˚thrifty tip˚ Cheap vs. Thrifty

How did you like a week straight of thrifty tips? Are you tired of them? Well, I have one more to finish it off.

As you can tell, I like to save money. But, I am not cheap. I am thrifty. 

What's the difference?

Sometimes being cheap means you always buy the least expensive thing. In the end, you might end up spending more than you bargained for (pun intended). Cheap things might wear out or break faster. So....spending a little extra money (if you have it) on something that is good quality (while still getting a good deal) is thrifty.

So there is cheap. Thrifty. And more than thrifty. A few weekends ago, the Mr. and I were more than thrifty and just really really lucky. Want to know why?

 I am a member of REI. (One of the best stores on the planet...and no one is paying me to say that.) You can return any item at any time for a full refund. No questions asked. If I remember correctly, the membership was a one-time $20 fee, with a 20% off on your first purchase. Well, my first purchase was a pair of Chacos (best sandals ever...they have lasted me 5 years so far and they are still going strong) and the discount almost paid for itself. So I did it.

Four times a year, REI has a member garage sale. In order to purchase anything, you have to be a member. At the garage sale, they resale anything that has been returned at a really discounted price. Some of the stuff is falling apart, but some of it is in really good shape.

The Mr. and I decided to venture off to one of these garage sales. As we were browsing the items, a man came over the intercom and said that everything in the garage sale was 50% off the already discounted price...and shoes were 75% off the already discounted price.

As you can imagine, the Mr. and I started looking through the shoes to try and find something our size. This is what we came away with:

Keen hiking boots for the Mr. 
Original price: $140.00. Garage Sale Price: $21.83. Our price: $5.46. Description of item/Reason for return: worn once. (Nice!)
Lowa hiking boots for Kate
Original price: $199.95. Garage Sale Price: $33.83. Our price: $8.46. Description of item/Reason for return: worn for a little while, too small. (Oh darn!)
Chaco Sandals (w/o) back strap
Original price: $75.00. Garage Sale Price: $19.83. Our price: $4.96. Description of item/Reason for return: strangled her toe. (Little does she know that you can adjust these shoes to fit you however you like. Even if you have an over-sized toe.)

And our total, with taxes was about $20. Not bad eh?