I actually go to thrift stores with a list depending on which store it is. This week I set out to get a new book to read, an Easter dress for myself and some kitchen canisters. My budget was 15 dollars. I found 2 of everything on my list and an extra shirt for hubby and an extra shirt and jeans for myself. I ended up paying $9.25 for it all. Since Goodwill prices went up 2 years ago, it's not worth going there at all. I now go to the mom and pop thrift shops only. The best one sells clothes at one dollar a piece. I also go to the area that has the most grocery stores about 5 miles away and run all my errands for 2 weeks in one day so I save time and gas as well. I use cash and envelope stuff and I'm trying to pay down all debt by next year including the mortgage and so far it's working! I buy in bulk or limits when possible and make meal plans. If it isn't on sale I do not buy it!
I did not buy any new clothes not socks.. not anything for 10 years Thus year I went to a local thrift store For $29 I bought two pairs of sweatpants , a winter coat, hooded sweatshirt and two regular sweatshirts ,socks and a very nice winter scarf.
In our city we have 3 major grocery stores. One is right across from the other and the other is Walmart, which is around the corner. I always shop the steals and hardly the regular price products.
It’s just my husband and I but we do still buy bulk. Everything goes in the freezer, it’s dated and it takes us a lot longer to use it but we are still saving money. I bought 10 pounds of bacon at Sam’s Club for three dollars a pound. We use much less of it because it’s packaged at home. It will last us until December.
My grandma used to carry around a notepad in her purse with a list of items she needed/wanted and sizes (including if she wanted a table for a space…she put the measurements for the space in the notepad) and I have carried this idea myself and do the same thing and when I stop at a garage sale or thrift store I have my list…
I love thrift shopping. I buy all my clothes there! Today I bought a beautiful pair of Vionic sandals for $6! When I first moved to Florida, I bought my couch, coffee and end tables, a recliner, my dining table and chairs, and all wall decorations at thrift stores! My place was beautiful!
I shop mainly 2 grocery stores and compare the prices to the Walmart app, then when I do my shop, I drive in a big circle and carry an old cooler in the back of my car that I pack with bottles of frozen water. That way I can buy items like cheese and yogurt and still go on to the next store without having to backtrack to drop off at home first. 🤓
I do that too. I try to put canned things toward the back of the trunk, then baked goods and fresh fruit/vegetables, then the cooler with the perishables in the front of the trunk so that it gets into the refrigerator first.I have one cooler for meats and another one for frozen vegetables and dairy.
I drive by 4 grocery stores every day and learned when the managers do mark downs. It has saved me so much money on groceries. I just plan my meals around what I buy and have already.
Thankyou. I work full time, commute and take the bus. I can barely run my errands, let alone go to more than one grocery store. I do check adds and pick the cheapest overall.
I just got back from my recent “shopping” trip binge. The last one was in 2019… 😂 I finally had to replenish my supply of work pants. I bought every pair I could find in my size. I finally made a big purchase I’ve been thinking about since 2020, to replace my husbands good leather jacket that was ruined that year. I also replaced our iPad, which was very old. That’s more a “business expense” as we use it in place of a computer and point of sale for our small business… the new one will even stream video now, so it replaces our TV and means we won’t need to run a generator which saves money on gas. However… I ate out with absolutely no regard for the expense, because it’s been years since I’ve had “town food”. I let myself spend $100 on birthday treats, some crystals, nice soaps, and a nail polish. Every three or four years I allow myself to binge shop like this… it’s a treat. I paid everything in cash, and had all my purchases (except the jacket which was an opportunity buy) planned out ahead of time. It was a vacation, essentials shop, and luxury trip all in one. Next one will be in 2026/7… or when I run out of pants again!
THANK YOU Larry and Hope for all of your wonderful videos. It takes a lot of planning and work to do these and I definitely appreciate them!! You have really helped me and SO MANY OTHERS!!
I have a mental list for thrift stores and usually stay close to my list, canning jars, books for children, wool sweaters that I repurpose to mittens I sell, don’t let me near the dishes I love collectibles.
When I'm shopping around these days, I often ask myself.. WWLH do? More often than not... I PUT IT BACK DOWN. You guys have gotten me to be more AWARE of my Needs VS my Wants. Example: I bought the Paas Easter egg 🥚 dyes... but put DOWN the stuffed plush bunny. 🐰 As soon as I did it I knew I had made the right choice.
We have found in thrift stores items that are massively valuable, purchased them, for example a very very ugly vase, and sold it for over a thousand dollars. We ALWAYS anonymously donate a minimum of 25% of the money we make back to the store or the charity it is supporting. Paid our mortgage off 18 years early by doing this quietly and diligently. Although we have ended up with a few items that were dud's we usually are very blessed with our purchases. And we do make sure that taxes are paid so that everything is above board. Our area has many different stores that a lot of total deceased estates are donated to. Such a lot of families these days do not want to sort through items, but choose to donate everything. A win for the store and a win for the customer. Love your channel. Thank you for your advice.
From watching your videos I’ve become more aware of things I was already aware of but in a way where I actually do something about it instead of continuing to shrug and be like “oh well”. Prime example, bought beets with some amazing greens. Cooked the greens up the very next day after I brought them home so they didn’t go to waste. I got three meals from just the greens with a can of tomatoes and some poached eggs.
One thing I do to save money is to "rent" things at the thrift store. I had a family dinner at my home and found I didn't have enough plates. So I bought the plates at the thrift store for one dollar each. Then after the dinner I donated them back. I didn't spend a lot of money on something I was only going to use maybe once a year, and didn't have to find extra storage space.
I bought a wedding dress for a photo shoot this way. It was Halloween. It went straight back after we were done with it. It would have needed its own closet.
I went to five different places today on to buy everything I need in preparation of forecast snow storm. At every place I shared the information about your podcast on RU-vid and suggested that the people subscribe !
Absolutely keep some cash because you will feel less desperate. Not feeling desperate = better decisions. Less stress has major positive health results.
When I first started watching you and other frugal RU-vidrs to dig deeper into my frugality, I was so excited that I spent way too much money on too many "money-saving" things. Ironic, isn't it! 😁 I've learned to slow down and put some thought into it and not try to do too much too soon.
I do this! I also use cash back offers or reward points with the loss leaders to stack the savings. For example last week I got 2 Lucerne chocolate milk for $2 CAD by shopping the flyers app and then got $1.25 in cash back and another 25 cents in store points. My total for just over 1.5 quarts came to 50 cents Cad or 37 cents USD. I also checked the store to see if they had a paper coupon but they didn't. I was still very happy. Great advice!
I primarily shop at Jewel (major Chicago area chain). I simply don’t have the time to go running around to a lot of stores, even though they are fairly close together. It’s just me, but I still shop the sales, etc. About the only thing I buy in bulk is toilet paper.
You are amazing! I try to not go to thrift stores or secondhand goods...I think it is just my mindset...I don't need much and would rather invest in a quality item and take really good care of it...and yes ! I agree with you! Some frugal folks seem a bit to the edge..all things in moderation for most things for me at least!
I only bulk buy if I know I can store or freeze the item long enough to use it up. Although I live alone I do buy family size meat packs that are on offer as I can split these up and freeze them in portion sizes to use later. The same with vegetables that I can freeze. This allows me to shop less often so therefore I face less temptation.
I spent more more money at yard sales, thrift stores than I should have. Now I positively do not do that. If it is a small appliance for my kitchen I look the item over to get an overall picture in my head. Next step check what a new one cost. Then I will gauge how long of a life the item will last me. Now I am not saying everything is no good because some people just buys and don’t use it so they get rid of it! Now clothes I don’t intend on buying until I completely declutter my clothes!!! Ty for your videos
Thank you Hope and Larry! I love all your tips. Between you and Kate Kaden, I have managed to get a handle on my money and debt 🙂I only shop at different grocery stores when stuff we need is on sale at a store that we can go to in our batched errands day or my hubby can pick on the way home from work. I used to buy in bulk that and then found out that most of the stuff I was buying went bad. I love shopping at thrift stores/antique stores, but have really gotten so much better about making a list. Before I started making a list, I was wasting money on stuff that I didn't need. I love my digital coupons for the grocery stores that I go to, but I do have to limit myself to 'clipping' them for just the items that I am buying anyways.
Couponing-make your list. Then look for the coupon before shopping. Digital coupons-make a grocery cart online and add coupons as you shop. You can then shop in store or do a pick up order. Saves lots of time.
Hi Larry and Hope, to respond to your comment about how do I regulate my thrift shopping? I am a reformed thrifter! After doing a lot of unneccessary thrifting in the past, I have changed my ways. I do often go into a thrift store just to look around, but I am clear on what I need, eg. my current list includes: some new spring tops, a red dress, a storage bench, and 3 corelle brand dinner plates. I often pop in and out of a thrift with zero purchases. :) Thanks for the fantastic video!
Anytime you go to the grocery store-Take a list and stick to it. Only go to a thrift store when there is a specific item you need to go see if you can find a nice deal, but in the last year or so, I have noticed that many items, if not most, are priced very high when you could buy brand new for just a tiny bit more. You learn and realize as you get older the importance of knowing your needs vs your wants. Thank you for all the great vids!!
I practice your tip about grocery shopping at more than 1 store. I live between 2 large grocery stores, each one is only a few miles down the road from me. Since both begin their weekly specials on Wednesdays, that's the only day of the week that I buy groceries, with my main shopping done once a month. Even though I have enough food for my meals, I will still I check online at both stores for their weekly specials. I watch for specials on items that I regularly stock in my pantry. If you make a habit of routinely checking their specials, you soon notice a pattern of what goes on special and about how often. For instance, one store will have eggs and milk on sale regularly, so I wait for the week of their reduced prices to buy those items. The other store has a better selection of breads & tends to have more specials, so I buy my bread there. That store also has BOGOs (buy one/get one) on items I buy regularly. That's when I stock up on items like condiments or pasta. I also combine errands in one trip. I have to pass a gas station on the way to the grocery store, so I buy my gas then, too.
I love how u guys say coupon differently. Also I have learned to go into second hand shop with a specific budget and I will have an idea of a little of what I need. 3 pants 2 shirts look for curtains... A couple yrs ago goodwill had their half off sale and I went at the end of the day, couldn't try clothes on and was rushing. Spent $200. I went the other day on the half off day, had a plan and a budget and paid under $45. So grateful I am being intentional now.
Hi Hope and Larry! I found you guys a couple days ago, and I can not stop watching your videos! Do you guys have a video/video series on ways people with not a lot of time during the week can still be frugal?
We did one a while back with 35 ways we saved money in one week. But, I really like your idea of "frugal tips for busy people." We may think that over and do a video on it. Thanks! Here's the link for the 35 frugal choices video. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hMDT4namWbw.html&ab_channel=UndertheMedian
As much as I love thrifting I had to avoid these stores. In fact I had to avoid a lot of stores. I decluttered a lot of things 12 bags of donations and 6 bags of trash items. When I think of all the money spent on stuff! Yikes!
Yellow always so happy to see you guys .I am so proud of my self I look in my pantry and I decided that I will no longer buy special sauces because I don’t used them as often and they are very expensive .so I cut this out of my grocery list.i will no longer buy flavor rice like the one with chicken flavor yo know the one in the box.so I will continue to save money
Thank you Hope and Larry! I wholeheartedly agree with the binge/restrict cycle of spending. I also imagine an item in my home before buying, even food in the fridge or cupboard then try to envision myself using it. Often times we buy things to create a different version of ourselves in the moment. Envisioning helps to keep things real. The psychology of money mindset is a fascinating topic!
Solid advice! I agree with a lot of it. As we grew up with very similar lifestyles in frugality as you guys, it comes more naturally to me than perhaps others. One thing I did notice differs between our goals & yours is in January we intentionally cut back. After Christmas we tend to be in shock with how much we spend so do our best to cut back as needed by choice!
I've found, at least where I live, that Aldi is always the best deal. So, we always just go there first and then get remaining list items at HEB (with the exception of tortillas - yes Aldi has them, but HEB makes fresh ones daily that are so much better)
I also have a list of things I need or want to buy. This avoids temptation and cluttering my house with items I won’t use. I had a set of 4 nesting tupperware bowls with lids. One cracked. Tupperware did not make that set anymore, and sent me a bowl and lid of the same size. I went to a thrift store and found the bowl and lid I needed for only $1. I now have my complete set again.
My wife and I buy a good number of items at the beginning of the month when we get paid. But we also put a boatload of money into savings. When the money runs low, we just stop spending money. It's kinda nice when the money runs out, because the decision is made for us... "Ain't got no money; can't buy stuff", so we cruise to the end of the month at peace knowing we just can't spend money.
I am a DIY person but sometimes is not worth fixing something if do not have the proper tools, knowledge you can get from RU-vid or similar but tools you have to buy, for example my portable battery powered vacuum cleaner broke, I tested it and its a battery problem, but I do not have Spot Welder for the news batteries, so I recycle it , and wait for a special offer or discount for new one. In the mean time I use my ac power vacuum cleaner. In life you have to be flexible.
I usually go to thrift stores with a particular item to find. Fabric for dressmaking for example. If you have to buy magazines to get coupons you are not saving money. Magazines are expensive these days. If you buy skincare online subscribe to their emails. They will alert you to offers,but you can just delete the other emails advertising new releases.
Loss leaders is what we buy a lot of. What doesn't make sense is when several stores all have the same item for sale. Not necessarily holidays either. Can't always be a coincidence.
SORRY, I missed your live show again. However, I just finished watching your video. It was really intertaining and lots of fun. Keep up the good work and congrats on reaching 155,000 subscribers. I really enjoy your videos.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! For addressing DIYs, I bought a DIY house and had to have a lot of things fixed by pros. Yes, it is expensive but worth it. There are small skills I have picked up through the years but major infrastructure things go to the pros. I'll hang window treatments, paint walls, and I have even learned how to wire lamps but when it comes to wiring my house, oh no. The rewiring of lamps seems small but when I thrift or find a lamp I really love, I can fix it and make it my own. I have had to take only one lamp to pros and it was an expensive vintage lamp I found for next to nothing. Saved it from becoming scrap metal. Solid brass unlike anything made these days.
We are also very fortunate in that we have 9 major grocery stores and 5 dollar stores within a 3 mile radius and 1 grocery store within 5 miles (16 minutes away). We will try to price match in a more local store before we go to the one furthest away, however we will shop there if there is no limits and we have more than one item reduced to pick up. We have a hybrid car so gas is not an issue, it is time that is more important to us. Even though we have our route planned out, traffic is always an issue. We stick to our list within our budget...no time for browsing aisles but I do know where all the clearance racks are and will quickly scan them as I go by.
Hello Larry and Hope, thank you for all the advice. Larry and Hope I was wondering if you could do a video on buying a second hand car. My car will be 20 years old in July and I am looking to get a new one when this one goes kaput. So far know big problems, a couple of belts needed changing, new tires here and there but I feel the time will come when it will no longer be a small problem, and I would like to have the tools to go out and buy another car. I love my car, got it new and paid cash for it. It will be sad to see it go to car heaven. Thanks for everything, your up beat and practical advice has served me well.
I volunteer twice a month at a thrift store but don't buy much there. I usually donate a lot more to thrift stores than I buy. I'm retired and I just don't need much stuff. I tend to only buy items if what I have break or wear out. I was visiting my son and his family and he was trying to convince me to buy an instapot. I said I'm sure they're nice but I really don't have a lot of storage for appliances in my kitchen and living alone probably wouldn't use it enough to justify the cost.
I love thrift stores but growing up with hoarder parents helps me a bit to not go overboard. Especially since my sister and I had to clear it out after their deaths. I also tell myself I was just fine without the item so it sometimes helps to say no.
My sister was the hoarder in our family. After she died, we were trying to empty out all her buildings in order to sell the property. It took us from February through October to complete that task. I didn't realize until after she died just how terrible it was. So I don't buy much from thrift shops (or anywhere else for that matter.) I try to use up everything before doing any replacements.
We are 7 miles to the closest grocery store and about 10 to 12 to the beginning of a run of about 5 to 7 stores where food can be purchased. That said both now and when we've been closer ive had my list and decided that buying 2 or 3 things at another stop for a total savings of under a dollar, or even a few, wasn't worth the cost of starting and stopping the vehicle and definitely the amount of time while the rest of the grocery purchases warmed up in the car. What we are definitely doing now is plotting grocery and other store stops on our way home from other trips away from home. We try to not head out simply for the purpose of food or other shopping; and when we do, we make it a multi place trip. This has definitely cut down on all of our gas usage. With planning, we can eat from our home larder for a good 2 weeks. Going on 3 weeks has us making justifications for a trip out and also grocery shopping for fill in.
Walmart, Dillions, Aldi usually are all next to one another in competition in our area. My time is def worth going to get the items that are cheapest at each place.
One thing that works well is to bring an extra phone or calculator so you can compare the prices at the store you're in to the competitor store's web site. It works better to have a smart phone to crosscheck prices and a calculator or second phone to calculate the actual per unit comparison prices ( one store's product price in grams while the other's is in ounces, for instance). It's easier than swiping back and forth using the calculator on your smartphone while distracted by crowds, music and overhead announcements.Still really tedious but helps you get the best deals.
For us buying bulk is the family packs of meat or going to bulk bins for just a small amount I need for a meal and may not need for a long time. A bag of rice is bulk for me because I am the only one eating it and I can get several meals out of a bag of rice or beans. I like thrift stores (never go to Goodwill, anymore), but I go in looking for needed times. When I lost weight, I went in to buy clothes. When I need a basket I go in looking for a basket, otherwise I avoid them and pretty much all stores.
going to drift store is fun..for sure bying stuf we need..not waths cool on the spot..they are no saving in bying if its no need!...even if its only 50 cent!
For thrift stores: It's still shopping. Don't go if you don't need anything. You can still have a general category, e.g. grey shirt. So I sort of have a list. If that's my goal, I won't look at other categories like dishes. As you asked, strictly speaking, I didn't need the earrings, however I still have those earrings, wear them a lot. They were a dollar. So it's all good.
The grocery stores I shop at our 60 miles away from my house so I only drive twice a month -once to the nearby town at 21 miles just for a couple things like almond milk or dog food if I’m getting low but basically I’m shopping once a month at five different stores to pick up their loss leader items and they’re all within about a mile so it works out really well not to shop in the small towns with the prices are really expensive. What are the problems with doing everything at once is sometimes I really need to go to the Lowe’s or somewhere else and I don’t want to go because by the time I’m done shopping just for food I feel tired out lol.
I too am guilty of "window shopping " at thrift stores. I have bought way too much because it was a good deal. I would go in with a purpose and a list but still will come home with an item or two I couldn't pass up. It became a bad habit that I had to put an end to. I now only shop with money that I made from selling my old clothes and shoes on marketplace...I put the money in an envelope every time I sell something and then use it at a thrift store.
I do actually have a thrifting list. It helps me not forget to look for certain things. Some things I’d forget about like I’ve been looking for a tortilla press for several months. Never know, it might end up being there someday.
I keep a list of needs and look for them until I find them. They are an unplanned purchase for that trip but are a need. I don't know if that qualifies as an impulse buy? The last item was a high-quality set of measuring spoons at a good price.
We did, thanks for asking. The first round was hard rain and some small hail. Some places in town had wind damage. About 15 miles east of us was hit with larger hail and a brief tornado. So, they sustained some hail damage. The second round of storms grazed us and most of it went north and east of us.
Buying in bulk does not work for me as a single person. I don't do thrift stores as much as I used to. Some prices aren't any better than the regular stores. Plus, some stores are having dirt cheap clearance deals on clothing that are comparable to the thrift store (e.g. Walmart). I am a spender by nature. Having a budget helps keep my spending under control.
I bought the cheapest possible stock pot at Walmart tonight and I have to return it because there is a huge paper sticker label on it that I’m not going to spend my time trying to remove. It’s also the thinnest metal known to man.
This boils down to doing the REAL math, factoring in travel expenses, opportunity cost, and the cost of spur of the moment splurge purchases made because of the "halo effect" of having saved money on a different item.
I only go to the thrift store if I NEED a particular item. I usually find what I want …and do not buy any extras. I follow the one in one out rule, and usually get rid of more than I buy.…👌🏽
I've been eating carnivore and berries. I spend less on grocery bill, and spend less time shopping, and i dont get into decision fatigue. I buy meat, seafood, eggs, tallow and salt in bulk when they are priced well... I'm leas hungry because they're nutirent dense, and I'm restricting gluten, sugar and ultra-processed food = good savings.
Good information, however being a germaphobe used clothing I couldn’t do. And being a good & plenty girl tops are stained or perhaps altered for an individual. Thanks
The other thing about DIY is sometimes you need expensive equipment or specialized tools that make it not worth it if it's not a tool you will use repeatedly.
I am not a fan of the “no spend” challenges where you use down everything in the house before buying anything. I prefer to shop each week for the loss leaders and manager’s specials. There are certain foods my family eats week in week out. I stock up when they’re at their cheapest so that I don’t have to pay full price. I would kick myself if I ran out during a no spend challenge and knew it was on sale two weeks earlier.
