Thrift Store Challange

I love a good attainable challenge. Just ask my manager Melissa, she seems to find humor in challenging me lately :)

Every year my neighbors get together for a Christmas Progressive Dinner. We have done it for 5 years now, and we all only moved in 5 years ago. I am fortunate to have wonderful neighbors who I consider my closest of friends.

This years theme for the dinner was "The Ugliest Christmas Sweater Contest". As you can see above we all did a pretty good job. The camera didn't do justice to the sequins and sparkly beads of a few of the 80's style sweaters. But it was a blast.

We all set out to our different thrift stores to find our masterpieces. You all know that I regularly shop in thrift stores, but I don't believe that my neighbors do. I enjoyed listening to their stories about their shopping in thrift stores. A few of the husbands even chimed in about the great deals they were seeing in the store. Maybe I converted a few of them? To each their own, but at least with this theme, they all know where the thrift stores are now.

By they way, Lisa (far left) won the contest, and I (far right) took second place. But I think we were all winners for having the guts to actually go through with wearing these all night long!

Getting prepared

My littlest one and myself were on a two day power shop to get ready for me going back to work next week. I have been running low on food, due to barely shopping for food the month of September. I have plenty of Cheez-its and Pop-Tarts, but needed more substantial food to get us by.

Here is what we ended up with:

SAVERS

4 - "new" work shirts for me

2 - "new" work pants for me

5 - "new" jeans for Matt

3 - "new" jeans for Ali

Final price $13.86

Savings A TON!

WAL-MART

1 Wisp candle

1 Wisp candle refill

1 pair new tennis shoes for Ali

10 Kotex pantyliner (free)

6 Kotex maxi pads

Final Price $28.99

Savings $21.16

TARGET

3 Airwicks

2 Hershey Bliss bags

1 box fruit snacks

5 bags baby carrots

5 bottles pineapple juice

2 easy macs

5 mini loaves Artisan bread

5 blocks cheese

1 bag mini bagels

2 Colgate toothpastes

1 toothbrush

1 eye shadow

1 powder

1 foundation

4 can dog food

4 cans small dog food

4 bags cat treats

12 boxes various General Mills cereals

2 boxes of cookies

10 yogurts

Final price $68.80

Savings $75.77

CUB FOODS

10 rice-a-roni (my favorite food)

4 Idahoan instant potatoes

4 bags keebler cookies

2 wheat bread

2 skippy peanut butters

4 caned diced tomatoes

6 tomato pastes

2 pork lion fillets

2 braunschweigers

2 fish sticks

1 Bob Evans potatoes

1 Bob Evans turkey dinner

2 1/2 pounds bananas

2 frozen corns

2 pack of skim milk

2 bags of Stayfree pads

Final price $75.93

$1.00 Catalina

Savings $40.60 (34%)

WALGREENS

1 arm & Hammer laundry soap

2 large Pert Plus shampoo

2 small Pert plus shampoo

4 bags cough drops

4 cans chicken broth

2 glade warmers

2 glade refills

2 Crest toothpastes

2 Bonnie Bell chap sticks (Christmas stocking)

2 Jane face powders

6 votive candles (for pumpkins)

Final price $23.05 (Walgreens gift card)

$3.00 in rebates

Savings $56.66

With all the stores added together (except Savers) I figured I saved at least 50% on my two full day of shopping. We did also spend under $10 at Wendy's for lunch.

I think I should be well stocked up for awhile now. I have tons in the freezer, and I need to reorganize my pantry again. I need to keep it clean, due to some of my closest friends teasing me about it (Jenny & Tal). I am not going to apologize for having a organized pantry. It is one thing in my life that stays organized. Only because I am the only one who cooks in my house, unless it involves a grill. So nobody goes into the pantry except me.

And if all that wasn't enough in the past two days. I also picked up kids from school, spent one half day at pre-school for parents day, drove to dance twice, spent an afternoon with my parents and attended two school conferences. I AM POOPED! Today I get to clean the whole house too!

I am having a mini vacation for MEA weekend. My parents are taking all three kids to their cabin for two nights. I love MEA weekend. The kids normally go and help with the leaves. Their property is filled with giant black oaks, and the leave piles end up being at least 5 feet tall. The weather report for up north calls for cold and possible flurries. Oh well, I will be at home in a clean, well stocked house!

Also, for those of you who know me, and know my pets, you know my dogs don't eat canned foods. And my cat doesn't eat treats either. I have been getting so much free pet foods, I have been saving them up in a huge box. At Christmas time the kids and I will bring the box to the local Humane Society for donation. I will be updating y'all about the many donations we will be doing throughout the Christmas season.