Frgualness (and frugal alert)

First the alert (so those who don't care to read what I wrote below can just have the alert). The Dollar Tree has children's t-shirts from HANES! They have an X over the brand name, but it sure is there! I grabbed a few to make T-Shirt dresses from (google T-Shirt dress for a free pattern, or search through my sidebar under SEWING).

Also, God willing, update to L2L series later today.

OK, so I usually do NOT shop at the Dollar Store. It was WAY too easy for me to spend money like crazy there. IT'S ONLY A DOLLAR I rationalize to myself and before I know it, I have spent more than I should have. And I also had the mentality that there is really nothing but junk there. And no way would I be caught buying FOOD of all things at the Dollar Store!

Thank God for bringing Carrie into my life! She lives frugally and bought some of the Hunt's Pasta Sauce from the Dollar Store and gave me some. And you know what.... it was ORGANIC and it was GOOOOOOOOOOOOD!

So yesterday I got up the courage to check out the Dollar Store. I was actually looking for a dress for my daughter's doll, but ended up buying a lot of gardening and outdoor stuff for the kids to do/play. And then I headed to the food section. They had the Hunt's Organic Pasta Sauce (traditional, mushroom and meat). They had Bumble Bee Chicken Salad (which I had recently paid almost $3 for at Safeway). Some jellies that were made with all natural ingredients. And some apple juice! I also got the T-shirts mentioned above.

I also wanted to encourage you to ask your neighbors about their trash. Yes you heard right, their TRASH!

The other day as I was heading out to pick up a freecycle find, I noticed my neighbor had a ton of garbage bags out. I stopped and asked her what was in them, and she said boy clothes and toys that were going to Goodwill, but I was welcome to rummage through and take what I wanted!!!

I got a all wooden toy box (huge enough for my three year old to sleep in!), lots of boy clothes and toys, a microwave, a huge decorative painting, a hand held dust buster, wool sweaters for me, and a plastic drawer organizer! Not only that, but later she had more stuff to give away, and rather than call or donate to Goodwill she came to my house! Another bag of boy clothes and a toddler car seat!!! WOOHOO!!!!

All this to say that it does not hurt to ask your neighbors about their trash.

Some other things I have gotten: a NordicTrack, a sewing machine, a child's bike, a guitar, a HUGE TV (that lasted for several more years) just to name a few.

And you have to check out this CUTE article written by a WONDERFUL blog I love to read about a trash to treasure find her SON made. Dumpster Art. This is a GREAT idea and wonderful for homsechoolers too!!