This Week’s Thrifty Score—My 99¢ Chandelier!

During the winter months, I salve my treasure hunt addiction by visiting my local thrift stores at LEAST once a week. Occasionally, I even happen upon bargain treasures while shopping at a retail store (such as Walmart or even Dollar Tree). During the summer, however, I spend most of my time (and spending money) at garage sales, because both the variety and the prices are generally better. This week I happened to find some great treasures at all three places—and believe it or not, the best deal of all was from Goodwill!

 I found this adorable chalkboard at a garage sale right down the road from my house, for only 50¢! It was the perfect wall hanging to fill in the blank spot between my kitchen cabinets and the living room window (the first view you see when you enter from our front door).

This lovely box was 75¢ at the same sale. The birdhouse on top of it I found at Goodwill several years ago. Of course, the two cuties in the picture were DIY projects—the best DIY projects ever! LOL

This adorable pair of wooly sheep set me back a whole 75¢ at a garage sale last week! I also collect old books wherever I find them—rarely paying more than a dollar apiece (usually at Goodwill).

The candlestick in this vignette was 50¢ at the same sale where I found the sheep! I found the bird plaque at Dollar Tree, of all places—it was one of only two left. As I mentioned before, I snatch up pretty much every bird I find. But this one was especially perfect because it brings in the aqua/robin’s-egg-blue color that I’m trying to work into my dining room since I added new curtains (post soon to come!)

This pair of canisters was $1.99 each at Goodwill. Generally I wouldn’t have paid that much for them, but I got the weekly sale colors confused and thought they were half off… LOL! And by the time I noticed, I was too excited about my next find to care! J

Their lids were originally plain wood, but I spray-painted them with Krylon spray chalkboard paint (left over from my Mother’s Day project), so that I could write their contents on the lids! Perfect for organizing the various little snack pouches and mini candy bars that always end up rattling around loose in the pantry. J

But the prize for the best find of the week goes to……………..

My Goodwill chandelier! I have been looking for awhile what seems like forEVER for a chandelier to hang in our dining room.  (Right now, the only lighting over our table is the hideous inset fluorescent-tube fixture that came in the original school building [the building we converted into our church & apartment].) I stopped on a whim at Goodwill one evening just before closing time, and did a cursory run through the aisles looking for new treasures.  I found the canisters mentioned above, and was just about to head to the checkout when I decided to swing through the large item section at the back of the store— the area where furniture and pretty much anything that doesn’t fit on the shelves is piled.  Imagine my shock when I saw this beauty peaking forlornly out from between several larger boxes! (okay, she’s not quite a beauty, YET, but I have high hopes for her!)

The sticker said “$6.99”, but again, I mistook grey for the color of the week—so I thought it was half off, or $3.50. Believe it or not, even at that price, I actually had to think about it for a minute before throwing it into my cart! When I got to the checkout, I asked the cashier about the “5 glass pieces” written on the tag. There had been no glass globes with it when I found it (not that I really wanted them), but the lady sent another employee back to look for them.  A minute later, the lady returned, saying, “Someone must have taken them, so I’ll let you have it for 99¢. Do you still want it?”  Somehow I managed to restrain my excitement and reply in a semi-calm, I-find-chandeliers-for-a-dollar-every-day voice, “Yes, that’s fine!”

So now I just need to decide the perfect color to paint her, and then talk Mr. Superman into hanging it above our dining table—and I can finally feel like I have a real dining room! Praise the Lord for Goodwill treasures!

So do you prefer thrift stores or garage sales for your bargain hunting? What is your favorite garage sale or thrift store find?



UPDATE: Thanks, Rhoda, for featuring my thrifty chandelier find at Southern Hospitality!

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