Frugal Finds: Sunday, August 28, 2011

It’s been a busy last couple of weeks in the FR (Frugal Refurbisher) household, including visiting family, family visiting and general life overload. However, I was still able to score a few frugal finds over the past two weeks.

Usually, my frugal finds are usually consisted of goods from thrift stores, discount chains and outlet stores; however, this installment of Frugal Finds will be focused on department store clearance hunts with added extra percent off incentives.

Kohl’s

Two weekends ago was Florida’s tax break weekend, which not only meant savings by not having to pay sales tax on clothes and other items, but also meant that stores were giving extra incentives to bring in business. Kohl’s is one of my favorite department stores to shop for because their sales are phenomenal.

This shopping trip was planned, not only because of the tax break, but also because I received one of their awesome extra 30% off coupons for being a credit card holder. Oh yes. Extra 30% off everything! Woot.

I got up early that Saturday morning and meandered across the way (oh the joys – and wallet dangers – of living so close to this store) to begin my shopping adventure. And an adventure it would be.

The trick to shopping frugally at certain stores is to head straight for the clearance and reduced racks. Although at Kohl’s you can also find really good bargains at sale price (with extra off coupons), my goal was to rummage through the clearance racks.

Over two hours later, I ended up with a cart full of goodies, including:

• A wicker bowl for $4.19 + tax

• A ceramic sea shell dish for $2.79 + tax (I thought it would be perfect for our beach-themed guest bath)
• A faux-leather storage ottoman for $13.99 + tax (This was a purchase for my mom, but I think maybe I should have picked up one, too, for this amazing price!)
• A pair of black wedge peep-toe shoes for $12.59 (no tax)
• A pair of NIKE running sneakers for $18 (no tax)
• An outfit for $30 (no tax)
• Two NIKE jogging/lounging pants for my husband for a whopping $7 each (no tax)!!

Unbelievable bargains! Not to mention I also got $10 Kohl’s cash to use the following week, which I used to buy some undergarments and a summery top.

Dillard’s

Although I love shopping at Dillard’s, it is usually way out of my price range. However, a few times a year they have an unbelievable extra 40% off all clearance sale. Sometimes I find good buys and others I don’t. It just depends when I hit the sale and which store location I hit up.

Oh, and as heads up on getting the scoop on when they have this sale, sign up for their mailing list and/or become a credit card member.

This time, I heard about the sale the day before it started. And I knew I had to go to find a new purse since it was definitely time for a new one. (I kept switching in between my old ones in which two were starting to fall apart)

Off to the purses I went as soon as I stepped into the store. There were so many to chose from, including two beautiful Coach’s that were instantly calling me. But, I had to resist the temptation. Even with the sale, they were still out of my current budget.

In the mix of a beautiful rainbow of colorful bags, slings and wallets, I found this gorgeous purple feaux crocodile Gianni Bini. Ahhh. Love at first sight. Not to mention I really wanted a cross-body, but this baby is multi-functional! It has a removable shorter handle to wear on either your shoulder or your forearm. And with multiple compartments and nifty storage areas, I am in LOVE!  Oh, and the price? 

This beaut was originally $109 marked down to $34. My final price = $20 + tax. Whhhaaaattt a deal!

I also meandered upstairs to the home department since the hubs and I have been in search for a nice, comfortable duvet cover for our bed that won’t cost us this week’s groceries. At first walk-through, I didn’t have much luck for finding anything under $100 (and that’s with the extra 40% off!). After picking up a few little things (including a paring knife for $1.47 and a bubble glass goblet for $2.49), I nearly stumbled into a display of 65% or more items. Lo and behold, right on that shelf was this beautiful black and grey duvet cover…in our comforter’s size and for sticker price $38!! 

I snatched that baby up faster than you can say bargain, especially considering after the extra 40% off this baby was only a few coins over $22.  Oh, and I must not forget the original pricing of our newly prized duvet cover, which sold for $179! Wow!

What are some of your department store frugal finds? Do you have any tips or tricks on finding the best deal?

Mmm...Sangria and the Art of Refurbishing Wood Decor

Not the drink (although, I wish), but the color!

Yesterday, I finally decided to refurbish the canoe tray I got last weekend for $2.49 at Goodwill.

Remember me?

Around 9 a.m. I started sanding down the tray to remove the old finish. I used a P120 grit sand paper. Compared to the massive coffee table from a couple of weeks ago, this was much easier.

Next, I painted the tray with two coats of Rust-Oleum's Painter's Touch grey primer, since I was going from a light to a dark color again.

When painting small items or doing small projects like this one, I like to use the sample size bottles of paint. That way, you do not have to spend a lot of money on a color you may or may not want to use again. 

For this project, I bought a $1.97 sample size of Glidden paint in SANGRIA!

After the primer dried (about two hours), I started with my first coat of Sangria. Since this tray was an odd shape, I had to paint it in sections. I started with the top section and then worked my way around, allowing each layer to dry for at least an hour. I repeated these steps four times to achieve the desired color.

Then, I turned each side over and repeated the layers. I let the tray dry over night.

(The color is not this hot pink in real life)

This entire process took approximately eight hours, but each step only took about five minutes each.

In between each step, I was able to clean the kitchen, do a couple loads of laundry, go to the library and lunch with my husband, watch Beverly Hills Cop and score two more roadside finds: a dark brown/black particle board plasma TV stand and a large wood framed mirror.

After the tray dried, I pulled out a bag of earth-toned pebbles I bought at the dollar store a few months back and scattered them on the tray. Then, I took three votive candles we had lying around and placed them in between the pebbles.


Total cost of this refurbish: $4.45! (not counting the pebbles and candles I already had)

Frugal Finds: Sunday, August 7, 2011

Thrift stores are not the only places to find cheap home décor items. Scoping out the clearance racks at outlet stores and deep discount chains like Big Lots, which I mentioned in this post, are great places to score great deals.

Today, I found this week’s frugal finds on the clearance racks at Home Goods.

Ceramic White Multi-Purpose Container
This beautiful white ceramic piece looked to have belonged to a jar. The top portion was broken off, but that was no concern for me. When I first saw this item, I was in awe at not only the price, but that it was in perfect condition (no cracks, chips or discoloration) for an item on the clearance rack.

When I got home, the first thing I did was remove the metal ring around the top. All I had to do was loosen the metal piece clamping the ring and, voila, the ring fell off.

Now, I have a beautiful multi-purpose ceramic container that can be used:

• As a planter
• To put our keys in on the buffet counter (pictured)
• To store paper clips, rubber bands and other miscellaneous office supplies
• To store paint brushes and other painting supplies
• To store hair accessories
• To store fashion accessories, such as chunky bangles/bracelets, watches or brooches
• To store miscellaneous craft or sewing supplies, such as beads, buttons or spools of ribbon and thread

The list is endless. I love this little container. And guess how much….$1 buck-a-roo!

Wowza.

White and Green Leafy Ceramic Jar
This white and green, leaf-like decorated ceramic jar was my other frugal find for the day. I am not quite sure what it is supposed to be used for (other than just decoration), but I love this guy (yes, I do tend to personalize my frugal finds by gender. Not quite sure why).

You can either simply display him in a bookshelf, on a kitchen counter or in a china cabinet to add a little flare to your décor. You can also remove the lid (it is ceramic, too) and use it as a vase by putting in a couple of flowers, such as daisies, and display it as a centerpiece on a table.



The astonishing discounted price of this item was a whopping $2. I snagged him up faster than you can say cheap.

What are some of your favorite stores to find great buys on the clearance rack?

Frugal Finds: Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011

On Sunday, I made one of my regular visits to one of my local Goodwill retail stores to scope out some frugal finds. It was just my luck that they were having an extra 50% off all of the wares items (dishes, home décor, etc). Here are a few of the treasures that I picked up:

White Ceramic Buddha Sculpture

This cute little guy was only $1.49 and has a new home in my bookcase. 

I am not sure if he was originally a cocktail cup or is for burning incense (a quick search online revealed that they are used for both), but he looks brand spankin’ new wherever he came from.

Wooden Trays
Next, I picked up these two really nifty wooden trays. One is a long canoe shape and the other is in the shape of an acorn/leaf with three compartments. I will be refurbishing both in the upcoming weeks, so stayed tuned!


Sailin’ Away. Only $2.49 for this baby.


No Nuts About It. This acorn/leaf tray was only $1.49 and is made of a really good quality dark wood (it's a little darker in person).

If anyone knows what kind of wood this may be, please give me a shout.

You can’t beat these treasures for only $5.47!

What are some of your frugal finds this week?