Have you noticed the condition of the economy has everything to do with our urgent desire to re-define our frugal ways? It seems we are in the midst of such a revival. I've noticed an increased number of blogs, articles and tips outlining ways to save money on those things we must have, and ways to recycle what we already have.
So I'm going to add my two cents from personal experience! I was raised in a very frugal household. Which is not be be confused with 'cheap'. Cheap simply wasn't done in our home because cheap was a waste of money. 'Buy well the first time and take care of it', that was our motto. Sometimes that meant buying something secondhand because it was a better value for the money and expectation of use. Finding vintage glass and useful dinnerware are always a bonus. A terrific way to add color to the table or kitchen display. But it makes the most sense if you plan to actually use the finds you bring home!
I think we are familiar with second hand clothing shops like Goodwill, Salvation Army and the scores of consignments shops. Now some people stalk these secondhand shops looking for that treasure someone else threw out which is worth its weight in gold. I stalk them as the first line of shopping for clothes. I used to find great clothes for my son when he was young. When kids are at the stage of growth where they outgrow things before they've worn them out...secondhand is the only way to go in my book. Vintage linens are another find at most Thrift shops. Cleanouts of older relatives' homes yield wonderful kitchen towels that simply get passed along to donation centers.
I recently found a brand new designer white cotton dress shirt with the tags intact for $6, well below the retail price and just my size. I found two sets of Laura Ashley cotton window curtains complete with tiebacks and fully lined for $10. Now I do a lot of sewing with cotton and there is enough excellent quality yardage in those curtains to make a dozen pillow cases, cushions, tote bags with enough left over the make some sachets, wrist cuffs and add several squares to my recycled quilt. Vintage napkins are a common find, however, finding napkins in good condition is not so easy. Don't be quick to pass up stained cotton and linen. Older cotton and linen fabrics were better made of longer fiber threads and are perfect as lining inside a potholder or sachet. As long as the fabric is washed and free of odors, who cares if the stains are hidden from view.
Beautiful embroidered linens are a marvel of talent and color. Even if the pieces has some staining, the bits of the embroidery can easily be cut away and used to fashion a sented sachet or embellish a pillow. The frugal minded used pieces like this to cover holes in the center of doilies.
But remember, great buys are only great if you saved money on something you were going to buy anyway. It has to fit, it has to be useful and it has to be reasonable. Don't waste money on something you'll have to fix because you'll never get around to it.
