I retired a few years ago, and with the resulting change in income,  I'm all about learning how to economize. Economizing means using personal and family resources where they will do the most good. You use what you have to get what you need or want.  Strategies you might use include:  substituting, conserving, utilizing, cooperating and finding free goods and services.  (source: PennState)

Believe it or not,  economizing not that hard to do and it doesn't necessarily mean you have to live a spartan life and be miserable because you are doing "without".  Simply changing habits, re-prioritizing and learning to be a wise consumer will make a big difference in your budget.  Yet, you can still be happy.

It's pretty obvious that we have become very used to convenience and getting things "fast".  People are very busy, time is "limited" and we try to pack as much as possible into our day.  We have also been subjects of very clever marketing and advertising strategies that are based on science and human behavior research that takes advantage of our habits and facilitates decisions we make.  (This was a topic of an earlier Musing - Power of Habit.) Generational changes have also created a mindset of "I deserve it ", "I'm worth it." and "I want it now.".  (That topic was discussed in an earlier Musing - Generation Me.)  Consumers also tend to very wasteful.  We discard functional items just because we want the newest, latest and greatest.  We have a tendency to overbuy, impulse buy, and practice daily living habits that lead to waste.  (ie. An easy way to save water and money is the subject of an earlier Musing) 

Living On a Dime website (link appears below) offers great ideas in a variety of areas that you can choose from and incorporate into your lifestyle.  Some of their ideas are very easy, and some require more effort and commitment.  What works for you may not work for someone else.

Food and groceries consume a large part of our budget.  Learning to economize in this area can make a significant impact on your budget and life!  Here are some ideas from Living on a Dime that I have found make a difference for us.

1.  Control trips you make to the store.

I found this habit change was very significant.  Naturally, by doing this, you will be saving money on gas AND you will be saving your TIME, which is valuable too!  Just being present in a store increases the likelihood you will make purchases, and most importantly, make unplanned purchases.  Limit your trips by planning, and grocery shopping less often.  A great idea is to eliminate going for one week (and if you must go to get bread or milk, STICK to your list, grab those couple of items and leave before you end up loading your cart with unplanned purchases).  Make an effort to plan meals with what you already have in your pantry vs. running out to get what you need.  I try to have a pantry/freezer day at least once a week, using only what I already have on hand.  You can be creative!  You will use your food pantry items that might end up being forgotten about and ultimately being tossed in the trash.  Our family even practices a tradition we call "backwards day".  Eating together as a family for a traditional breakfast is a rare occasion for us.  Every so often, I will have "backwards day" and serve breakfast for dinner!  This helps me to use things from the freezer (sausages, bacon) and pantry (ingredients for pancakes, waffles or french toast) and even eggs (I don't know about you, but I sometimes end up with an overabundance of eggs that I bought on sale). 

2.  Be flexible and learn to substitute.

Find out that you don't have what you "need" to make a meal?  Sometimes it is tempting to just run out and pick up the missing item from the store.  (see #1).  Often you can simply substitute an item to make things work!  Yesterday, we had pulled pork for dinner and I had planned to use hamburger buns (in my case, homemade) to make sandwiches.  However, I had a "failure" and my buns didn't turn out as planned.  Did I run out to pick up buns?  Nope! We went to Plan B.  I had flour tortillas in the fridge, so we simply had pulled pork wraps vs. pulled pork on a bun.  This substitution worked out just fine and I saved a trip to the store.

3.  Shop sales, take advantage of coupons and try generic brands.

This idea has been around a long time.  One excuse for not using coupons is "I don't have time".  Things have changed and many stores are promoting the convenient use of e-coupons.  You have savings available straight from your smart phone!  Don't forget to visit websites of favorite products.  They often have printable coupons available!  Store sales fliers are now on line too.  Many times, generic brands can be substituted for brand names.  Give them a try and find out which ones you and your family likes.  There can be significant savings by simply switching to generics.

4.  If shopping warehouse stores-exercise good judgement.

Warehouse stores are very popular avenues to "save money".  They really do offer great prices, but not on everything.  Sometimes, when using coupons and sales, you can actually get items cheaper at your local store.  Warehouse stores have packaging that requires you to buy in bulk/large quantity.  One great idea is to split your bulk purchases with others.  You will share in the savings and end up not throwing  away money OR product! If you can't use that amount of product in a reasonable time, you may not be saving money at all.  In addition, the ever changing inventory in warehouse stores also encourages shoppers to "browse" to see what's new.  Fun to do, but dangerous as you will most likely come home with unplanned, impulse purchases!  Make sure you shop with a list, don't be tempted to overbuy in large quantity, which may result in waste and be sure to put some thought into that impulse buy item you have put in your cart.  Evaluate whether you really need the item, or is it simply the "great bargain" that's driving your purchase. 

Pennsylvania State University has a great document about economizing and cutting corners. (link appears below).  It has over 100 GREAT ideas you may want to take advantage of depending on your circumstances and personal situation.  Here is a synopsis of their general strategies.

1. Substitute

Substitute less costly for more costly resources.  Develop a habit of thinking "What can be substituted that would do the job for less money?"

2.  Conserve

Avoid waste.  Develop a habit of thinking "How can we make all items last?  How can we use it more efficiently?"  (example- see my Musing about Saving Water and Money)

3.  Utilize

Find new uses for resources your already have.  Develop a habit of thinking "What are the talents, time or other resources we have that could be put to new, more productive use?"

4.  Cooperate

Resources can be multiplied when you cooperate with others. Think: "How could I or other family members share time or talent with others to stretch our resources?"

5.  Find Free Community Resources

Personal or family resources can be greatly enhanced through use of community resources.  Think" "How can we use and support public services for family welfare, education, health and recreation?"  (easy examples include: using your public library, community parks and recreation programs, and visiting free concerts and fairs.)

http://www.livingonadime.com/saving-on-groceries-make-do/

http://osceola.ifas.ufl.edu/pdfs/FCS_HF/cuttingcosts.pdf

I live in an area where the summer has been rather cool this year.  My plants are all feeling the effects of the cool temperatures.  They are not as big as they should be and the blooms are slow in coming.  But this year has also been problematic with pests! I have many Knockout Rosebushes that bloom profusely all summer.  I love them.  They are easy to grow and hardy.  They had a bit of damage from the very severe winter we had, but they bounced back nicely with new growth. 

Enter the "pests".  Knockouts are very disease resistant and hardier than most roses.  So when my roses started getting holes in the leaves and leaves that looked like skeletons, I was quite concerned.  That had never happened before. Turns out I had two different opportunists munching on my roses.

First came the sawfly larvae.  They are little green caterpillars that like to hang out on the top and underside of the rose leaves.  They nosh away on the soft tissue of the leaves.  What remains is a skeletal, translucent leaf that dies off, leaving the bush looking scorched and disfigured.  It's best to find these little guys early before they do alot of damage.  We used insecticidal soap to get rid of the larvae along with just picking them off and squishing them.

Next came a rather beautiful eating machine which I have never had a problem with before, the Japanese beetle.  This little guy is actually quite pretty, but he a big appetite and left my roses with holes in the leaves and buds that were disfigured.  Apparently this year has been very productive for them and they've been doing significant damage.   Japanese beetles also have an appetite for other things besides roses.  I found them eating my basil!  Japanese beetles are large and easy to see. They don't move quickly, which is convenient for manually picking them off and squishing them.  My preferred method is to push them into container of soapy water.  I would inspect my roses daily and pick off any that I saw.  That along with insecticidal soap seems to have taken care of the problem.  Now that it's August, their life cycle is winding down anyway.

These two insects can be very destructive.  It's important to know about them and watch out for them so you can catch the problem early!  I heard about the beetles before, but I really did not know much about these pests until this year.  I'll be ready for them next year.  If you have outdoor plants, especially roses, I hope you find this Musing informative and helpful.

Link below will give you information on sawfly larvae.

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/insects/sawflies/rose-and-pear-slugs-sawflies.aspx

Links below will give you information on Japanese beetles.

http://www2.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef451.asp
http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/japanese-beetles.htm

The first time I was buzzed by one of these monsters, I totally freaked out.  I really don't like bees, wasps and hornets.  I have a near phobia fear of them causing me to react rather emotionally when they land on me or buzz very close to me. The large size of these uber wasps is very intimidating. Larger than other wasps, Cicada Killers can be 1 1/8" to 1 5/8" long.

I never knew these critters existed, until I had a few decide to make a home under my driveway a few years ago.  This year, I see they are back at the foot of my mail box.  We can't get the mail without these insect "drones" buzzing us to check us out and warn us away from their home.  My next door neighbor has several nests near her drive too.

I thought it would be good to Muse about Cicada Killer Wasps so that if you should ever run across one, you will at least know what it is.  They are ground dwelling wasps that make their appearance sometime in July and hang around through August.  Their food of choice?  Cicadas, those mysterious insects you hear emitting loud and long buzzing noises during the dog days of summer.  Cicada Killers dig tunnels and chambers underground to raise their babies.  The females do all the work!  When done with their tunnels, they fly off to find cicada victims to bring back to their brood chambers.  It's rather gruesome, as the cicada is only paralyzed when deposited in the chambers.  A nicely packaged live meal for the hatching grubs to eat.  The males spend their time looking for females to "make whoopie", and looking tough and fighting other wasps over "territory".  Unlike the females, males have no stingers.  They are rather passive-aggressive, preferring to buzz you vs. sting you, but that doesn't mean they won't sting if you aggravate them. It's best to leave Cicada Killers alone, unless they have nested in a location that is inconvenient to your daily living and prevents you from doing what you need to do.

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/07/the-cicada-killers-are-coming/277688/

http://www2.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef004.asp

Today's topic is about a very popular place to shop: the "dollar store".  Many people shop at a dollar store in search of bargains.  These stores have different names, some are bigger and more well known, but they all sell similar items.  Even though they brand as "a dollar store", depending on the store, not everything sold is necessarily "a dollar".  Regardless, there are still great buys to find!  However, even though products are attractively priced at "dollar stores", there are things that you should actually consider buying elsewhere.  This musing will share suggestions of things that are good bargains and what is best to avoid.

Here are some great dollar store bargains:


Greeting Cards and gift wrap/gift bags:  Some dollar stores have a large selection of cards for all occasions as well as gift wrap, gift bags and other related items.  Your gifts will look great and there is bound to be an attractive card with just the right message, all available for a fraction of the cost you will find elsewhere.

Reading Glasses: There are all kinds of designs available for a great bargain.  They work just fine.  At that price, you can buy them to match outfits or to put in all the locations where you might need to use your "cheaters".  The best part?  If they break or you lose them, it's not a great loss.

Hair Accessories:  There's quite a selection of clips, combs, headbands and pony tail holders along with brushes and combs, all very reasonably priced compared to other stores.

Balloons, Decorations and Party Supplies:  A definite bargain here.  Many dollar stores offer a large selection of foil and latex balloons for a good price.  Decorations and party supplies for weddings, showers, birthday parties and holidays are easy on the wallet too.  Many stores have great selections.

There are things that you should consider buying elsewhere:

Batteries: (don't last as long)

Cooking utensils (poor durability)

Spices: (freshness questionable compared to stores with frequent turnover).

Electrical items: Avoid due to safety concerns. Even products with a UL label should be avoided. There has been evidence of counterfeit labeling, so these items are not reliable.

The links below discuss other good and "bad" buys you may find at dollar stores.  It is worth taking a look at them so you can shop wisely when frequenting your favorite dollar store.  As always, shop carefully, read labels and lastly don't be tempted with impulsive buying and coming home with things you really don't need! 

So, the title implies a "sad" topic and in some ways, it is. Fortunately, this is not going to focus on what you might think. ("death")  This is more about life, growing up, things changing and letting go of what was. 

We've lived in this house for 24 years.  I guess I am pretty fortunate to have been able to stay in one home that long. Given the lifestyles of people these days, they move quite often out of necessity or choice.  This is only my second home since getting married.  We moved here when our two children were 2 years old and 4 months old. This is the childhood home for my children, and the only home where all their memories and experiences of growing up are connected.

After we moved here, we worked on home improvements and did a major redo of the outside landscaping.  We added many shrubs, plants and trees over the years. Some did not do well and are gone, but for the most part, many have matured and grown up to be fine specimens.  One of the largest plantings is the fine old ash tree we planted in front of our house shortly after moving in.

Nothing stays the same.  That tree grew quickly, spreading its dense branches and foliage into a protective canopy.  It shaded and cooled our home in the hot summers and provided a cool place to sit for our family and our pets.  The canopy grew to be so dense, it even kept rain from falling on our little dogs when they went out to do their business.  It had to be a very hard rain before it would penetrate the leaves and fall onto the ground below.  Squirrels and birds took advantage of the protective environment to build their nests and raise their young.

Nothing stays the same.  As the ash tree grew tall, so did our children!  Our front yard and dead end street was "the" place to be for all the neighborhood kids.  They rode their bikes, played ball and street hockey and did all the things groups of little friends do. In the fall, piles of leaves were inviting to jump in.  Over time, every one of those children grew up to be young adults who have finished school, started jobs and are now finding their way in life.   Some have even married.

Nothing stays the same.  That ash tree stood tall and majestic though those years until a tiny insect called an Emerald Ash Borer made its appearance.  A glossy green insect with beauty that belied its threat, marched across the United States leaving devastation in its wake. They devoured ash trees throughout the country, leaving only skeletal remains of its victims standing in forests and cities.  Their attacks were slow and often unseen, with damage happening under the bark.  It eventually caused the trees to die a slow death.  They choked, starting at the top, and moving to the roots.  Scientists labored to find a treatment and  eventually discovered one that could stop the carnage.  But it was much too late for many of the trees. We have 3 ash trees on our property. The front yard tree the biggest one.  When the treatment became available, we immediately started treating our trees. We thought we had successfully weathered the assault on the area trees as ours continued to do well season after season when others around us died.  Over time, our 3 trees were part of only a few surviving trees in the area.  We breathed a sigh of relief and kept caring for them.

Nothing stays the same.  Last spring, we had multiple freezes that killed the tender spring growth on plants.  That majestic ash tree leafed out 3 times, determined to survive.  We worried, "can the tree handle it?"  It did. However, the demand on its resources resulted in a thinner but adequate canopy. We had another summer to enjoy the beauty and shade. 

Nothing stays the same.  Enter the winter from hell.  Terrible cold and snow, the likes we haven't seen in our lifetimes.  That winter took a terrible toll on many plants.  Come spring, the extent of the damage became clear to many homeowners as many plants died or suffered significant damage from the brutal temperatures.  Our ash tree struggled in the spring, and showed signs of problems. There were dead branches and the canopy was sparse and leaves were small.  Stressed trees don't handle invaders well, and apparently ash borers took advantage of that weakness and did their dirty work last year and into this spring.

Nothing stays the same.  A tree specialist came out to examine "our patient".  He thought "maybe" we could help it, but the tree is pretty "sick".  It was a difficult thing to hear.  Sadly, we've decided to "let go" and we have made the decision to take the tree down.  It's just a tree, I know, but it has ties to our lives and is part of our home.  We chose it, planted it, fed, pruned and nurtured it. We fought hard to keep it healthy and safe.  We briefly won the battle, but ultimately the ash borer and unusual weather circumstances will bring it to its end.  It's hard to let go of something that you have cared for so intensely and have enjoyed for so many years.

Nothing stays the same. In coming to terms with this pending loss, I couldn't help but look at the bigger picture. I see so many similarities between our children and our tree.  Our children grew tall, like the tree.  They are a significant part of our lives and tied to our memories of our home.  As our children grew, they expanded their interests and abilities, their experiences and their journeys, much like a tree grows and build its dense canopy of branches and leaves.  We worked hard to keep them healthy, to keep them safe, and to keep them strong.  We nurtured the good and pruned away the negative.  Our children grew to be healthy, strong, and sturdy young people.  Our children have matured as our tree has matured.  Yet, the time has come to "let go" of our tree and in some ways, it's time to "let go" of our children too.  Now that they have reached adulthood, it's time to let them go (from our care) so they can move on to live their own lives.  Unlike our tree though, which will be gone for good, our children will continue to be part of our lives.  They are just not necessarily going to be in our home and dependent on us for care.   They are transplanting themselves in their own yard of life.

Nothing stays the same.

Yesterday I wrote about the topics of hoarding, collecting and minimalist living. 

Today's thoughts are about the changes happening with different generations and their views about family heirlooms and inheritance of the personal items of ancestors.. Many people (including me) think that hanging on to cherished items, some rather old and passed down through generations will be appreciated and desired by our children.  However, that type of thinking seems to be changing with younger people. More young people now view our treasured collections and memorabilia as outdated, a burden, or not desirable to receive or keep. 

Ouch! That really hurts. What's really important to us does not necessarily transfer over to the next generation's lifestyle.  The New York Times article with link listed below states: "A meaningful legacy is one that matters both to giver and to taker."  That's definitely something to keep in mind.

I do have to admit that my thoughts about some family possessions have also "changed" a bit compared to my parents. So I kind of "get it", when it comes to feelings of detachment from family possessions.  My dad proudly wanted to pass along my mom's Persian lamb coat for me to wear.  (Uh, not something I really desired). I passed on the offering.  It ended up going to their grandson's wife.  Prior to that, my mom gave me her very expensive (when they bought it), mink stole.  (Again, not something I really desired).  I took it though, and hung on to it to make her happy and to be able to show it to her if she asked.  Ironically, mom never really loved those furs, but dad was insistent about buying them for her.  I think it was more about him than her.  Wearing furs back then was a sign of "making it" in life.  I still have it, but not for long, I hope.  The "mink coat" article links appearing below offer an interesting look at the dilemma of the "inherited mink coat".

I've noticed this "change" over time as estate sales seem to have more sentimental and personal items, some very personal,  for sale.  I am surprised to see very personal and irreplaceable items like ancestors photographs, photo albums, scrapbooks, family bibles, military medals and uniforms offered at estate sales.  There's also usable and nice looking furniture, household items, collectables, vintage or antique items, all priced, displayed and ready to sell.  I've seen the same on Craigs List.  It's not just moving sales you see listed, but children selling their parent's or grandparent's stuff because they just don't want it.  As an article in the Star Tribune stated "Scattered families, warp-speed lifestyles and changing tastes have resulted in a growing inventory of orphaned heirlooms - from fine china and formal furniture to old photos and love letters."

The article goes on to say that children and grandchildren don't place the same value on inherited and heirloom possessions.  One reason claimed is that people have changed and now value time and experiences more than objects.  A lifestyle of mobility makes inheriting "stuff" a burden.  I can't help but wonder if they will regret that thinking when they are seniors themselves, and thinking about passing on their things.  Once items from the family legacy are gone, they cannot be retrieved.

As a result, as more collections and possessions are entering the market to be sold, the supply is surpassing demand and monetary value of items are dropping.  Some things aren't even desirable when free.  Big, formal, heavy furniture is less desirable.  Older but serviceable pianos are hard to sell, and lately, I have seen them being given away and/or scrapped!  Some are very beautiful antique and vintage pianos with carvings and unusual wood grains. 

Below are links to stories about the change in lifestyle of generations and what families are facing when trying to deal with the inherited "stuff".  I know that personally, we are in the process of decluttering and minimalizing.  I'm taking a hard look at some of the family heirlooms and sentimental items and trying to make decisions. That includes some of the "stuff" from my parents that made it's way into my house after dissolving their estate.  Some pieces are special to me, but will my kids want them?   I really don't know.  Maybe I'll just let it be and let the kids can sort it out when I'm gone.  At least then I won't know about what happens!

Articles about changes in how generations view heirlooms:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-11-25/business/ct-met-stuffkeepers-20121125_1_boomers-heirlooms-generation/2

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/homegarden/203862871.html

http://online.wsj.com/articles/why-the-market-for-heirloom-and-secondhand-furniture-has-disappeared-1404256129

Here's some great articles about family legacy and the "inherited mink coat".....

http://betterafter50.com/2013/12/my-moms-fur-coat/

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/12/booming/my-mothers-mink.html?_r=0

I recently wrote about the rise of thrift stores and the popularity of re-purposing and being "green".  It seemed like a good time to also talk about minimalism, collecting and hoarding behaviors in people.

Cable shows about hoarders are popular and offer an informative and sometimes shocking look at how serious a problem hoarding can be.  Serious hoarding disorder is a debilitating and even life threatening problem rooted in a psychological disorder. The show offers insight into the extreme end of this behavior and the difficulties it causes to the people whose life it touches.  Being a "continuum of behavior" there are also less extreme and even functional manifestations of these behaviors including collectors and at the other end of the continuum, minimalists.

I think many of us are functional "collectors".  That's the type of person that is a "saver".  They like to keep things "in case they might need or could use it later", or "it's too good to get rid of", or they feel "sentimental about things" or just like "having it".  Collecting is not necessarily a bad thing, unless it starts to get out of control and causes problems with daily life. 

Personally, I know that we are collectors, for all of the reasons I've just listed.  In addition, my parents passed away, and as part of closing out their estate, some of their "stuff" found it's way into my house. With both of us working, we just never took the time to seriously "thin" the collection.  It always fell to the bottom of the "to do" list.  We just went about our busy lives.  We've lived in the same house for 24 years.  Things just naturally "accumulated"!

Now that both of us are retired, we've been taking the time to seriously look at our "stuff" and get rid of things. I like to employ the "keep, donate, sell or trash" mantra.  My brother and I did that when dealing with our parents' estate.  Once done with that, I started going through my own closets and storage boxes.  Doing that helps you find out what you actually have, maybe locate something that was misplaced or forgotten about and also gives you an opportunity to eliminate things from your household.  It was hard to do at first, but I've kept at it and have successfully started to declutter our lives. 

One practice I've employed is this:  If I'm not sure what to do with something, I keep it to "think" about it.  I go through our "collection" annually and have slowly removed unneeded items each year.  I like to think of things needing to "earn" their right to take up space.  If it's functional, truly useful or irreplaceable/sentimental, it can stay.  If something has passed though my hands more than once or twice and has not "earned its space",  it's probably time to let go of it because we really don't need it.  It's very liberating to let go of "stuff" and simplify your life.

The last steps of decluttering your life is to stop adding things with unnecessary buying and organize what is left.  A place for everything and everything in it's place.  Having a cleaner, less cluttered and organized environment is very gratifying and helps you to maintain the hard work you have done.

One last thought.  I recently read about changes in lifestyle of the younger generation vs. older generation.  What is meaningful to the older generation (with thoughts of passing it along to the kids) is not necessarily important or desired by younger people.  Many younger people have different priorities, are more mobile and tend to value "new" things vs "old" things.  As a result, treasured or sentimental "stuff" left by the parents ends up in estate sales, trash or is donated.  What has amazed me personally, is family heirlooms (like family bibles and significant memorabilia) along with family military items and even photographs of ancestors being sold at estate sales.  Sadly, the younger generation is not necessarily interested in great grandma's wedding photos, or grandpa's military uniform or medals.  Different generation and different type of thinking.

Below are some links about hoarding and collecting you might be interested in reading.  The information might be helpful to you or for someone you know.  There are also  great tips for organizing and decluttering.

Just about everyone loves a bargain.  Saving money with coupons, sales, discounts and bonus bucks are methods consumers take advantage of to make their hard earned money stretch farther.  Warehouse membership stores have been very successful, in part, because they offer lower prices and savings to consumers. 

There is another money saving shopping opportunity that has been growing in popularity. Second hand stores and resale shops, now more commonly called thrift stores, have been around for a long time.  There was a time when they were not attractive to most shoppers.  They carried a stigma that you must be "low class", poor or homeless to shop there.  But over the years, while estate sales, garage sales and flea markets have been the staple of the bargain hunter, thrift stores have enjoyed a rise in popularity.  I think the increasing popularity is due to a change in the perception of thrift stores along with the trend towards recycling, re-purposing, being "green" and of course strategies for coping with a challenging economy and rising costs for everything!  One person's trash can become another person's treasure.  Just because you are finished with something does not mean it is not useful to someone else, or doesn't have significant usable life left to it.  Thrift stores keep many things from ending up in a landfill when the items gain new life in a another household.  Many items at the thrift stores are barely used, some are even new, with tags still on them.  There are name brand and designer items available along with vintage and collectable items.  Whether you are shopping for smalls or even larger items, there is plenty to choose from in different departments of the store (childrens, men's, womens, housewares, furniture, appliances, jewelry, books, electronics).  You never know when you will find just what you were looking for.  You will save money and if the thrift is connected to a charitable organization, you'll be helping needy people in the community by funding the group's services and outreach through thrift store profits.

I've always enjoyed estate sale and garage sale shopping and I've visited a few flea markets.  Sometimes I find a treasure and sometimes I don't.  As more thrift stores open up in the area, I've stopped by at those too!  They are no longer the dingy, dirty, messy environments they once were.  Good quality thrifts are clean and bright.  They have a great variety of merchandise and they employ retail marketing strategies in how they set up their stores and display things.  It's a pleasant place to bargain hunt.  Thrifts in my area run great daily specials along with senior and student discounts, color tag discount of the week and the uber bargain: 5 for $5.00 clothing specials.  It's even become an acceptable practice to not only shop a thrift, but to be able to talk to others about your adventures and the bargains you found!  If you don't want to be recognized while shopping at a thrift, you better wear a disguise, because chances are your friends, neighbors, coworkers and other family members are shopping there too!!  (Yep, I've run into all them at the thrift!)

Here's some examples of my bargain treasure finds:

2.00    Like new scarves that retail for 15-20 dollars.
9.50    Like new Hamilton Beach single serve coffee maker that retails for 50.00
5.00    Like new Toastmaster Bread Machine that retails for 45.00
25.00  Partial set of dishes in very good condition that matched my dishes. The pattern no longer in production, so it was
          great buy and I was able to expand my set.  Same dishes sold on replacement websites would cost over 100.00
6.00    Set of 12 like new red wine glasses.  Same glasses retail for 30.00

Here are some great links to articles with interesting information and shopping tips for seasoned as well as newbie thrift shoppers.  What are you waiting for?  Make your list and get going!  Good Hunting!

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/story/2012-07-05/thrift-shopping-trend/56037332/1

http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/11/living/thrift-store-style/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/29/thrift-store-shopping_n_5175646.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/10/16/thrift-store-shopping-tips_n_4108664.html

Have you ever bought an item that you liked, only to find out it has a "stupid" design?  I know that I have run across several that left me thinking "who was the idiot that thought of this?"  Usually it's something that doesn't become apparent until you actually use the item. The other day I was using my slow cooker to make spare ribs for dinner.  I was rushing a bit and multi-tasking (which is never a good thing and topic for a future blog).  I prepped the meat, loaded up the slow cooker, flipped it onto HIGH (or so I thought), covered it and went about the business of my day.  About 2 hours later I checked on the slow cooker and it was only warm, but not hot.  I was puzzled until I looked down and saw the dial indicator pointing to WARM and not HIGH.  In my haste, I clicked the dial too far.  That delay pushed dinner to later in the evening, but eventually we were able to sit down to a great meal.

Yes, I made the error of setting it on WARM and not HIGH..  But look at the design of the knob!  Who's idea was it to put WARM after HIGH??  How logical is that?? If you aren't paying close attention, you could go one click too far, miss HIGH and set it for WARM, just like I did.  Take a look at oven and stove-top dials....they go progressively from OFF, Warm or Lo and are incrementally higher in temperature.  Now that makes sense

Another stupid design  that I recently discovered was the handle on a 1 gallon shop vac.  It's small and made to carry around.  The one I had previously broke so I needed to replace it.  No big deal, right?  Not so.  The one that broke had a nice open handle right the top, allowing it to be gripped easily.  The replacement one did not have a handle on top, but an opening slot in the rear of the top that only allows you to "hook" your fingers in it.  This design is not very comfortable and it's hard on the fingers because you can't actually hold it but only hook your fingers into the slot.   A small thing, but a major inconvenience and not something you would really think about until you try to use it!  Who designed that??

My final example is the connectors put on flat screen televisions.  Not all are designed equally!  Some have connectors that plug in at right angles or straight into the back of the TV.  Those are very easy to connect because you just push the plug in, or screw the connector in (ie. coaxial cable).  That design might be problematic when trying to hang the TV on the wall, but I've noticed designs that actually recess the connector site to take care of the problem.  My complaint is about sideways connectors at the rear of the TV which have connectors plugging in parallel to the back of the TV.  It might be a great idea because the wires are not pointing straight out the back.  But.....my particular TV leaves hardly any finger space for screwing in the coaxial cable.  It's a major pain to screw that connector in!  My other complaint about these parallel connectors is that HDMI cables plugged in that way have a great deal of stress placed on the plug should the TV be moved or cable have any tension placed on it.  My TV is on a small kitchen counter, and we sometimes turn it one way or the other for viewing.  Without realizing it, the HDMI cable was being tugged and this actually broke the HDMI contact inside the TV.  So my advice is to take a good look at rear connection set ups on any TV you might be looking at and buy accordingly.  There are models with parallel oriented connectors that are more generous with space for your fingers.  Don't forget to watch for tension you might place on those HDMI cables!

So there you have it.  My most recent design complaints!  Do you have any examples??