Community
Morning everyone. I am proud to report that Stone Soup DC now gets around 150-200 hits a day. Very cool.
I am glad people are finding the information useful, at least I hope you are. I believe one of the best resources anywhere and anytime, is community. We can make this resource so much more powerful if we pull together our information and ideas. Anything from what’s on sale this week, to a great store you’ve found, to free/cheap community events, to how to make something yourself that you would have previously purchased. That’s what we all want to hear. I am sure each one of you has ideas to add. Please consider joining the Yahoo discussion group, posting a comment on the blog, or even sending me an email at stonesoupdc@gmail.com. I want to hear from you!
Have you all heard the story of Stone Soup? I’ve added some stones. Anyone out there have some cabbage or carrots or an onion?
Washingtonian Shopping Guides
Although their target audience is not usually living on an ultra-cheap budget, Washingtonian Magazine still puts out some very useful shopping guides for everything from furniture to clothing. Many of the stores are not bargain basement, but some offer surprisingly good deals, and the guides can be helpful if you are making a particularly important, larger purchase and you want to read up on options.
Thrifty Thrifts
I love to hunt around in thrift stores. The bargains seem endless and I rarely come away empty-handed. Actually, I try to stay out of them for exactly that reason. At least they are a very inexpensive way to fufill a craving for a shopping binge. The last time I headed to one, I bought two pairs of shorts, a set of kids horseshoes, a Melissa & Doug puzzle, and a plastic bowling set for my son for $7. This was at Value Village in Hyattsville (2277 University Blvd E Hyattsville, MD). This store is huge and crammed full of bargains, but it is busy, so act fast when you see something you like (you can always put it back later!).
If you are clearing out the clutter at home, take a load of things to donate when you go. They have a drive-up area at the back of the store where you can easily drop off donations.
If you don't get your thrifting fix satisified here, pick up a copy of "Dirt Cheap, Real Good: A Highway Guide to Thrift Stores in the Washington, D.C. Area", by Chriss Slevin and Leah Smith. They cover hundreds of thrift stores both locally and on extended day trips out into WV, PA, NC, and DE. I know the book is available at Montgomery County libraries.
Restoration Hardware Warehouse Sale
If you love their furniture, but shy away from the price tags, you might want to check out the Restoration Hardware Warehouse Sale being held today through Sunday at the Dulles Expo and Conference Center in Chantilly. According to the Washington Post, "Markdowns will be up to 50 percent off regular prices on discontinued and imperfect home furnishings." For more information, call 415-945-5998.
Craigslist and Freecycle
Another great resource for furniture (and lots of other stuff) is Craigslist where you can find just about anything you are looking for at garage sale prices. I recently purchased a great 1950s dining set with a solid, expandable table with two leaves and eight chairs, for $200. They are perfect for us, much better than anything I found at local stores for many times the price. I ended up recovering the chairs, so that added a bit to the cost, but overall it is a sturdy set that can withstand kids and fits in with our more modern decor.
If you are even less picky and more lucky, sign up for Freecycle in your area. Freecycle is a network of individual groups that thrive on the theory that one person's trash is another's treasure. If you have something (just about anything from paper clips to furniture) that you don't need, but could still be used by someone else, you can post it on the Freecycle group and most likely someone will take it. Likewise, keep your eye on the listing and you might find something you can use from someone else. You are also able to post a wanted ad if you looking for something particular. I've been lucky enough to receive a few great toys for my son and a really cool boomerang shaped coffee table that needed to be refinished, but cleaned up beautifully to grace our living room. Fun stuff!
Looking for Furniture?
I haven't had a chance to visit this place personally, yet. I am kind of glad it's a little bit of a drive or I'd be tempted to stop in nearly every week. C-Mart is a huge store in Joppatowne, MD, just north of Baltimore, that purchases lots of mid-price to exclusive, boutique brand furniture, designer fashions, appliances, and housewares among other things.
The merchandise varies weekly, but their stock is well known for excellent deals on good quality furniture at 50%-90% off. I signed up for their weekly email a few months ago when we were considering a new leather sectional for our living room. The weekly email and the C-Mart web site show extensive pictures of each shipment, particularly for furniture, so you can do some serious armchair shopping from home to see if the store is worth the drive that week.
We eventually decided to live without the upgrade for now, but even in the few weeks I was watching closely, I saw a couple of shipments of furniture go through the site that had the modern style we were looking for. I defintely would have taken a trip to check them out had I not been afraid I would have returned home with something!
