I rarely buy anything new. I am too stinkin' thrify. I love Craigslist, in fact I think I may be addicted. I check it a couple times daily. . . even if I am not looking for anything in particular. Seriously. Here are some recent Craigslist finds. . .
McCartney's desk and dresser, I paid $40 for both.
Our living room furniture. I paid $100 for a leather loveseat and three chairs. Ching! LOVE it with the kids and the dogs. It cleans so well with a little vinegar and water spray. Regular body soap on a rag works for the really nasty ugg the kids get on it. (Notice the cords on the floor. I think we have a Nintendo charge plugged into every outlet downstairs. Thank goodness my OCD is medicated!)
This click-clack futon works fabulously in the kids area. I paid $60 on Craigslist. The kids can fold it down to lay down and watch a movie and they don't have to fight over space. Love it! The pillows were from our old furniture. The kids can throw them on the floor and do whatever and I can just throw them in the washer. Win-win. The little rocker was from the trash. (Note the other Nintendo charger plugged in and laying on the floor)
This entertainment center for the "kid area". I paid $ 20. I know it is ugly, but it serves the purpose of getting all the crap wrangled and the baskets kinda hide the ugly junk. Note: the mirror was a throw away from one of the condos my stepdad rents so I snaked it. I bought the cute little candlestick lamps at Good will for $3 last week. The baskets were also from Goodwill, with the exception of the Longaberger on the bottom. That was before I had children and I could spend big bucks on a basket LOL.
I had my eye on this island for some time. I have little to no counter space and very little storage. This was clearanced and I asked if they would sell me the floor model at a discount. (I have no apprehension of asking for % off something) and they gave me an additional 15% off. AND it was already put together. Woot! I think I paid $70 for it instead of $13o. The cake plate with the cute cheese dome on it came from Goodwill for less than $3 each.
This component rack was also a floor model that was on clearance. I also got an additional 10% off for taking the floor model. I think I paid $50 instead of $125.
Once again, no storage in the kitchen calls for interesting fixes. I bought this rack on clearance at Lowes. I used it for small appliances, but I needed to put ugly stuff on the bottom (like roasters and cookie sheets) So I used a Goodwill shower curtain and made some curtains and a little cover for the bottom of the rack. Unfortunately I did not have enough fabric so I used part of a thrifted sheet that I had in my fabric stash. The sheet happened to match the wall paint color perfectly. I hung it on the rack using metal shower rings. I love that the curtains are hung a little low so that we get more sunlight, it was like that when we moved in and I left it. (Notice the plastic over the left window stapled to the inside of the window. I am all about stay warm and this window is wickedly drafty. Whatever works! And more Longabergers!)
Clearance also applies to appliances too. This refrigerator was a special order that the people decided they did not want. I got it at Lowes for a fraction of the price. I have no idea how much it was originally, but we got it for way under the regular bottom freezer drawer stock models. It is my favorite thing in my kitchen. I just had to buy a washer last weekend. I went to Lowes and asked if they had any scratch and dent. They did not, but I got a model that was reduced and since it was high efficiency, I got an additional 15% off. She said she only had one left so you guessed it, I asked for an additional discount. Got 10% more off and free delivery to boot! Our stove was being clearanced at Best Buy when they stopped selling "biscuit" colored and went to "almond". (Notice the stool? Trash. The locker was a throw away from my work. I have had it for about 10 years and it has been about 6 different colors. It has held books, clothes, movies and now is awesome kitchen storage.)
This mama is one of my favorite peices of furniture. This fab armoire was a clearance scratch and dent from a local furniture store. What was wrong with it? It has a small chip out of the right bottom leg. I color it with a brown sharpie every once in a while. We paid $549 instead of $1499. Once again, that was before kids. I am not sure I would've paid that now for a hunk of furniture. We used to keep our TV and components in it, but since we have a giant TV, we use it for storage. The bottom portion is all kid's shoes. Sigh. (Note more Longabergers on top. I had an addiction)
Have I told you I will stop for cool stuff in the trash? I have no pride. These are fabulous trash finds over the last few years.
This desk is what the kid's compter sits on. The chair and the window above is also a salvage find. All three of these things came from someone's trash.
I posted about these chairs here. I found them in the trash and recovered them for less than $10. I think they are cah-ute!
These chairs also had a blog post here. They came from the trash as well. They got a fresh coat of spray paint and some left ovr vinyl for the seats. (I have kids people) They are now at our dining room table.
This little lovely came from someone's trash as well. It also had a matching harp style mirror that was broken. Oh how I wish I woudn't have left that behind. I so could've fixed that, but I left it behind for the trash guys. Poo. I couldn't bring myself to paint over this guy's (I have named him Chester, I know I am nuts) wonderful chippy, crackly finish. I do love some shabby love. This guy lives in the entryway and keeps all our hats and gloves and dog leashes in it's drawers. Notice the crappy self-stick parquet type tile. Ugh. But check out his glass knobs and cute key holes! (Along with some dhild's crayon love, not mine)
This beauty was also from the trash. We use it for storing office supplies and cameras and other small electronics. I love it! She is beat up and warm and yummy. This sits by our front entryway and hold all the mail, change basket, and other stuff on top. (Notice the backpack stuffed underneath and more pre-children, pre-thrifty Longabergers on top)
How thrifty are you? What are your imperfections?
Our living room furniture. I paid $100 for a leather loveseat and three chairs. Ching! LOVE it with the kids and the dogs. It cleans so well with a little vinegar and water spray. Regular body soap on a rag works for the really nasty ugg the kids get on it. (Notice the cords on the floor. I think we have a Nintendo charge plugged into every outlet downstairs. Thank goodness my OCD is medicated!)
This click-clack futon works fabulously in the kids area. I paid $60 on Craigslist. The kids can fold it down to lay down and watch a movie and they don't have to fight over space. Love it! The pillows were from our old furniture. The kids can throw them on the floor and do whatever and I can just throw them in the washer. Win-win. The little rocker was from the trash. (Note the other Nintendo charger plugged in and laying on the floor)
This entertainment center for the "kid area". I paid $ 20. I know it is ugly, but it serves the purpose of getting all the crap wrangled and the baskets kinda hide the ugly junk. Note: the mirror was a throw away from one of the condos my stepdad rents so I snaked it. I bought the cute little candlestick lamps at Good will for $3 last week. The baskets were also from Goodwill, with the exception of the Longaberger on the bottom. That was before I had children and I could spend big bucks on a basket LOL.
I had my eye on this island for some time. I have little to no counter space and very little storage. This was clearanced and I asked if they would sell me the floor model at a discount. (I have no apprehension of asking for % off something) and they gave me an additional 15% off. AND it was already put together. Woot! I think I paid $70 for it instead of $13o. The cake plate with the cute cheese dome on it came from Goodwill for less than $3 each.
This component rack was also a floor model that was on clearance. I also got an additional 10% off for taking the floor model. I think I paid $50 instead of $125.
Once again, no storage in the kitchen calls for interesting fixes. I bought this rack on clearance at Lowes. I used it for small appliances, but I needed to put ugly stuff on the bottom (like roasters and cookie sheets) So I used a Goodwill shower curtain and made some curtains and a little cover for the bottom of the rack. Unfortunately I did not have enough fabric so I used part of a thrifted sheet that I had in my fabric stash. The sheet happened to match the wall paint color perfectly. I hung it on the rack using metal shower rings. I love that the curtains are hung a little low so that we get more sunlight, it was like that when we moved in and I left it. (Notice the plastic over the left window stapled to the inside of the window. I am all about stay warm and this window is wickedly drafty. Whatever works! And more Longabergers!)
Clearance also applies to appliances too. This refrigerator was a special order that the people decided they did not want. I got it at Lowes for a fraction of the price. I have no idea how much it was originally, but we got it for way under the regular bottom freezer drawer stock models. It is my favorite thing in my kitchen. I just had to buy a washer last weekend. I went to Lowes and asked if they had any scratch and dent. They did not, but I got a model that was reduced and since it was high efficiency, I got an additional 15% off. She said she only had one left so you guessed it, I asked for an additional discount. Got 10% more off and free delivery to boot! Our stove was being clearanced at Best Buy when they stopped selling "biscuit" colored and went to "almond". (Notice the stool? Trash. The locker was a throw away from my work. I have had it for about 10 years and it has been about 6 different colors. It has held books, clothes, movies and now is awesome kitchen storage.)
This mama is one of my favorite peices of furniture. This fab armoire was a clearance scratch and dent from a local furniture store. What was wrong with it? It has a small chip out of the right bottom leg. I color it with a brown sharpie every once in a while. We paid $549 instead of $1499. Once again, that was before kids. I am not sure I would've paid that now for a hunk of furniture. We used to keep our TV and components in it, but since we have a giant TV, we use it for storage. The bottom portion is all kid's shoes. Sigh. (Note more Longabergers on top. I had an addiction)Have I told you I will stop for cool stuff in the trash? I have no pride. These are fabulous trash finds over the last few years.
This desk is what the kid's compter sits on. The chair and the window above is also a salvage find. All three of these things came from someone's trash.
I posted about these chairs here. I found them in the trash and recovered them for less than $10. I think they are cah-ute!
These chairs also had a blog post here. They came from the trash as well. They got a fresh coat of spray paint and some left ovr vinyl for the seats. (I have kids people) They are now at our dining room table.
This little lovely came from someone's trash as well. It also had a matching harp style mirror that was broken. Oh how I wish I woudn't have left that behind. I so could've fixed that, but I left it behind for the trash guys. Poo. I couldn't bring myself to paint over this guy's (I have named him Chester, I know I am nuts) wonderful chippy, crackly finish. I do love some shabby love. This guy lives in the entryway and keeps all our hats and gloves and dog leashes in it's drawers. Notice the crappy self-stick parquet type tile. Ugh. But check out his glass knobs and cute key holes! (Along with some dhild's crayon love, not mine)
This beauty was also from the trash. We use it for storing office supplies and cameras and other small electronics. I love it! She is beat up and warm and yummy. This sits by our front entryway and hold all the mail, change basket, and other stuff on top. (Notice the backpack stuffed underneath and more pre-children, pre-thrifty Longabergers on top)How thrifty are you? What are your imperfections?
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4 comments:
I love your home style! It's very similar to mine so it means we have good taste :) My question is did you paint the desk and dresser or did you buy them that color? It looks similar to a white set I've been looking at (on craigslist)but it hadn't occurred to me to paint it pretty because of all the sanding and etc I think you have to do.
I sand nothing. I paint everything. This set was already painted but was butt-ugly. One quart of mistint paint ($2) later and voila! cute set for nothing.
I check Craiglist all the time but unfortunately in our area people either want tons of money for crap or the list is riddled with "dealers" sneaking in their products....so I find most of my new-to-me stuff at second hand stores...which I could show you the two barrell chairs with canning/cane? backing...so yeah...I totally get the furnish your house on the cheap....besides.....there's nothing a can of paint or a sewing machine can't fix! ;)
Great job...loved her purple dresser and desk!
You linked to my blog so I had to comment, but I was going to anyway! This is a post after my own (cheap, I mean thrifty) heart. We are so much alike!
Like Zun Zun our Craigslist is not so helpful here although I've picked up a few cool goodies (including the most gorgeous foozball table the the entry of our company's lobby - I love working for a design firm where you get to have cool stuff). Goodwill is also too expensive around here.
Let's see, there's the wooden loft bed that I got for $500 because the salesguy - who got fired for it :( - told me that yes, he would beat the price of the other company, who was beating the price of two other discount furniture stores who were beating each other's price! We covered the whole thing with plywood and curved some melanine which we attached to a homemade ladder to make a tower... and voila a gorgeous castle loft bed that could be completely converted back to pristine wood and sold over 10 years later for $200 at a garage sale.
I think furniture, clothes and EVERYthing else in the house was pretty much bought at the thrift store or Salvation Army (they'll give you a good price if they a. feel sorry for you because you have a billion misbehaving kids; b. You tell them your sob story about how little money you have; c. If you come in there all the time and chat with the managers. Seriously, you can even bring in your husband occasionally and wear your wedding ring.).
I've trash dived/dove? a couple of times. I always accept hand me downs from family - my favorites come from my sister. She has expensive taste and is fickle. I have some brand new furniture pieces that she decided just didn't fit after only a couple of weeks! Score!
Mary in TX
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