Most of the time, I shop at the thrift store, and especially on Tuesday, when everything is 30% off for seniors. I also go to the local Humane Society thrift shop, which is fairly close to the area we live in. Today, I could not believe it when I found a used Vitamix blender for sale there, and the asking price was only $6.50 ! Naturally, there was NO way that I was not going to buy a Vitamix for that kind of a price; so I bought it, even though I have an almost new one that Robin got me as a gift a while back. This one works fine, and it sells for about $450 on the Vitamix website (brand new, naturally); so I cleaned it up and have advertised it for sale on our local sales groups here. I priced it at $225, so I have a lot of room to negotiate and still make a good sale or trade with this blender.
I would take it to the dealership and see what they have you just might be surprised. If your still making payments any way why not see if you can't get a newer car with air for about the same payment price. never hurts to check.
I have a change of heart after thinking about this experience. It's no fun having AC and not knowing how to turn it on. This happened to me when I first started driving and rented a car to drive my son to Cincinnati for the summer as part of program during his freshman year in college. The drive there was okay because it was early in the morning. After noon when I left to return home it was humid and so hot sweat was getting into my eyes. Being a new driver and unfamiliar with the features of that car I suffered all the way home. So no doubt in the Texas heat you definitely want to have AC
I remember once when my AC failed when I lived in Southern Spain. It was August, the temps were 120 deg plus...and I thought I'd be ok for a while just driving with the windows open..both sides.. Nope... because there was no cool air coming through the open windows just hot..and I was soaked, and the sweat was running into my eyes and making them sting so I couldn't see, Also I couldn't buy any groceries because by the time I would have returned from the supermarket they would have been spoiled.. I got the AC fixed within 2 days..
How's that air conditioner problem coming along @Gloria Mitchell? Did you get more than one estimate on the cost of fixing it? And have you asked if the repair place would be willing to take monthly payments for the repair? There are some Churches that will also help those in need with car repairs and if there is a Vocational School where you live that teaches Auto Mechanics you might call them and see if they do repairs at a lower cost...like the Beauty Schools, etc. do in many places. I'm praying for a solution for y'all because I know it's really hard to do without air conditioning in the kind of heat many of have where we live. http://www.needhelppayingbills.com/html/texas_assistance_programs.html
Thank you...no he has not decided really. We have someone who would repair it- however he lives in another town, and not a good area where he is at, plus we would have to leave car there 2 or three days.. and find a way there and back. Who knows... will let you know something when I know something fro sure.
I used to, but lately most bargain hunting is online. I still look for food bargains locally. I'll find salmon fillet for $6.95 a pound, hamburger for $ 2.59 a pound, etc., but I've had too many forays to Goodwill, Walmart, and so on with no results. Either they don't have anything even close to what I want, or it's overpriced. Got a stunning Hawaiian pure silk shirt off Ebay a couple weeks ago for $15 ppd, that Goodwill would of sold at $30....they used to be cheap, but now the really good stuff is premium priced. I still buy Walmart, but now only online. Instead of two buses and a BART train to Walmart, I walk two blocks to the mail drop. Its fairly easy to make their minimum to get free delivery.
I had forgot about this thread. Update we had the ac in car repaired and only cost us $1100 vs the $1800 most were asking for. The expense was from having to gut the front part of car to get to the Ac. But the shop we took it to had plenty of help and in no time, it was done and working. And still going today I might add.. In my bargain shopping today I ran across several things that made me wonder why the item found its self in the Goodwill. I bought the beautiful deep dark blue green shirt for $ 5.99. I have an air fryer, but there was a brand new in the box one there. I have bought many items from Goodwill that clearly were never used or brand new. I bought two books by writers I like that, if read must have been long distance..$1.98 for both. Anyways.. my question is this.. what do you do with items you no longer need or want? I donate to several places, but aside from Salvation Army, they are re sold. Most I try and sell on Next Door ,but if no one wants after awhile I donate.
First I ask all my kids if they might want whatever it is, and if they have no interest then the stuff gets packed up and taken to Goodwill. I keep a Goodwill donation pile going in a spare room and when it gets big enough we drop it off.
My big problem wtih shopping for clothes these days is that in Walmart, Ross and the thrift shops I frequent, the dressing rooms are closed. The mall stores have open dressing rooms but who wants to pay mall prices, even on sale? My body is irregularly-shaped.....I'm about three different sizes in three different places. And we all know that the same size produced by different designers can vary wildly. At Ross and Walmart, I can bring the items back if they don't fit, but that's a hassle. Most thrift shops don't allow returns. So, I've been living with what I have for about a year. Saves money for sure, but I'm suffering from "wardrobe boredom"...….LOL.
i really like that Amazon always has some things on clearance sales ! When I found the insulating/room darkening drapes on sale, some for 50% off and some for 70% off, I bought some much needed new drapes for our house. Since the furnace barely works, we really needed to stop all of the cold air that comes in around the windows, and with the new curtains, it is much better insulated. Then , I splurged and got a new set of crochet hooks and one of those little weaving loom kits that you can use to make yarn flowers on. Unfortunately, the directions are written by someone who tried to translate Chinese to English, so most of it doesn’t make any sense. Now, I will have to look them up on youtube and see exactly how it works. I had one once, years and years ago, but I don’t remember exactly how I had to load the yarn on the little loom to make the flower.
Bobby had to go to Lowes this morning, so I went into the garden section to see if there were any good plant clearances. It is the day after Easter, so they had all of the Easter lilies for half price. They were regularly nearly $10, so for $5, I got one. When I paid, I made sure to ask what price it rang up at, and was amazed when she told me that it was only $2 ! I took the plants in the cart out to the truck and went back in and got 4 more lilies; so I ended up with five Easter Lilies for the price of one……. I am so happy !
Wow, forgot about this thread I created. I have not gone bargain shopping since about that time. The pandemic, my getting sick, then and now money woes. I hope to change that soon.