Friends who thrift together, stick together

Over the weekend I realized it had been more than three weeks since I last went thrift shopping.

Three weeks.

I decided to round the troops last night and hit up two of the more mainstream thrift stores - Salvation Army (on Empress Street) and Value Village (Ellice Avenue).

First off, meet my wonderful friends Suntka and Zach. I can't count the amount of times I've loaded up a shopping cart with sweaters, jackets, and boots alongside these hooligans.

We hit up the Sally Ann to start. I had never been to this location before and to be honest, I was quite skeptical. I've never had luck at a Salvation Army thrift store before but I'm pretty sure I hit the jackpot here. I managed to scrounge up a couple of blouses, a coat, and a purse - all for $20. 

Next, we made our way to Value Village - my home way from home. 

Again, I was not disappointed. I bought two pairs of sunglasses, a skirt, an ugly sweater dress thing, a cat vest, and a pair of shoes. I spent a little more than I had hoped to - a whopping $40.

If you're just getting started or you're broke like me, check out the Salvation Army. Decent clothing for CHEAP. They also had a lot of beautiful vintage furniture and home decor items. I would have nabbed a few things from that section, but my apartment is getting full enough as it is.

Expect a master post of the items I got my hands on last night soon.

For now, here's a preview. I'm in love with pastel colours and so you can guess how quickly my heart melted when I found this lavender peplum shirt and these pointed toe flats from ALDO. Funny story, I actually tried on this exact pair of shoes months ago but couldn't justify paying $60 for them - $7.99 was a better deal in my opinion.

Can Canadians even pinch pennies?

I have a few pennies in my wallet. They are, in fact, American coins.

They are still useful. Kind of.

I grew up in a community where finding a dress that was as "cheap as borscht" was celebrated. I spent many Tuesdays after school at the MCC Thrift Shop in Winkler looking for the most worn-in wolf shirt I could find (they put the new stuff out on Tuesdays).

I grew out of my wolf shirt hipster phase...but the thick-framed glasses seemed to stick, and so did the thrifting.

(I'd also like to note, my style is now impeccable in comparison to how it was in high school.)

Now... (featuring Eugene the cat)

...and then (thank the Lord for fashion discernment
and making me the beauty I am today)

It came to my attention this week that not everyone has had the pleasure of living such a frugal life. I'm here to help these underprivileged, deprived souls by showing them a world of treasures. A world of framed cat paintings and fake plants; of instant film Polaroid cameras (which you can still get film for, by the way, but for a price) and grandpa sweaters; of wine bottle holders (that won't be used as wine bottle holders) and funny hats.

To date, this is still my favourite sweater and
the jeans have since become my most worn cut-off shorts

Yes, you too can own all this and more!

In all seriousness, this blog is about trying to live cheaply in a very expensive world. I love shopping and I love stuff. It's a poison. I'm a borderline hoarder. I shop at thrift and antique stores, participate in clothing swaps, and always beeline for the back of a store to find deals. Getting something for cheap, or for free, is like riding a convertible with the top down into the sunset on a warm summer night (although last time this happened, it was with an ex-boyfriend who dumped me shortly after so maybe I should come up with a better simile). I also have an addiction to buying old cameras (not just Polaroids) and shooting with film - a pricey, but timeless art. It reminds me of my childhood and Beaver Canoe sweatshirts. Expect some of my film photos to make it onto this blog as well (yes, most of those cameras were thrifted).

My bookshelf, featuring two of my many secondhand toys

If you're looking for money-saving tips in regards to food, you'll have to venture somewhere else. Or watch Extreme Couponing. I live off ramen noodles. I'm a student, can you blame me? Posts on this blog will focus on clothing and decor, and the success (and misadventures) in finding both. I'll be talking about how to integrate that ugly pair of shoes from the "old country" into a modern wardrobe, where to find the best deals, and what not to buy. I also plan to introduce you to some of my thrifty and not-so-thrifty friends.

Keep those Canadian and American pennies. We'll spend them together.