My new favorite stores are Goodwill and Walmart. Okay, okay, maybe not my NEW favorite, seeing as I've always loved Goodwill, and Walmart is every college student's favorite store, especially when your college is in a podunk little town where Walmart is the only place to go for fun (I might be exaggerating just a little...), but seriously, they are my two favorite stores. You can find some awesome stuff there for really cheap prices.
Now you may be thinking, "yeah, yeah, we already know all this, so why are you telling us?" Well, did you know that Walmart has a fabulous selection of clearance items in housewares? At least the Walmart here does. Thanks to the clearance section, I have been able to save a ton of money on items for my apartment. Here's a picture of everything I've gotten in the past two days:
(not pictured: Black 7 Decker 5 cup coffee maker)
From Walmart Clearance:
Mainstays Stoneware Canister Set-$15.97 Probably one of my favorite purchases!! I wasn't really looking for these, but when I saw them in the clearance section, I couldn't resist getting them!! They'll be really nice for storing flour, sugar, etc. Original Price: Unknown. Amount Saved: Approx. $15
HomeTrends Sacco 16 piece Dinnerware-$15.99 Yes, you read that right, just $16!!! That's just $1 per piece! You can't get much cheaper than that! They're a beautiful shade of brown, and exactly what I was looking for!! (I know the tag on the box says $25.95, but that's only because I peeled off the clearance sticker that was on there when I bought them to see how much they were originally marked down to.) Original Price: Unknown, but approx. $30. Amount Saved: around $14 or $15.
(Sorry about the blurriness...)
Shower Curtain ($6), Bath Mat ($5), Trashcan, Toothbrush Holder, and Soap Dispenser ($6 for the set)-$17 total Since these all match, and none of them are really that exciting, I figured I'd combine them all into one. I don't have an individual picture of them, but they are pictured in the top picture. They're all green and yellow polka dots, which match the brown theme I was planning on doing in the bathroom. The shower curtains attaches to the shower rod itself, so there's no need for hooks, and it's plastic, so it can serve as the liner, too. Original Price: Unknown. Amount Saved: Approx. $14
Corningware French White 10-piece Bakeware Set-$25.00 The set includes four casserole dishes of various sizes, each with a plastic lid, and two of them with a glass lid. I have a feeling I'll probably use these a lot for making casseroles and such! Original Price: $49.99. Amount Saved: $24.99.
2 Sets of Kitchen Towels-$2.50 for set of 3 Total Price: $5 I saw these towels and fell in love with them!! My kitchen color is brown, too (can you tell that I love brown?) and these adorable turquoise, green, and blue striped towels will look absolutely adorable! Original Price-$6 for set of 3 Amount saved-$7
Ziploc Food Storage Containers-$1.75 for set of 4 I couldn't pass these up when I saw them. Food storage containers are going to be a must for me, not just because I pack my lunch for work everyday, but also because I'm used to cooking for a minimum of 3 people; it's going to be hard to get used to cooking for just 1 person, so I'm probably going to have a lot of leftovers at first. I'm seriously considering going back to get some more. Original Price: approx. $5 Amount Saved: Approx. $4.15
From Walmart Rollbacks:
Wearever 12 pc. Cookware Set-$35 The set included a 5qt. dutch oven, 2 qt. covered sauce pan, 8" & 10" fry pans, and a 10.25" griddle. It also included cooking a spatula, slotted spoon, noodle spoon, and ladle. I'll probably end up buying another smaller sauce pan as well, just so that I'll have two. Original Price: $49.00 Amount Saved: $15 (includes Mom's 10% employee discount)
From Goodwill:
GE 0.7 cu. ft. Microwave Oven-$14.98 I was expecting to have to pay upwards of $50 for a microwave (something that I was NOT looking forward to), so when I saw this at Goodwill, I couldn't pass it up. It's not in the best condition, as it was a couple of dents in it, but it works, so I could really care less what it looks like. Original Price-$59.97 on Walmart.com Amount Saved: $34.99
Toshiba DVD Player-$14 I wasn't planning on getting a DVD player right away, but when I saw this at Goodwill, I couldn't pass it up. Now I just need a tv... Original Price: Approx. $30 Amount Saved: Approx. $16
Black & Decker 5-cup Coffee Maker-$4 I wanted a coffee maker, but that was on my "want, but don't need" list, and seeing as neither of my parents drink coffee, I wasn't expecting to receive it as a birthday or Christmas gift, either. It was one of those items that I figured I'd get eventually, but not before I moved in. Well, when I saw one for Goodwill for $4, I couldn't pass it up!! It's even programmable, so I can have coffee waiting for me when I wake up in the evening (yes, I'm one of those weird people who works at night and sleeps during the day)!! Original Price-$38.80 (amazon.com price) Amount saved: $34.80
Other Walmart Purchases:
These weren't clearance or rollback, but most of them were $1, so they were still a very good deal.
(2) Pitchers-$1 each These will be perfect for putting lemonade, iced tea, or juice in.
Plastic Tumblers (set of 4)-$1 As of right now, I only have the coffee cups that came with my dishes to put drinks in, so these will be nice for using for water glasses.
Plastic Bowls (set of 4)-$1 I love cereal and applesauce and such, so I use a lot of bowls. I figured that these will be a much cheaper (and greener) alternative to using disposable bowls.
Measuring cups and spoons-$.88 I already had a set of measuring spoons, so I was hoping to find a set of measuring cups without the measuring spoons, but the only ones I could find were over $3 (crazy, I know!), so I went ahead and got the set. I know how easy it is to lose measuring spoons, so I figure it can't hurt to have two sets!
Dishcloths (set of 12)-$2 The colors will match everything else that I have for my kitchen, and since they were such a good price, I couldn't pass them up.
Flatware (48 piece)-$9.99 The set included a drawer organizer, so it was a really good deal! I wasn't really wanting such a big set, but the smaller sets were the same price and didn't include the drawer organizer.
Black & Decker Extra-tall Can Opener-$11.47 This was a bit more than I wanted to spend for a can opener, but my parents have the same one, and it's one of the few can openers we've had that's worked for more than just a couple months (we've had it for a few years now) so i figured I'd go ahead and get it.
Total Spent: $177.03 Total Saved: $180.93
I'm thrilled that I saved more than I spent!! I had just over $500 budgeted to spend on everything that I need before I can move into my apartment, and this is over half of that list, so I think I'm doing pretty good! The only two big ticket items I have left to buy are a couch or futon (one that looks like a catch; not one of those cheap metal ones!) and a vacuum. I'll be keeping an eye out for those at Goodwill and garage sales, but if I can't find them there, I have my eye on one of each of these at Walmart, and I'd still come in well below budget.
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