the lines of this thing…and for under $2, I can see it working as a small vase or a perfect touch to a breakfast tablesetting.

Now is one of the best deals yet…fifty eight cents for these kiddie keys.  Will LOVES them.  and in actuality, I wish my own keys were so bright and happy. 

These eighty-eight cent flower shaped tealight holders are adorable…and I love the texture on the white petals and the fact that they are shaped like tulips.  Not only are the great for adding that final touch to a mantlescape or tablesetting, but they are perfectly delicate looking and feminine without all that pomp & circumstance. 

These frame may not look like much now…but really they are perfect for adding to a collection after a little makeover (more on that later!).

Ok…now that you got to see what we got for cheap at Goodwill…I want to share what we scored for FREE.  A la trash picking.  I ain’t above dumpster diving or rummaging through the trash pile or heck, ringin’ someone’s doorbell to ask if something on the curb is free.  My mother taught me these skills.  In highschool it was just plain embarrassing.  I can recall yellin’ “hit the deck!” a time or two when mom squeeled the car to a halt and then went heels over head into a haul-off bin.  But now…well, she better watch out because I am not above pushing her down as I run to beat her to the trashy treasures.     

Knowing my heritage, it comes as no surprise that I hauled bootie over to my house to get Jeremy when I spied these bunkbeds hiding behind trashcans.  He wasn’t too pleased when he realized that my screaming into the house was because of someone else’s garbage…and not because of a life-threatening emergency.

I tried to convince him that I would DIE if I didn’t pick these up pronto…he wasn’t having it.  Needless to say, he was a dear for dropping everything to truck on over and pick them up.  Aren’t they darling?  And I think I can make them into two twin beds…you know for our future twin girls.  It’ll be like the brunette version of Sweet Valley High 🙂 

This past week I was giddy with excitement over finding the modern chairs ON CLEARANCE.  Yes, I happy danced.  And yes, it didn’t look good.

You see, I have been searching for the perfect modern chairs to add to our basement table.  The table is this one:

Except we didn’t buy it for $200.  We bought it on craigslist for $50.  We figured that one day it would be great for putting in the basement as a place to play poker or enjoy a mini meal.  But we never had chairs.  So I went searching and found that dark wood colored chairs were fairly expensive.  (we wanted dark wood because it would be something sleek that would play off our basement floors while still being versatile enough to throw into our den should we host a baby shower or a friend’s gettogether.)  Here’s the results of my research: 

Target was it.  For less than $20 a chair, I knew that it would be the perfect match and I really liked the curves of the chair.  Oh and for those of you not believing that price, well, I took a photo for proof:

Yes.  I bought six.  That means I got all six chairs for roughly $15 more than ONE of the Crate & Barrel chairs. 

Okay…now I know you already know that I got a food processor from our messy house tour.  And you already know that we bought it for making baby food.  But what you don’t know is that I got it for about ten bones.  TEN SKINS.  DIEZ JORGES’!  How the heck did we do that?   

Well, it all began with a trip to Bed Bath & Beyond to check out the prices on cookware.  You see, Jeremy & I have never gotten cookware.  It was always too expensive.  So we used the mismatched pots and pans that were handed down to us and collected cheaply.  Even though the bottoms were scratched up and the teflon was probably poisoning our food, we didn’t mind.  Afterall, we’re pork lovers…and if you are willing to eat pig then no little chemical can bother ya.  Anyway…fast forward to Will’s birth and I was all like “We need new cookware so that we don’t kill Will when I make scrambled eggs”.  Can you imagine the headlines?  BOY IN CRITICAL CONDITION – TWO POUNDS OF TEFLON REMOVED FROM COLON.  And my darling boyfriend sweetly agreed.  So we saved our little pennies to get the Anolon set.     

We chose the Anolon set because it was scratch-resistant, mid-priced and it was dishwasher safe (a must for us) and because we knew that we loved it after receiving one of the pots as a wedding gift.  It really is my favorite pot.  Mostly because of the straining lid…it makes me sooo happy.  So after walking into the BB&B (armed with our expired coupons), we picked up the 10 piece set.   Then we saw the sign…$75 gift card with purchase.  AND FREE GIFT (it was that 11 inch sauteuse).  Then we spied the ‘ultimate pan’ on sale for only $30 (marked down from $90) and had an additional $10 off coupon. 

So after calculating our coupons and adding in the extras – we got $515 of stuff (counting the $75 gift card and not including tax) for $276 (including tax).  Then we ran back to snag the food processor for $10 more.   

All in all, it was a very good day to get new cookware and a new food processor all for a great price.  Gotta love those BB&B coupons…I save mine (because the stores take expired ones) so that one day my sister can get everything off her wedding registry with mucho savings.  AKA so that I can live vicariously through her 🙂

So what have you bought lately?

Or picked outta the trash?

Or saved on with coupons?

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  1. I swear, my stepdaughters had the exact same bunkbed set that we threw away a few months ago because they were all broken. How funny!

  2. What amazing finds! My Goodwill does not have that kind of style. But I recently just spray painted our chandelier which transforms our whole main floor for 5.00. I also bought sailcloth drapery panels for our living and dinning room for 17.00/pair. I thought that was a great deal and again, it totally transformed our space. I love your Goodwill posts! Looking forward to all of your “after” shots of your projects. I’m sure the lamps look ah-mazing. abby

  3. Don’t worry, I say buggy now too. And I’m from a town in Florida that isn’t the least bit southern. Georgia just does that to people against their will 🙂

  4. I have to say I’ve got you beat on the lamp. I got a similar one at our goodwill for $1. that’s right 1 dollar + leftover spraypaint + $5 lampshade from Ross = super cute brand new lamp!

  7. Holy Instant Gratification Batman … well played!!

    I recently sold my Grain Mill (due to downsizing from a family of five to an empty nest) and my BOSCH mixer. I no longer make 3 loaves of bread at a time which are quickly eaten and need to be remade the next week. We literally eat about 7 slices of bread a week now.

    Anyway … I sold those two on Craigs List for $150 each, scored $300 that I saved to buy a Kitchenaid mixer. I found it at Sam’s Club .. the big ol’ pro version with the extra power (grunt) for $269.99 .. and got a $30 rebate. Now I’m waiting for the Ninja to go on sale so I can use my savings to buy it.

    Then I’ll be ready to do whatever comes my way.

    BTW … I have used my Kitchenaid MUCH more than I ever used my BOSCH. It is easier, more efficient, and sleeker looking on my counter.

  11. I have expired BB&B coupons from over 2 years ago(somewhat embarrassing)…and they still take them! I actually used like 10 coupons in one transaction when I was purchasing hardware for drapery I had made….
    Gotta love BB&B 😉

  14. Ha ha! You crack me up… mostly because I swear we’d be best friends if we didn’t live on total opposite ends of the U.S! I don’t think there’s anything I love more than a bargain!Recently my dad called me at work and asked if I wanted a bulletin board he found in the trash while out walking my son. OF COURSE! (see, even my dad knows I’m a trash picker) And when I got home, I saw it was in PERFECT shape and now it will soon be on my living room wall, covered in burlap, a new frame added around it, adorned with cute pictures and stuff. I also recently just got a pair of maternity jeans, maternity yoga pants, and a bra for $10 at Kohl’s (do you have Kohl’s over there?) only because of the many coupons I had. My husband also just picked a small two-wheeler bike out of the neighbor’s trash yesterday for our son (gotta love that I even MARRIED a trash picker). We don’t know why they were throwing it away. It only had one flat tire.
    My list can go on and on! I love hearing all about your wonderful finds. So much fun and it gives me lots of good ideas too! Thanks for sharing :).

  15. Ok, since you cloth diaper you won’t get too excited about my newest score, but yesterday I got SIX packages of Huggies and a pumpkin at Rite Aid and MADE $.70!

  17. I’m so glad I’m not the only one who loves bragging about great deals and finds! I can’t wait to see the “after” pics. 🙂

    We just bought our first house so we have been thriftin it up – it’s been a challenge to furnish the place on a budget but we (mostly I, lol) are determined to make it beautiful!

    My favorite find? One of those older “cane” chairs with the curved back. I’m going to try my first re-upholstery.

    PS Those tealight holders are so darn cute!

  18. I don’t think i’ll ever say “cart”. It sounds too… proper!!! Buggy it has always been for me, and buggy it always will be 🙂

  19. You crack me up. Awesommme finds. But if I see you on the tv show Hoarders one day, I won’t say there wasn’t any proof ;). jk, jk, i’ve seen su casa—not overflowing at all. LOVE these posts though–maybe you could do a “weekly find” post to space them all out so we get some of the retail goodness every week!

  20. okay, I don’t have kids (therefore no reason to buy huggies) but I’m completely and totally jealous of you right now 🙂

  22. I neither saved with coupons or took something out of the trash, but I did adopt a baby kitten to our family that had been thrown out AS trash. Probably to starve. He is fantastic and the lady who found the kitten and his siblings gave ME $40 to take him, a bag of food, and a brand new lavender towel that I now use all the time. I would call that a great deal, when you get paid to take something. Yay!

  23. BUGGY… haha… I grew up calling it a Carriage. No joke. [Massachusetts]. Than I met the love of my life who happens to be from Mississippi and now we live in the South and I have to stop myself from calling it a Buggy and purposely shout ‘GET THE CARRIAGE’ while walking into the grocery store. You should see the glares I get. ha!

    And wow on the finds. Im still so jealous that your neck of the woods seem to have the best deals!

  24. I cannot wait to see what you do with those lamps! I tried to rescue a dresser from someones curbside trash a few weeks ago but since we really dont have room for any more furniture my hubs wasnt as amenable as your boyfriend 😉

  25. i love that you are such a thrifty girl!!
    and i also think it’s hilarious that your boyfriend is kind enough to endure you taking photos of him while he’s trash-picking! 🙂

  26. Here’s another reason to love BBB… yesterday they gave me store credit for returning some place mats and cloth napkins we received as a wedding gift two years ago!! I couldn’t believe it, full value and everything. I was about to donate the items because I knew we’d never use them, but I thought I might as well try to return them since I had an errand there anyway. I was super embarrassed to ask, but they were soo nice. $65 in store credit and more drawer space! I’m trying to decide what we need most. I’m still so excited! : )

  28. I have the same espresso modern chairs from Target (2 of them) for my white pedestal IKEA table (we must think alike haha) Anyways, I just looked on Target.com and they aren’t on clearance online, maybe in the store? I need to buy more for when we have guests, but I don’t want to buy them at full price. Let me know!!! 🙂

    So! Last Thursday I brought my $30 off coupon to Express (you can print it out on their website) and got three 3/4 sleeved shirts of the sale rack, one headband, & one purse all for $55!!! I was in awe when I saw the total because we all know Express is expensive and I got 5 things for $10 each! I love it! 🙂 I kept talking about how awesome it was to my fiance and he was like “ok, I get it already!!” haha, he doesn’t appreciate a deal like I do! Thankfully there’s one of us who likes coupons! 🙂

  29. Katie, I love your deal scoring talent!!! What great buys!! My favorite score of yours are those tea lights – they look a lot like the ones that YHL uses in their sweet tablescapes. I can’t wait to see how you decorate for Halloween – yippee!

  30. I am amazed at your bargain shopping talent!

    I just realized those future twin girls will be sleeping in your pink dressing room. Which means you’ll have to downsize your clothing collection – dun, dun, dun!

    Well, this month I was going to try not to buy any new clothes. Instead, I got a dress, skirt, two shirts, and sweater (all from j.crew and anthro). But, in my favor, everything came to the grand total of $97. Not bad for two really pricey stores!

  31. First off, HUGE applause for your coupon and sale use to get all your new kitchen stuff! I am mucho impressed.

    Second, I have to pout just a little because I am QUITE jealous of the prices you get at your Goodwill. Living in a city that’s so environmentally conscious means everyone WANTS to shop at thrift stores – so the shops charge ridiculous prices. 🙁

  33. Nooooo Caitlin Noooo!
    Let me just say that if I do pop out my own Elizabeth and Jessica (aka Bella and Sarah Kate) then we will be making sure they get a MUCH bigger room than the tiny little space that holds my clothing 🙂
    Disaster averted.
    XO – kb

  34. OMG – I have been stalking those modern chairs for months.. I’m going to have to drive 2 hrs to my nearest Target to try to find them, since they aren’t marked down on their website! Seriously they have the same EXACT ones on Walmart.com for 2 for $50, but 2 for $35 is sooooo much better 🙂 I thought I’d learned clearance/sale shopping from my Mom, and far exceeded her skills (and she’s agreed so to) but you take the cake 🙂

  37. KATIE- OMG! I have to thank you so much for posting about the modern chair sale! You see, I was at work yesterday and it was around 4:45 and I was bored and opened my Google Reader and saw your post… I was planning on staying at work another 30 minutes but all it took for me tol see was “SALE $17.50” and I was outta the door on the way to my local Tarjay.

    I had been spying those for months! And I knew they were a stellar price to begin with but I didn’t really NEED them NOW. Of course, I had a spot (our sunporch) all picked out for them but I didn’t NEED them badly. But for $17.50 I HAD to have them! I picked up the dark brown set and can’t wait to add them to the little corner of our sunporch next to our WE daybed ala J+S. OMG! Thanks for sharing the deal!!!

  39. Here in Alberta, Canada we have something called Big Item Day twice a year. This is when you can put old appliances, furniture etc. out by the curb and a truck hauls it away with your trash. So of course last week my mom and I are trolling the neighbourhood(after dark of course!) and found a very beat up step stool with the steps that fold under the seat. We will see if I can actually restore it. My hubby has forbidden me to take anything else from the curb as he thinks this is the first step to becoming a hoarder! Whatever!
    As for the bunkbeds, those are exactly the same as the ones my son is using and I am planning on painting them white for my daughters room. I actually have two girls though ready to sleep on it, Bella and Maya.
    Love your humour and blog, keep up the great work!

  40. I literally just did a small happy dance for you when I saw all that you got from BBB!! Love that store and NEVER go without coupons in tow. I actually just purchased my first Anolon item, a bundt cake pan, I usually buy Calphalon for kitchen things but the Anolon pan seemed to be such better quality! Do you use Anolon bakeware also? have you found it to be better quality than Calphalon?

  42. Thanks to this post, I’ve been keeping my eyes wide open. I found a little black urn for just $1.49 at a local Building 19! Thanks for sharing what you look out for as your virtual approval for when I shop.

  43. I’ve been neglecting my google reader for quite some time now, how dare I! I have a similiar situation as you but in reverse. We bought those chairs, well not THOSE chairs but the Ikea version at a yard sale, $25 for 4. Total steal. Now we need a smaller table and I love the white one that you have. I saw you purchased it on Craigslist..where is it orginally from (with the $200 price tag 🙁

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