Goodwill was good to me again!

[Katie H]

Whenever I go to the "big city" to shop or run errands, I always stop at the Goodwill store there. It's quite large and really, really nice. So, today being my day to go to Paducah, of course I stopped to see what I couldn't live without. Not looking for a bread machine for a friend anymore 'cause I found one last time, but you never know what will be lurking.

Not lurking at all, but right out in front of God and everybody there was a big stack of our Corelle dishes. Our pattern, Summer Blush, has long been discontinued and I've given up looking at places like eBay for more pieces. Sheesh! Some sellers really like their stuff!!

At any rate, I left the store with 6 dinner plates, 2 dessert plates, 3 cereal bowls, 2 saucers, and 3 coffee cups. Each piece was only 59 cents. Including KY sales tax, I spent only $10. Yeah!!

Also picked up a nightlight/glowing Pillow Pet for $1.29 and a cute cobalt blue plastic bucket-like container with an M&M friend on it. Less than a buck for that and it will make its way to Glenn's daughter's family at Christmastime.

They LOVE M&Ms and make something they call M&M soup, which is a mixture of all the varieties of M&Ms stirred together. I'll buy a package of each type, but it in the container and wrap it like a gift basket with clear cellophane with a big bow. I'll bet Santa will get a big "thumbs up" for that.

Also bought a beautiful picture frame. Picture/artwork in it was okay, but I purchased it for the frame. Just perfect for one of our wedding pictures that I haven't found the right frame for.

Finally, nabbed two beautiful long scarves for myself. No hair yet, so I've been getting pretty adept at turning scarves into turban-like head coverings. Each one was about a dollar.

Oh, almost forgot. Found a beautiful leather and suede handbag, with lots and lots of compartments and in pristine shape. Will be great for the fall.

I think, all in all, I spent about $13. Not a bad take, yes?

 

[blissful]

On vacations, we often travel with a travel cooler, make our own food in the hotel/motel/multi-room w/kitchen. We buy food at the local grocery. We don't always have the dishes required to cook what we are cooking, so we go to resale shops and goodwill. Pennies on the dollar getting rather nice things. At the end of the trip we throw off all the extras, with friends or we toss it out. Sometimes we find treasures we have to take home in our travel cooler. I love Goodwill and other resale shops and wonder how people afford to buy everything new, we can't, we don't even try.

It is a good buy.
I found a trenchcoat, gorgeous, lined, and kept it, will keep it forever. We found it on a fishing trip. I love that coat.

 

[Katie H]

On vacations, we often travel with a travel cooler, make our own food in the hotel/motel/multi-room w/kitchen. We buy food at the local grocery. We don't always have the dishes required to cook what we are cooking, so we go to resale shops and goodwill. Pennies on the dollar getting rather nice things. At the end of the trip we throw off all the extras, with friends or we toss it out. Sometimes we find treasures we have to take home in our travel cooler. I love Goodwill and other resale shops and wonder how people afford to buy everything new, we can't, we don't even try.

It is a good buy.
I found a trenchcoat, gorgeous, lined, and kept it, will keep it forever. We found it on a fishing trip. I love that coat.

It's funny you should say what you did, blissful. When Buck and I were married, we were avid yard sale/thrift store/estate sale/auction people.

A great deal of our home furnishings and everyday items came from those sources.

For nearly 2 years, a dear childhood friend lived with us. On the weekends Buck and I would go "saleing," not sailing.

We'd return home with all manner of goodies and treasures.

One day, Mike asked me if we ever bought anything at a real store.

I had to think about my answer. Actually, when it came right down to it, the only things we purchased from those stores was groceries. Occasionally clothing, but not often.

Sure wish I'd known about those resources when I was a young, single mother. But that was nearly 50 years ago and things were a bit different.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Sounds like a productive day Katie!

I have 6 different thrift shops that I hit on a weekly basis, when I'm out doing different errands.

I love the thrill of the hunt as much as the bargain itself!

This morning was the local Goodwill, I found an amber Sharon or Cabbage Rose covered candy dish for $1.84, after they applied my 20% senior citizen discount. It is similar to one my grandmother had when we were kids. She had hearing like a bat and could always tell when we were in her candy by the little clink we made when we put the top back on the dish, we eventually learned not to make a sound!

 

[blissful]

Back about 15 years ago my first son moved out. Into an apartment and he took all the good things we had here for him. The apartment burned to the ground within a month and he had no renter's insurance, uninformed and not particularly responsible. I advised him to buy used and not depend on his own or other's resources. He went into NO DEBT to replace his lifestyle. He was so grateful to start a new without messing up his finances. This worked out well for him and has worked for him for years now.

Now my husband brought his entire 'home' here, we have two homes of 'stuff' and we are unloading half of it. Goodwill is where we can unload our second copy of almost everything. My kids take what they value and Goodwill has a place in our lives.

 

[GotGarlic]

Our Goodwill has a drive-through with an automatic doorbell: drive up, stop and get out to open the back door and someone comes out with a receipt to unload your goods. I love them, too.

 

[expatgirl]

those Goodwill stores can definitely hold a lot of treasures........friend got a nice desk out of one and I some dishes..........

 

[Cheryl J]

Sounds like you hit the jackpot with your Goodwill, Katie! I've been in some pretty nice ones, but the one we had here for a few years was a dive. Poorly run, terribly unorganized and overpriced. They closed down last year.

Our locally run thrift shop is much better - and like GG mentioned, they have a drive up in the back for donations, and will unload everything.