Know Your Local Resources

Help is out there from saving money to finding stuff to do for free to finding assistance of all kinds, it just takes some savvy and know-how to find it sometimes. Most of the resources are similar in every town and state but there may be slight differences so don’t get discouraged if the information is a little different from where you live. Most places where one can find out about resources are the same. Almost every city or town has its own website for visitor and resource information or a city website - just type in your city and state in google and you should find it. On this site you will find city information and contact information for various city services and officials. It is always nice to know who to contact when needed. Also on this site there is usually a link for employment and city jobs.

This brings me to the next resource that a lot of people do not know about, the jobs and family services centers. Almost every city or town has one and they hold resources from job placement, GED help, job training to disability services. Also, at these centers are usually in contact with a local food bank where if needed you can receive food or you can volunteer to help serve or donate food to those in need or get information on how to receive food. Also, some churches provide free meals once a week, no questions asked.

Another resource is your local thrift store. By definition, a thrift store is a second hand store that donates portions of their money to non-profit organizations. One reason to donate is that you can receive a donation receipt to use as a tax write-off. Also, some thrift stores have their own food bank services and some will even help pay your heating bill in the winter months if you are unable to do so. I know of one national thrift store, The Salvation Army, that will visit schools to talk about the importance of giving and sharing and helping those in need.

My favorite center for resources is the local library. Most libraries have a lot of the forms you may need such as a change of address form, tax forms, heating assistance forms and pamphlets on hundreds of subjects. They also have a reference section for almost anything you might need - such as leasing forms, legal information, divorce forms, etc. Just go to the information desk or reference desk for help. The library can be a godsend for teachers as well. Our local library website has links specifically for teachers for lesson plans. Also, teachers (and anyone else) can check out movies for free. Libraries usually have free programs and classes/activities for children, classes for adults and affordable meeting rooms. Libraries are a great resource for children especially because by getting them their own card they learn responsibility and the reading programs teach them it is fun to learn and read.

Another resource for the older community are adult day care centers. They cost very little and are a lot of fun. They sing, make crafts, play games, meet with people their own age and they even send them presents for the holidays.

Another resource in some cities are free furniture banks. It is a little tricky on how to get the okay but basically if you or someone you know is in desperate need of furnishings, see if you have a free furniture bank or contact a local thrift store and see what they can do. In these times, it pays to know where you can get free help and help others.

The Plot Thickens

The dying art of reading is unfortunate but I know my fellow bibliophiles are out there and I bet you would love to know where to find books for as little as 50 cents. I know the new thing is to read e-books and there is nothing wrong with that. I just love holding a new book, carrying it with me and admiring the artwork inside and on the cover. I have hundreds of books and it is a pastime of mine to search out books that I find interesting to fit into my collection. If a clean house tv crew were to come to my house I would tie myself to the books in order to save them. But buying books new is an endeavor I simply cannot afford.

Instead, at a thrift store you can find books from 50 cents to $1-2 each. Some other ways to find cheap books are yard sales and library sales. Ask your local library - I’m sure they have summer book sales. Also, there are discount bookstore chains, such as www.halfpricebooks.com where one can find a wider array of books for half the price or less. I have found books ranging from antique, classic novels everyone should own, silly books, cookbooks to reference materials. You never know when you might need a quotation reference book for a paper or a homemade card. Also, one of the best ways to save money is on children’s books. If you’re a teacher (or a Mom), I know most of the materials you use come straight out of your pocket. I am a Substitute Teacher and I have even found lesson plan books and educational worksheet books for 50 cents each. At most thrift stores children’s books are around 50 cents each and not usually over $2, unless it is a collectible. One can find newer books, classics, educational books, dictionaries and even singing books. One could get 100 books for $50, or, every year you can add 10 books to your library for $5 a year!

For adults you can find recent best-sellers, reference, DIY, cookbooks, self-help books and more for $1-2. The best reason to shop at a thrift store is you can find rare and out-of-print books. I am still angry with myself for not buying Disney’s “Our Friend, the Atom,” from the 1950’s. This book is worth anywhere from $20-70 as a collectible, not to mention how interesting it was.

The downfall of shopping at a thrift store is you have to take your time to look. There simply is not enough time to adhere to the Dewey Decimal system when putting out new product in a thrift store, as they typically receive 4-6 cartloads of books in each day. Also, if you’re a reseller of books, this is the best way to maximize your profits and if the book doesn’t sell, you’re only out a couple of bucks. A site I have been meaning to try out is www.alibris.com and, of course, www.amazon.com. This would also be a great way to start your own book club. Each person in your group could buy a book at $1-2 each and trade each book weekly until each person has read each book, donate the books and start over again. It really doesn’t have to cost that much money to get involved, keep up with a hobby and pass it on…

Kids Stuff

Part of my job when I was a Manager of a thrift store was to have a general knowledge of how much items cost new at retail price so when we would price an item it would be a fair price for the buyer. I always look at the ads in the Sunday paper and have looked online to see what the price of things are these days. That is one of the drawbacks of never buying at retail price, you may experience sticker shock upon entering a mall or trying to find an item new online. Stuff is expensive! Especially toys and items for kids.

I don’t have children of my own but I do sympathize with parents. I honestly don’t know how they do it. But I do know where they can get the superfluous items, which are always at the top of the importance list for kids, for a lot less. Also, the idea of buying all of your kids’ clothes new is somewhat silly when you can buy the clothes at a discount price and if he/she comes home with a hole or a stain it’s not a big deal. Yes, I am talking about the thrift store again. Most thrift stores do sort all of the clothing and only put out clothes that don’t have holes or stains and are gently used. Why pay $20 or more for a pair of jeans when you can get 4-5 pairs of jeans or more for that price.

I had this conversation with my mom awhile ago and she said that she wanted better for us and that’s why she bought us new clothes but if she had it to do over she would have definitely bought most of our clothes second-hand. Kids clothes are the best to buy second hand and are sometimes more gently used than adult clothes. When you think about it, at the rate a child grows, that kid isn’t wearing that outfit for very long. Some kids might be embarrassed or think that a thrift store is beneath them but you should take them there as young as possible so they are used to it and make a game of it. Make it fun. Allow them to pick out regular, rand name clothes and explain that they can have more clothes that fit their style as opposed to 1-2 outfits at a retail store and let them pick out some play dress-up items, such as hats, boas, etc. to show them how much fun it is to shop thrifty.

Next, is toys, yes, the utmost important items in a child’s mind. While perusing ads I was shocked at how much toys cost and I was saddened by the thought of many a child only getting 1-2 presents while Mom and Dad skipped eating for a week to afford them. At the thrift store where I worked, I found my nephew 2 leap frog learning toys and a simulated car toy for a total of under $10. All they needed was wiped down with Clorox wipes and new batteries and abracadabra he loved them! Retail price of each leap frog toy was $20-30 and the car toy was $15 new. He had no idea they weren’t new nor did he care and his mom is on board for the toys to come. Challenge for you if you have kids or know someone who does, try and find a toy at a thrift store for under $5, clean it up and get some dollar store batteries if needed and see if the kid likes it…After all, it’s just kid’s stuff.

The Gift of Re-Gifting

I was recently on a website, which shall remain nameless, where there was a discussion about how class-less and disgusting re-gifting a gift was. I thought this was truly funny. If you received say, 15 bath gift sets for the holidays and really only needed 5-10 of them for the year, what happens to the remaining bath sets? According to the website I mentioned earlier, perhaps you should throw them away? I suppose it is up to you what happens to those gifts that either you have too many already, are not quite your style, or you just don’t like. Whatever the reason may be, please, if you think re-gifting is a travesty, at least donate to your local thrift store. Some thrifty shopper would love to snatch it up at a fraction of retail price.

However, if you are like me, you see nothing wrong with passing the gift along to someone who would like it and saving you a few bucks along the way. I do think there are certain guidelines one should follow when re-gifting so you’re not insulting the receiver or the original giver of the gift. For example, probably not a good idea to re-gift a perishable item that is way past it’s bedtime. No one deserves a moldy fruitcake in April. It’s probably also not very polite to re-gift something that’s been obviously used in the order of bath sets, perfume and the like.

I recommend if you have extra gifts that you do not want, keep them in their wrapping and save in a storage bin for last minute gift ideas. If you shop at the dollar stores, you already have extra gift bags and a card. So when a co-worker calls you Monday morning to see what you got Sally for her birthday, you are all set. There is also the ultra-respectful rule of never re-gift an item to the same person who gave it or to a person who will see the gift that they got you now being passed on right in front of their eyes. I know it’s good to be honest and upfront but I have never agreed with someone blatantly telling someone they hate the gift they gave them. That is rather class-less. Unless it simply doesn’t fit, you should probably keep these comments to yourself because you may get a moldy fruitcake next time.

Also, it’s nice to have extra gifts around if you’re strapped for cash at the time of someone’s birthday or special event. This way, at least you gave them something to acknowledge them and not an IOU for the future. As mentioned before, if you’re not comfortable with re-gifting please donate it to a thrift store. A lot of people shop the thrift stores for gifts. I know that I found a lot of great gift sets, books and collectibles for my family and friends during the holidays while still being able to pay my bills. If it’s done right, re-gifting can be as rewarding as going out and getting it yourself and you can feel good about not wasting something you will never use.