Thrifty Shopping 2011

Everyone who knows me knows that I can't resist shopping consignment sales and garage sales for Joseph. Goes along with the crazy couponing thing I guess. Of course, it's all so that we can afford to give Joseph the things we know he likes and will want/need, while allowing me to stay at home with him.

So it's no surprise that I managed to hit up a handful of consignment sales this past month to complete his entire fall/winter wardrobe. I also use the chance to look for fun Christmas and birthday presents, especially since he's at the age where it doesn't matter if something comes in the original box or looks perfect - he's going to love it as long as it works and is fun.

I like to head out with specific items in mind, so that I don't go overboard and negate any real savings by buying too much... but sometime's that's really hard to do!

Yesterday was the first day of my last consignment sale of the season, and I still needed to find a winter coat, snowsuit, and some possible gift items for the little man. Not two seconds after walking in the door, I saw this:

I mean, it's a MIZZOU tricycle that doesn't look like it was ever used! (Not surprising, being that we live in kU country and all) And yes, it is now living in our basement until Joseph's birthday. Unless he doesn't get much taller, and then it might need to wait longer than that.

I did find a coat, snow suit, sleepsack (it's comically funny how big they are now to fit him...he's now into the X-Large size and it's like 3ft+ long), one outfit and a small toy for Christmas too. All in all, a successful sale.

Then this morning, after dropping him off at school, I headed straight for a garage sale that advertised they were unloading a lot of Thomas/Brio train stuff. Joe and I are planning on making a table for him for Christmas, I'm thinking something along the lines of this fantastic one:

Taken from I Am Momma - Hear Me Roar

It's amazing! I love the cut out in the middle, as right now Joseph is just starting to love the idea of playing with trains on a table but can't reach anything that's more than a few inches from the outside edge. And the fact that they built it out of IKEA storage bins means less clutter and more built in storage for not only trains but all the rest of his toys!

So, I went a little crazy at the garage sale because they had multiple boxes of track pieces, houses/sheds/yard equipment and so many trains/cars/tenders. And I know fully well how expensive these things can be brand new! So for a fraction of the original cost, I came home with all this stuff:

 We already have a decent sized track set that I bought on clearance after Christmas last year, and know that he'll acquire engines and more buildings down the road. This should at least give us an awesome start and take care of this year's Christmas and birthday gifts. And it's only September. Now I just need to keep reminding myself of that!