Passing Up the Good Deals, or Not

I’m a sucker for a good deal, like many of us out there. Are you one of those that can’t pass up a great deal? The thrift stores and yard sales offer these products at a fraction of the price – it is so cheap. Even the stores offering us huge sales can tempt us.

My husband was reminding me of many years ago being inside a Michael’s where they had a huge clearance aisle. I stocked up on this various items, “it is just a good deal, do you realize how much these things cost at regular price?” We came home with many items, and as he reminded me of some of the specific items, most were ones I had not used. I even had some that I had put into a give away pile because they would not be used.

This came up because I had just gone to a couple of thrift stores the previous night with a friend. I was telling him what I had bought. Some of that old temptation for the great deal was still with me, yet I had resisted many items. My mindset and approach have changed.

First, I knew that I would be heading to the thrift stores with my friend. I planned – I thought about what it was that I needed and wanted. I had a couple of specific things, including size and style, which I wanted to look for. I had a purpose for going though just a couple of small items. I did not even grab a basket or cart when we entered and started wandering.

I perused the store offerings, pleased at how I was avoiding the temptation to get more and more things. Then a couple of things I was not looking for caught my eye. I stopped and looked and moved on. Then I walked by again. And again.

As I was admiring these two items, I thought about their practicality. One was a beautiful wall shelf with cubbies, only $1.79. I could not believe how inexpensive it was; especially considering the condition it was in. I liked the style. I was not crazy about the color, but painting something is so easy. I ended up leaving it there. I “collect” shelves, or I should say that I have collected them. I already have a couple sitting in storage and it is almost guaranteed that I will ooh and ahh over any that I see! As I was admiring it, I knew there was no perfect place for it to go in our home.

While on the other hand, I did go home with an elephant planter type thing. (Now I really like elephants, and have remarkably little knickknacks of them.) Yet, as I was looking at this elephant, I wanted to pet his trunk. He made me smile as I walked by him. It looks like he was never used, and the planter type feature can be functional in other aspects, since it is essentially just a bowl. He also was a good deal, only $1.49, and he now has a new home with me.

Here he is:

I also picked up the couple of items I was hoping to find. I am even excited since I had been thinking about getting a basket at a retail store, but I found the size and style I needed at the thrift store. That certainly saved me some money. Now I don’t even need to look at another store. Yeah!

As we consider what to spend our money on, and are offered these great deals, we need to stop and think about the consequences of what we bring into our homes. Obviously, I’m not advocating resisting all temptation. I shared how I bought something I was not intending to, yet it was more practical and more about a love. Go in with a plan and control how much excess stuff finds its way into your home!