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Saturday, April 13, 2013

Don't Be Jealous!: Appeasing the Thrift Store Gods

A few readers expressed a wee bit of jealousy over my thrift store finds of last Thursday. It was--as they say in the blog shopping world--quite a haul. One day, I might muse on WHY the thrift store pickings are so good in my little town (pop 8500), not to mention cheap. But, believe me, readers it is a mixed blessing. HAUL is the operative word, especially for one who lives in a smallish house, circa 1910, with little closet space.

Three of our four family members are disorganized clutterbugs. I realized this anew when I was trying to clean out Frugal Son's former closet (now general use, though with some of his stuff remaining). I won't go into the not-too-safe item I found or the family memento I thought I lost--at least not now. But I made a panicky call to Miss Em (the organized one) and she said "I am really getting sick of these constant emergencies. I will help you when I get home."

SO the clutter: that is why good and cheap thrift stores are a mixed blessing. There is always something else...and it is always cheap enough to buy.

SO I will appease the thrift store gods. After all, I have to admit I still want to find nice stuff. But the outgo basket needs to be a lot bigger than it has been.

SO yesterday, before the emergency that precipitated my call to Miss Em, I donated several biggish bags to the Food Bank Thrift--called All Saints. Today, I will make a return visit with some more bags.

If I were an organized blogger-type, I would make a vow to declutter and post my progress. That's not going to happen: wish me luck anyway. Facing the scorn of Miss Em is a scary prospect. Ask me how I know.

3 comments:

Kare said...

That is the only way to do it. I try to follow the in and out rule 1 item in 2 out. It doesn't always work that way but it seems to help. Spring is always a god time to clear the clutter.

Frugal Scholar said...

@Kare--I'm trying....

Shelley said...

I get sick of moving stuff around looking for things, tired of taking care of stuff I don't really need, fed up with the sense that my things own me rather than the reverse. I don't shop for stress-relief and I can't use all the goods in the world. I just try to buy what I need. I want too many other things (like being here in France) besides clothes. Lately I realise that if I don't de-clutter, one day either Bill or his children will have to. Why should they be burdened with getting rid of my excess?