I can't be the only one this happens too -- Share your stories

**imagine** · 05-17-2010, 10:01 AM

I can't be the only one that finds just what we need in a hand me down box
or find myself at the clearance section only to find just what we needed on clearance
or picturing just how I want something and not finding it anywhere and then one day stumbling on it to find it just the way I pictured it.

I have shared these stories before with face to face friends that say they wish that sort of thing happened to them. If you have been following my second hand finds you will know this tends to happen to me a lot and I'm feeling like an odd ball.

If these things happen to you please share your stories.

I'll start us off by share my all time favorite one.

It happened back when my son was little and my daughter was a toddler. She wanted to see a book of her brother's. He didn't want to to share his favorite board book as he believed she would hurt it. I reassured him that she would not hurt it and made him share.
Within a few seconds she had torn the book in half. He was very sad ( and mad at me to I believe).

I told him I would look for another and if I found one I would buy it for him. I sent a quick prayer up asking for help finding one (then noticing that the book originally cost $8 I added without hurting the budget please) Next shopping day I looked for it at the book store. It was out of print and not available anymore. I finish my shopping chores and headed home. On the way home I spy what looks like a garage sale about a block down a side street. I decided to go check it out. They had the exact book in an excellent condition price 10 cents.

Please share your stories. I need to hear them and I believe others would enjoy them.

**Liane** · 05-17-2010, 10:11 AM

I have had good luck with clothes and food bargains. We were having a big party and the store where I get some meat from doesn't have ads or a website. I drove to the store and hoped that I could get boneless skinless chicken breasts for 1.69 a pound. They had them on sale for 1.29 a pound. Needless to say I was doing a happy dance in the parking lot

. Also whenever I need to find something for my daughter or the house I can find what I want. My daughter needed new sneakers last year and we looked at Forman Mills. At first they didn't seem to have much and then right before we were going to leave she found the perfect sneakers and they were on sale. This was great because I had a dollar figure in my head and they were cheaper than that. For the house I am finishing my bathroom renovation and have been looking for a mirror that I like. Went on Ikea's website looking for a loft bed and I checked out the mirrors. Found exactly what I want for 19.99. A similar mirror was in other stores for $269.00.

**frugalfoster** · 05-17-2010, 10:23 AM

A couple of weeks ago, I was looking on line for a dvd set of the national parks. On Amazon the set was about $60, to expensive for my tastes. I went back to work and was talking to a client about them when she said..."Hey I have that set! You can borrow them!" I was happy to say the least. The library in my area did not carry them.

**imagine** · 05-17-2010, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by Liane

I have had good luck with clothes and food bargains. We were having a big party and the store where I get some meat from doesn't have ads or a website. I drove to the store and hoped that I could get boneless skinless chicken breasts for 1.69 a pound. They had them on sale for 1.29 a pound. Needless to say I was doing a happy dance in the parking lot

. Also whenever I need to find something for my daughter or the house I can find what I want. My daughter needed new sneakers last year and we looked at Forman Mills. At first they didn't seem to have much and then right before we were going to leave she found the perfect sneakers and they were on sale. This was great because I had a dollar figure in my head and they were cheaper than that. For the house I am finishing my bathroom renovation and have been looking for a mirror that I like. Went on Ikea's website looking for a loft bed and I checked out the mirrors. Found exactly what I want for 19.99. A similar mirror was in other stores for $269.00.

What great stories! Thanks for sharing them.

**imagine** · 05-17-2010, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by frugalfoster

A couple of weeks ago, I was looking on line for a dvd set of the national parks. On Amazon the set was about $60, to expensive for my tastes. I went back to work and was talking to a client about them when she said..."Hey I have that set! You can borrow them!" I was happy to say the least. The library in my area did not carry them.

How awesome is that? Very awesome that you get to borrow them.

It "pays" to talk to people

**zakity** · 05-17-2010, 12:53 PM

We were at a park with some friends and we both had errands after we were done with the park. We found out that we both had to go to Walmart so we went together. As we were all walking in, her youngest daughter's flipflop broke. I ran back to the car and grabbed a spare pair of sandals that I had bought at a thrift store for either me or one of the twins. None of us liked those sandals, but we kept them in the car in case one of ours broke while we were out. Guess what! The shoes fit her and she liked them.

Our kitchen chairs were breaking (old hand-me-downs and thrift store purchases). I had just started shopping for ones at the thrift stores again and I had happened to mention to Grandma that we needed some new chairs. She had some. She recovered them and they even brought them out to us.

I have been babysitting for a friend's 20 month old on and off the last few months because her dad is in the hospital. I just take him with us to our activities. Sometimes because of all the craziness at her house, she hasn't always had a chance to go grocery shopping and didn't always have "to go" foods for him at her house. It seems like I always have things on hand that would work for him. One time, I had noodles cooked up with no sauce on them. I always seem to have had cheese for cheese sticks or sometimes string cheese. Another time, she was out of cheerios and I had graham crackers.

That same friend is kind enough to take my leftover soup. My guys will eat soup once for dinner, but they aren't too keen on it as leftovers for some reason. Usually, there isn't much left either (a bowl or so). She is kind enough to let me dump my leftovers on her and she is thrilled because it gives her a quick meal which is needed sometimes with a baby.

Another time I was watching her baby, I had errands to run and she was out of cheerios and baby tylenol (teething baby). So, I just picked them while I was at the store for my things.

You know, thinking about it, I always have things like this happen. I always love when it happens.

**imagine** · 05-17-2010, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by zakity

We were at a park with some friends and we both had errands after we were done with the park. We found out that we both had to go to Walmart so we went together. As we were all walking in, her youngest daughter's flipflop broke. I ran back to the car and grabbed a spare pair of sandals that I had bought at a thrift store for either me or one of the twins. None of us liked those sandals, but we kept them in the car in case one of ours broke while we were out. Guess what! The shoes fit her and she liked them.

Our kitchen chairs were breaking (old hand-me-downs and thrift store purchases). I had just started shopping for ones at the thrift stores again and I had happened to mention to Grandma that we needed some new chairs. She had some. She recovered them and they even brought them out to us.

I have been babysitting for a friend's 20 month old on and off the last few months because her dad is in the hospital. I just take him with us to our activities. Sometimes because of all the craziness at her house, she hasn't always had a chance to go grocery shopping and didn't always have "to go" foods for him at her house. It seems like I always have things on hand that would work for him. One time, I had noodles cooked up with no sauce on them. I always seem to have had cheese for cheese sticks or sometimes string cheese. Another time, she was out of cheerios and I had graham crackers.

That same friend is kind enough to take my leftover soup. My guys will eat soup once for dinner, but they aren't too keen on it as leftovers for some reason. Usually, there isn't much left either (a bowl or so). She is kind enough to let me dump my leftovers on her and she is thrilled because it gives her a quick meal which is needed sometimes with a baby.

Another time I was watching her baby, I had errands to run and she was out of cheerios and baby tylenol (teething baby). So, I just picked them while I was at the store for my things.

You know, thinking about it, I always have things like this happen. I always love when it happens.

Love the sandal story.

Thanks for sharing your stories

**Thevail** · 05-17-2010, 02:35 PM

Things like those happen to me all the time! You are not alone

Our house is pretty old (1924) and doesn't have a standard sized window or door in it.. when a storm door broke, hubby and I looked everywhere, but couldn't find one in the dimensions we needed And having one made custom seemed the only option but the price was out of the question.
Finally found an ad on Craigslist, "wanted.. someone to help clear this crud out of my garage"..

We got the storm door and a replacement doorknob for the front one both for $20. The lady was just thrilled that someone could use it. She bought it at a garage sale years ago, but didn't measure first..

**shoiji** · 05-17-2010, 03:07 PM

I usually find that if I put what I want out there I can usually find what I wanted. Sometimes it is just a matter of being patient and waiting to find the right thing.

**imagine** · 05-17-2010, 03:08 PM

Originally Posted by Thevail

Things like those happen to me all the time! You are not alone

Our house is pretty old (1924) and doesn't have a standard sized window or door in it.. when a storm door broke, hubby and I looked everywhere, but couldn't find one in the dimensions we needed And having one made custom seemed the only option but the price was out of the question.
Finally found an ad on Craigslist, "wanted.. someone to help clear this crud out of my garage"..

We got the storm door and a replacement doorknob for the front one both for $20. The lady was just thrilled that someone could use it. She bought it at a garage sale years ago, but didn't measure first..

Glad to know I'm not alone.

Doors are hard to find for old houses. So cool that you found on the way you did.

**Thevail** · 05-17-2010, 03:11 PM

Actually.. I think I'm a sort of clearing house for this kind of thing..

One friend was moving in with his fiance' and had a spare microwave that he's just bought.

Meanwhile my neighbor had a GIANT dog crate that he had no more use for.

Both of them ended up in my garage.. free.

Then my neighbor's microwave died.. and my friends cat had to have surgery.. so I just gave them each others stuff.

**imagine** · 05-17-2010, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by shoiji

I usually find that if I put what I want out there I can usually find what I wanted. Sometimes it is just a matter of being patient and waiting to find the right thing.

What does "put what I want out there" mean? Tell others what you are looking for? Speaking what you wish to the universe and/or God?

**imagine** · 05-17-2010, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by Thevail

Actually.. I think I'm a sort of clearing house for this kind of thing..

One friend was moving in with his fiance' and had a spare microwave that he's just bought.

Meanwhile my neighbor had a GIANT dog crate that he had no more use for.

Both of them ended up in my garage.. free.

Then my neighbor's microwave died.. and my friends cat had to have surgery.. so I just gave them each others stuff.

Your the stop on their way to their final destination. What a neat position to be in.

**Thevail** · 05-17-2010, 03:26 PM

Yeah, it's pretty cool! I'm always giving people stuff someone else gave me for free..

I like to think that it helps the whole community to recycle and re-use things. It also saves everyone a lot of money, which has to be a good thing at least for the financial health of my group of friends and acquaintances.

Sometimes it's a bit odd, because people are always calling me to ask if I have a "blue thing with a 3 inch flange" or some other really odd request, but I usually do.. or know someone who does.

**druthb00** · 05-17-2010, 03:31 PM

We go to the beach quite a bit and BF really likes to have music while we're there. He's in the IT field and a total computer nerd (I say this lovingly lol). We were at the beach one day and he had his cell phone on our cooler, playing music. He told me that he'd like to have a small speaker to attach to the phone to make it a bit louder; told me they make them for Ipods and such. Well about a week later I was at Walgreens checking out their clearance rack and low and behold, there's a "portable speaker." It was normally $6 and marked down to $1.25. So I took out my cell phone that is identical to his and started examining it for a hole that would match up with the connection on the speaker; no such luck. So after I picked him up from work that night, I mentioned finding a speaker but I wasn't sure if it would work. Being as ridiculously cheap as I've come to find myself lately, I couldn't even spend the measly $1.25 not knowing if it would even work LOL. I took him into Walgreens with me real quick and he took one look at it and said "Yep, that'll work. We just need an adapter that only costs about .99" SCORE

I think the best part of this whole story is looking back on me standing there with these two objects that DID NOT match up, similar to a toddler trying to put a round block in a square hole!