I told Paul I'd organize the church rummage sale to raise funds for the school since I am the logical choice for this, after all, being the principal's wife and the local Garage Sale Queen. I know how important it is to have a nice solid bar for hanging shirts and things, and a pot of hot coffee, and the prices clearly marked.
However, I must add that I'm the queen of buying at garage sales and not of having them. Really good garage sale hosts are the women who buy clothes at Baby Gap that the kids never wear and get all these new gadgets they see advertised on TV and never use them. Women like me who buy used to start with and then use everything until it's worn to the bitter end don't have much to offer when we have a garage sale.
So as I clean and sort here I am in constant agonies. Is this just plain junk or can someone use it? These odd pieces of plexiglass that Matt had in his room for some purpose or another--will anyone need them? This suitcase that's so pretty and nice except for that missing wheel--I'll put it out for free but is even that a bit too Depression-era?
I keep coming back in my mind to last year's garage sales in Halsey, where I pounced on a dryer vent hose because ours had just developed a big hole, and the couple in charge laughed because Mr. was going to throw it away and Mrs. thought maybe someone could use it and Mr. said who on earth wants a dryer vent hose?
I win all the frugality prizes among my peers, thanks to being Amish plus being born to older parents whose formative years were during the Depression plus having traveled to poor countries. So maybe that's why I find it so frustrating that there are so few options for fixing things. The suitcase, for instance. So one wheel goes bad, which makes it useless in airports as I found out when it happened, and it seems the only option is to throw the whole thing away even though there are no holes and the zippers are all fine and it's this pretty teal besides.
Wouldn't it be nice if there were an old fix-it man in a little store in Harrisburg who could find a new wheel and screw it on for a few dollars and make it good for a few more years of travel? Or if I had some way to give it to a young man in Yemen taking the bus out to the village to see his family for the first time in a year who would be thrilled with something more dependable than a gunny sack to pack his clothes in and the gifts for his mom.
Ya vell. Those options don't exist so I will put it on the free table and hope no one smirks too cruelly at this old-fashioned and un-American woman who agonizes over wastefulness and hates to throw things away.
Quote of the Day:
"Anybody who's 100% normal is a little bit weird."
--Paul
It so nice to know I am not the only frugal person on this planet. I, too, wear things out. When I get done with it, to the trash it goes - no redeeming value left.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think it would be nice if one could afford to shop in nice stores and pay with no qualms for costs, but I know my conscience would bother me like some dreadful sin committed.
Sandra Miller
Kudos on the garage sale. I think I should, I stockpile good enough things-then I take it to the MCC resale shop and figure it's my contribution to missions.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the story idea, it leaves me breathless. There is a huge gap in books for boys and that would fit right in where there should be some interesting stories.
My brain had been spinning. Photography,writing,organizing and everything else I'm ignorant about. You just may have inspired soemthing great.
Interesting you should write about frugality. I just finished reading Living Well on One Income which is all about being frugal.
ReplyDeleteI've never been good at the selling end of garage sales, because if I'm through with a tool or some other item, it's in pretty bad shape :-)
I printed and read this post to my hubby, because Tim could someday truly be that old fix-it man in the little store - he does that kind of thing for people already (if he comes across a suitcase wheel, we'll let you know). Tim goes garage sale-ing every weekend and uses everything as long as possible. Now if we can find a way to do retirement on the little store income...
ReplyDeleteDon't apologize about being frugal. I feel like I am a very frugal person as well, but if I am totally honest, I am caught in the consumer trap of wastefulness at times. I am trying to be more conscientious about that. If that is being green--oh well. I would rather call it being a steward of the earth God gave us.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the time is not coming soon when more and more people will find ways of being frugal out of necessity. What a reality shock for our nation!
I too wish there was some little fixit man for stuff like that. It is such a waste! But I tell ya, if we lived your way, I know a couple boys who would pounce on that suitcase. They would have loads of fun playing with it, hauling all manner of things about in it.
ReplyDeleteTonight when I took out the basting thread when sewing a hand warmer, I reached for the garbage container to deposit it. Before it landed I actually rescued that 12 inch piece of thread and put it back on the table to be used later to sew on buttons!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite frugal thing to do is look through all the sheets at the thrift store and make sun dresses and skirts out of them(curtains,tablecloths, and shower curtains sometimes work, too). I can usualy get them for less than $4. If they are a little thin, I find a sheet that coordinates or a white one and use it for a lining. Sheets have a surprising amount of yardage, especially if you are a small person. The best part is I know that no one else has a skirt made from a 70's era sheet covered in Noah's ark :).
ReplyDeleteSometime's it is a lot more fun to be thrifty.