One of the best ways to find a bargain when shopping for used furniture or vintage items, is at Estate Sales. But during the height of the pandemic,  I couldn’t go to them. Then I discovered Online Estate and Liquidation Auctions. Been addicted ever since. There are some real drawbacks to online used furniture shopping. Every time I have purchased a piece of furniture for myself or my daughter, I have had to spend a great deal of time on restoration. Images never quite tell the whole story. Descriptions are minimal at best, so you have to rely on their images. The devil is in the unseen d ..read more

With an ever continuing pandemic, inflation and masks, Valentines Day this year may not a day you want to spend too much money on. Fear not, you can be frugal Valentine without being cheap. The most important element in any Valentines Day gift are thoughtfulness, effort and time. So may I suggest the following ideas or combinations: 1. If you want to go out, check Groupon for deals on restaurants, massages, cooking classes etc you can do together. 2. Instead of giving flowers, give a “live” flowering plant they can plant in their garden. 3.  Deliver one long stemmed, red rose everyday to ..read more

Fast fashion has taken over many parts of our wardrobe. Fun, trendy and cheap, fast fashion is everywhere. But there is a steep price to pay for fast, cheap trendy clothing. Fast Fashion has a problem. Fast Fashion is usually mass produced from lower quality fabrics and the product is often very trendy which means it’s usable “fashion” life span is very short. A lot of product now is made from poly microfibers because cotton and natural fiber blends have become more costly. Microfibers are a petroleum by-product that can be toxic. Every time you wash these items, fibers come off, go through ou ..read more

Seasoned shoppers all need their tricks and tips for Sample Sales. I use these Guerrilla Sample Sale Shopping Tips. Be informed.Know the brand and the retail prices before you shop. Know the quality of construction, price and fashion details. Learn about fabric and basic construction of quality garments and furnishings. This applies to home furnishings, outdoor gear and equipment, accessories, lighting, linens, shoes, jewelry etc. There is no such thing as knowing too much. Budget Before You Shop Set a budget before you head out and try to stick to it. I often set aside funds in Zelle or Venmo ..read more

Retailers, whether they are online or a brick and mortar, will try to tell you you’re getting a great deal or something of value, when you are in fact, not.  Don’t believe everything you read. It’s their business to “sell” you. A scam is still a scam. The only defense you have is knowledge and the ability to comparison shop. This was highlighted again this morning when I was researching a Farmhouse decor, Flash Sale type site called Decor Steals. The inference being that everything there is a deal. Not so fast… A scam is still a scam. A quick comparison on 8 products on Decor Steals had f ..read more

It’s important to Protect your Catalytic Convertor. Our neighbor had her Catalytic Converter stolen off her old Prius, she was forced to buy a new car. OK, that really got our attention. Apparently Catalytic Convertors are very expensive to replace. Last year we gave our daughter, my old Honda Civic. We had plans to purchase another car, but surprisingly functioning with only one car during Covid has been easier than expected. But it is getting double duty with one or both of us driving it daily. With only one car between the two of us right now, a loss of use would seriously hamper us. Cataly ..read more

Sometimes my enthusiasm gets the best of me. Sometimes my concept of getting a great deal blinds me to practical matters. So important to be vigilant in researching any purchase. I’ve had not one, but several incidents this week that are cautionary tales of Buyer Beware and the importance of “Due Diligence”. I popped into a favorite local Vintage Boutique this last week and found a gorgeous Dolce & Gabbana floral blouse from the 1980’s. I already have 2 D & G tops, so I am familiar with the European fit. In a rush as usual. I held it up to me, checked the shoulders and bust, but didn’t ..read more

Why do businesses who sell at a discount think they don’t have to operate the same way as regular retail stores. Instead of  doing it the wrong way to set up your outlet store, do it the right way. Regular retail brick & mortar stores generally sell at 2.0-3.5 markup. But at $20 sell at $50-$60. Surprise…. That’s exactly what Off Price, Discount Outlets and Liquidators do. They simply buy at a lower price, so are able to sell at lower price. The mark up generally is the same. That said, the most successful outlets present and market their product almost exactly the same way as regular ..read more

Shopping Small Indie Outlets is safe.  I still prefer to shop in person. I love to touch product and see with my “hands”. Rarely, if ever do I return product that I have bought in person. That’s how sure I can be by shopping in-person. Like all of you, during covid, I have drastically increased my online shopping. But because I couldn’t really see the product, I have been disappointed many times and have returned well over 20 items since March. I have kept only half of what I ordered. But now with more lockdowns (don’t get me started!), I am planning on finishing my Holiday shopping in pe ..read more

Most of us clean out our closets once a year or so. I clear out and organize my closets and drawers several times a year, but often don’t get rid of all that much. I keep the clothes I love. I tend to associate emotions with outfits I have worn. How I remember how I felt when I wore them, even if it had nothing to do with the actual clothes. There are some things I just can’t part with. I have this fantastic Twinkle blouse from 20 years ago that I wore twice. I felt sexy, cute and in control when I wore it. It’s so awesome that I pull it out of the donate bag every time I’ve cleaned out my clo ..read more