Did you know there are vintage Golden Wedding Anniversary Cake Toppers? I must confess I didn’t until I ran across this one in a local shop. At just a few dollars, I felt justified in adding it to my collection. I’m not sure I’d ever want that particular shade of gunmetal gray in my hair, but at least husband and wife match.
Back to a few dollars.
These are tough times for so many of us. Reading your comments on the Thrifty Living posts has been revelatory. Every one of you has a story, whether it concerns job loss, retirement on a fixed income, illness and medical bills, lack of health insurance, putting a kid through college… I could go on and on. Many times I have been moved to tears. You are all so brave. You’ve written from the heart about your own struggles and I thank you.
So when I read blog posts here and there in blogland that continually center on accumulating things one after another, I must admit I get more than a little turned off. It just seems so inappropriate in these times. I should clarify that thought. We all love a deal. When we can find something for a song, or snag something at an auction or estate sale for next-to-nothing, recycle by purchasing something vintage, find something on the side of the road and remake it – that calls for Hurrahs all around. That’s being thrifty, creative and thinking outside the box.
Taking something you have on hand and rethinking it is a great idea. It’s not about accumulating but it is about using what you have.
I understand the thrill of buying something new. It’s a high. I’ve felt that high.
Let me tell you, the high I get from recycling, reusing, and finding some little treasure for a few dollars is much more satisfying.
Would I like to get rid of this well-over-twenty-years-old-loveseat and buy something new? Something that is a wee bit more comfortable? Yes. But that’s an expense we can’t handle right now. So I make it as pretty as I can with what I have and that’s just fine.
All you have to do is watch the nightly news or read the comments on our Thrifty Living Series to know that there are so many people out there who are struggling to survive. Many have lost their pensions, their homes and are trying to make sense of this new world we live in. And I’m the first to say I love pretty pictures and beautiful homes. We all need to dream. But even more, I love seeing a ‘make do’ kind of attitude. The creativity that arises from that mode of thinking is amazing.
Some of my favorite pieces in my home have come about from thinking: What can I do with what I have?
Of course, I made this discovery because I had to. It was and is a necessity.
I don’t begrudge anyone what they have or how they spend their money. It’s their business. I just find posts about living creatively on a very small budget more enriching. I’d much rather read about a headboard that was made out of scrap lumber than read about one that was custom-made with expensive fabrics.
I’d rather read about someone spending a few dollars on flowers to pretty up a room than see a room re-done for thousands and thousands of dollars.
Or read about a lovingly hand-made item that adds a level of warmth and comfort to a room.
I’d rather see a kitchen re-done on a small budget than one with all the bells and whistles.
This has become my own particular sensibility. And I’m grateful for it. It allows me to be thankful for what I have, if only for a moment in time. It allows me to look around our little cottage and think, “It’s fine just the way it is, but maybe I can use this fabric in my stash to….”
Your thoughts?
Good examples of ‘repurposing’ or being thrifty. As economies around the world are crumbling and our dollar is being inflated, it is imperative that we get our heads out of the sand and live within our means. Our value comes from God, not from the things we acquire.
me too!!!!!!
One of the reasons I lost interest in blogging was because it seemed to be more of “look what I bought” than “look what I did”. I have enough… of everything! I just need creative ideas on how to repurpose it or show it off in a new, interesting way.
Glad I found your blog, because I enjoy seeing how you creatively us items. Also, I love it that you show us imperfection from time to time, everything is not always ready for a magazine shoot. Real people just don’t live that way, do they? Well, I don’t anyway.
You have a way with fabrics, Claudia, I love the way you use them. The strips of fabric on the screen are fantastic. I was blessed/cursed with a love of fabric, but I hate to have it all boxed up in the craft room. Thanks to you I’m bringing it out to enjoy every day.
Keep on keeping on, what you’re doing is working! Hugs!
Well said! I know when I started blogging I was all about the showing my latest finds at the thrift store. I still do that but on a much smaller scale…I mean how much is enough? or even too much? I’m finding out as I declutter my home and try to find new homes for some of my treasures. I applaud your views and since I have ~0~ money coming into my home right now I live frugally by necessity, but also by choice. I don’t think I would spend lots even if I could. hugs, Linda
Great post!
I couldn’t agree more. Hubby retired 4 years ago–we’ve watched his pension check get chopped 3 out of those 4 years. I’m so glad we’ve always lived “conservatively”
The things in our home all have meaning to us–items collected over the decades-inherited, passed along items that have a story behind them,…not just the “illusion” of a collectible.
Of course, some new bath towels would be nice………..
:D
Hoooo boy! If I were a betting person, I’d bet you get a lot of agreement, on this one.
I love “use what you have” and rearranging and that which we now call re-purposing. I’ve been so irritated to see “updates” that cost thousands of dollars and “designer” for pennies that involves plywood, and paint– not that these are bad things, just over emphasized.
I bought Amy Dacyczyn’s books, years ago, because I felt like my sister-in-law and I were the only people left who believed in penny pinching and making do as a way of life, rather than an emergency measure. I loved finding out that there were others of us. Then came Blog Land! Wahoo! Yet, still… So many seem to think, well, you’ve hit that, already.
Down and dirty, guerrilla tactics become necessary, when conditions press them upon us. Thing is, just a few of these tactics, as a habitual thing, with a sensible approach to finance, could have helped so many prepare for the inevitable down turn … Ooops! Someone grab that soap box! :)
I so agree. My favourite purchase (maybe ever) was an old china cabinet I got for $50. I’m still painting it (with leftover paint) and I polished the old handles last night til they shone. I get real satisfaction buying something for so little that will be so useful to me and I get to refurbish the way I want without any extra cost.
I was trying to return to work today but due to continued illness, I will be living on very reduced income for the forseeable future (when and if I ever get the first payment!) I will be thinking very creatively from now on to reduce my costs. Calling the cell phone company today to reduce my plan to $10 a month for emergencies only is the first step…
I am so with you. I get really tired of hearing about BUYING BUYING BUYING…and I love it when people repurpose and reuse what they have right in front of them. I have cut way back on my spending in the last few years. I don’t need MORE..I need to use what I have…I need to enjoy what is already a part of my life. I have also learned the lesson of letting sgo so that someone else can enjoy what I no longer need. Great post, Claudia- xo Diana
Not everyone out there is good with their hands, at making things, at re-purposing, hammering, nailing, wiring. Not everyone loves walking into thrift stores and is uncomfortable in doing so. Hence, they buy things and show them off as proudly as someone who has made something with their own hands and imagination. I say hurrah to all bloggers. I am one of those who buys rather than makes. There is nothing wrong with being who we are so if my showing something new on my blog turns someone off… so be it. I thoroughly enjoy seeing what others have made and very much enjoy seeing their creativity, but following suit is not who I am.
Claudia, I too think of this topic often, because I am involved with helping people to de-clutter, pare down, use what they have etc…
I do occasionally purchase new but ONLY if I cannot find what I need in a repurposed way. Currently I am selling off all my holiday collectibles because I no longer desire to have them. Some would say look at all the money she wasted, but every one was purchased post Christmas on sale and were enjoyed for many, many years and I will get good $$ for them..so we must be careful in how we view others actions.
Someone looking at my home might think that I am flush but nothing is farther from the truth…Nearly everything I own is many decades old, acquired free, or bartered for or acquired at far below cost…
So we are absolutely simpatico.
I lived this way when I had $$ and now that I don’t so I do not feel I am on an austerity program..lol
love the discusion of topics
xx
z
I couldn’t agree more. Have you seen my “new” flannel pyjamas? :-)
Not buying much is not only because someone has to make ends meet. We western people are exploiting the earth. We take too much of its resources, make too much waste by buying, consuming and rushing from one place to another.
There is a joke I love (because it’s not a joke but very serious): Earth meets Venus. Venuas asks: “How are you?” And Earth answers: “Oh, I don’t feel good. It’s really bad.” And Venus askes again: “What do you have?” And Earth says: “People.”
And I think “people” is not only chicken pocks, it’s way more serious.
I’ve always lived like this. It’s nothing new to me. Even when the economy was good, I was never well off. As long as I have enough good, nourishing food, I’m satisfied. That was not always the case, though. So, I’m used to making do with what I have. I have my relationship with the Lord Jesus, and that keeps me going from day to day. I have His joy in me and that’s all I need. Even though I’m not well off, nevertheless, I love to visit blogs where women are well off and reading about what they do and what they buy. Let’s call it vicarious living, vicarious enjoyment. It’s fun! I’m glad they’re out there. I also have my miniature hobby which brings me so much pleasure and joy. Without this hobby, I would be very lonely. And, thanks to all the bloggers out there who give me a place to visit and comment! That too is fun and it doesn’t cost anything! Thank you, Claudia, for giving me a place to vent. I hope you have a wonderful,peaceful, and inspiring day!
I feel the same way, Claudia. And I like to consider the earth’s limited resources, too, when I do a remodeling project or make other purchasing choices. My husband recently did a bathroom remodel for under $200, and it looks great! We had a gray 1950s toilet and managed to find a matching sink at our local Rebuilding Center (a warehouse filled with recycled fixtures and building materials torn out of other homes). It cost us $35, including the faucets! We got a 50s light fixture, vintage medicine cabinet, and molding there too! We used paint we had on hand, found a towel rack and a wastebasket at a thrift store, and voila! Little to no impact on the environment or our pocketbooks. The biggest expense was for a piece of marmoleum for the floor, which won’t be offgassing nasty chemicals for ages and looks colorful and fun. The two of us get a huge thrill out of buying used things to save money and save the earth. I hear there’s quite a movement of people who don’t buy anything new, on principle! Thanks for your lovely post–I love that you speak your mind about things! :-) Jennifer
Such a apt post Claudia, you will have so many bloggers agreeing with you.
I love what Nola said in the comments, ” everything is not always ready for a magazine shoot..”
It seems that the blogging world is divided into “have’s” those who are inclined to accumulate, and “have had enough’s” those who are making do with what they have.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
Oh. My. God. It’s like we read each others thoughts this morning, our posts are so similar! I think our brains are becoming linked, Claudia, from talking on the phone so much. Oh, I love that sweet loveseat. It’s just pretty and fits there. I love your home period. I love your whimsical things you make. I love you, ya know.
Brenda
Well said Claudia. I would much rather see a look what I have done/made post, than a look what I bought post. I love the posts when you talk about the lovely things you have in your home that have meaning to you. They just aren’t things.
Love you,
Mere
Claudia, I could not agree more.
That is why I am going to continue “shopping” my own home and rediscover things, move things..they will feel new to me.
I may still have to give myself a treat at the auction a couple of times a year. But for right now I may not have much in the bank, but everything is payed and I am warm and I have food. I can not ask for anymore..I know I am blessed.
Claudia, I’m with you on this one. I guess not everyone has been affected by the downturn in the economy, but most of us have. I am so grateful every day for my sweet little ranch home and I love the idea of repurposing. My hubbie and are are sprucing up our kitchen on a budget. I am totally amazed at the creativity of the people in blog land who manage to live frugally and are still able to create beautiful things from the heart. Yes, thinking outside the box. I’m always picking up things on the roadside but I have to admit, sometimes it is nice to treat myself to something nice after workiing so hard each week at my job.
The most important thing is to keep things in balance. Re-use, recycle and learning to live on less. My goal is to get the house paid off so at least we’ll manage to keep a roof over our heads. Every day when I go to work I say thank god I get to go to work. We have had to learn to live on much less and I pray that my husband is able to keep the pension that he worked 32 years to receive. We’ll see.
~Sandy
Well said, I have often thought the very same thing. I like looking at many blogs for their creativity but sometimes they annoy me, too. Especially the ones with all the table settings (sorry, whoever you are). Who can afford to constantly buy china, and other accessories for every little holiday or occasion, even if they are on sale. Or redo their big beautiful expensive house with the paneled study and guest suite. Hey, if you’ve got it, I wish you nothing but the best, but I cannot relate. I feel much more kinship with ordinary folks keeping track of their pennies. To each his own. That is why we live in this country. Keep up the thrifty blogs and the honesty. I love it.
Claudia, you, Brenda and Elaine are my cup of tea! I have enjoyed reading all of your posts and just had to say something finally :) I so agree with today’s post. I used to enjoy reading blogs where they would take a perfectly good room and re-do it. They have lost their appeal now, and though I still wish them the best and will probably check in from time to time, I much prefer your blog and your reality. No doubt it is hard from time to time (I can relate), but you (and Brenda and Elaine!) have proven you are strong women!!! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and thank you for being YOU!! xoxo -Stacie
Oh I so agree w/you, Claudia. I get a great high using what I have.
I am blessed to be a certain age and have accumulated a lifetime of stuff. I love going “shopping” through my things and putting them to good use! Most of them have wonderful, beautiful memories that bring an added joy!
Keep preaching the frugal, simple way of decorating, Sista!
Claudia, I absolutely love seeing the genius people can put into recycling or repurposing things. There is very little reason to throw things away. Smiles, Susie(She Junks)
Claudia, OLD TIES can be use in place of fabric strips on that screen. I used hubby’s old ties to make a picture look like the tie is holding it and since I always select his ties they’re in “tune” with the house. Great re-use of the ties!
I also am re-thinking about accumulating so much stuff. I am just NOT doing it anymore. I’ve saved a lot of money this way, sugar, trust me!
You’re inspired me, chick, to do a mini-series on my blog also. We need to help each other in this. All of the suggestions I’m reading are wonderful.
xoxo,
Connie
Thanks Claudia..is it ok that your post made me feel vaildated?? LOL I would say that is why we love your posts…
I do enjoy other blogs where they may have found something they got and have shared but I know what you mean when it is just “look what I bought and own” just not my cup of tea…and that’s ok…I’m sure I’m not theirs either (BIG LOL here!) Guess that’s where the “to each his own” came from , hM??
Thanks for a great post..
mare
Well said — and I couldn’t agree more. I love to decorate but I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t enjoy blogs that focus only on the constant accumulation of more and more stuff and its arrangement day after day after day. These are difficult days and the “frugal living” blogs are becoming more and more interesting to me at this time.
It’s interesting to me that your posting today is along the same lines as my posting today and a bit like Cozy Little House’s posting. We do have so many things.
I love things but I’ve been feeling the urgency lately of scaling back on my “things”. Not just for the obvious financial reasons but to simplify my life. I’m craving a sense of peace and contentment with a simple, uncluttered life.
As I indicated in my post today, I’m challenging myself to reducing my belongings to those things that I really need.
Of course there are sentimental items that I cherish and would not willingly give up. However I have a lot of “stuff” that I don’t need and that doesn’t hold sentimental value for me.
Brenda at Cozy Little House went shopping in her home after talking herself out of some things at the store. What a great idea! She is a talented decorator so I’m thinking she could show all of us how to utilize items we already own to make our houses feel like a home.
Wonderful posting! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts.
Have a wonderful day!
I so agree with you! I love this post mostly because I can so relate. I’ve been recycling, repurposing and creating something from nothing all my life (or most of my live) :)
Have a wonderful week!
Hugs,
Donna
My ‘hobby’ is thrifting, and I get a hoot out of it. I can’t remember the last time I bought anything from anywhere besides ebay or Goodwill.
Hope Riley and Don are better.
I find it much more interesting to see how someone re-purposed or made something for their home. It makes for a much more personal space and less cookie cutter big box store look.
I have bought new but only when gifted with some fun money, meaning it didn’t have to go towards the necessities in life. We have a very comfortable, thrifted love seat than has seen better days. I would love to have it professionally re-upholstered but that’s not going to happen any time soon.
Have a great day!
I couldn’t agree more. I have given up on reading a few blogs lately because they are all about having and not doing. But I must say I also get annoyed with the ‘I’ll buy nothing new this year’ type blogs. I know a fair few designer-makers who struggle to make an adequate living out of selling their wares and who would go out of business fast, taking their skills with them, if we all jumped on that ‘won’t buy’ bandwagon. But like you say, reading about folk getting more from what little they do spend is just the most inspiring thing. So ‘buy but buy wisely’ is my mantra I think.
I totally agree! I do think I may be one of those that did a post on buying too many of things I DO NOT NEED! I live on a budget. I lost my car because I couldn’t pay for it. I have gone over a year without one and I LOVE IT. I ride the bus. I had to get over being afraid it wouldn’t work and I walk a lot to get to stops and around because it is easier than waiting on a bus. This freed up some money BUT most of all I don’t get stressed it won’t cover what I need it to. That being gone I am a much happier person. I do splurge now and again. I don’t do it often and believe me sometimes it is at the grocery. But I have always simple taste, I LOVE Wal Mart’s four pack yogurt. They are less than $.50 each and my favorite. I really can eat well on a small budget. I have a roommate and I am slowly selling off all my little goodies I have accumulated over the years. I keep the ones that are more me now. I am good with less.
I do however like when I see pretty pictures and think I have all that. I can do that! A new arrangement and I am set. I love that better than searching a flea market, and that is great. I am lucky that my not so great paying job, does give me free well care for my dogs. I really would not be able to do it and I could not go without a dog. I consider that my greatest luxury. One I pray I will never have to give up. So I do without cable, but pay for internet, have a fancy mobile, and the dogs get the best food I can buy them to keep their skin and weight in check. And find where I can cut and not. I cut my own hair ;) It works out. I feel bad that people think they have to hide that they are thrifty. After the decades of having it all, we all should reuse a little more and be more careful of what we throw out. I agree and totally understand the thrill of wanting change and being able to pull it out of the “closet”. Really nothing better :)
Hugs, Lisa
sorry I think maybe this came out a little heavier than I intended :)
Claudia, you are oh so
right. I find it much more
fascinating to read a Cinderella
story about a rescued or
repurposed item ~ I love
this kind of inspiration.
BTW, I pinned your chalkboard
pic the first time I found it
on your blog; it’s awesome!
xx Suzanne
You know I have not had the motivation to go antiquing like I used to. I need more stuff like a hole in the head! I need to get rid of stuff not bring any more stuff in. The older I get the more simple I want my life to be. One good thing about the times we live in, it has forced most of us to be more careful with what we have and not be wasteful.~Hugs, Patti
Claudia I love this post and of course agree with you. Funny that you, Brenda and I all wrote on such similar topics today not knowing about the others.
I work both sides of this fence. As a decorator, I have bought my fair share of granite counters to go in million dollar cottages. As one of six kids and then wife of a musician and in that biz myself for 14 yrs. and then divorced and starting over, I’m very good at living on next to nothing. I’m happy either way but a little more proud of making nothing into something. ~ Maureen
I grew up with “if ya don’t have the cash for it…then we don’t get it”. and if something broke..oh well…that was it. We would have to try and fix it or do without. I grew up transforming old jeans into skirts and shopping in discount store and thrifts stores too. I love the way you transform things and blogs that do the same inspire me. Great post.
Blessings, Joanne
Very thought-provoking post. Thanks, Claudia, for sharing. Having possessions, whether new or old, costly or inexpensive, isn’t always the issue, it’s the why of having the items that can be the issue. We can have things for practical reasons, or simply to enjoy the beauty of the object. Or, we can have things because we value the having of the object more than the object. I sometimes find myself in that latter category, and I don’t like it too much. For instance, I have bought a certain type of object again and again, such as a Pyrex pie plate, because it comes with a feeling of nostalgia, remembering my grandma baking pies. But not even my grandma had 10 Pyrex pie plates. I had them shoved back in a cabinet, I wasn’t even using them. So, that’s an object I was buying and not really even enjoying or using, just having. Meanwhile, I have at least a dozen twig baskets around the house, all out in sight, all holding things, from mail to magazines to sewing supplies to pine cones by the fireplace. I can see that baskets are something that I buy and actually use and enjoy, I don’t just have them for the sake of having them. So, for me, the baskets have been worth the dollar or so I have paid for them, and maybe would have been worth 10 times that. But, for me, the pie plates aren’t really worth any price, since I stuck them back in a cabinet and just got annoyed with them when I rooted around in the cabinet looking for something else. I’ve decided to just keep three pie plates, and actually bake some pies now and then!
Amen.
I try my best to be thrifty and repurpose things in my cottage. Each table, chair and mirror has a history and a previous owner, and not from fancy antique shops but gathered up on trash day from neighbor’s homes, or as cast-offs from friends and family who knew I’d enjoy finding a way to fix or reuse them somehow. When I was small, my mother would make doll cradles for me out of the old round Quaker Oats boxes. And over the past few Christmases, she’s taken to wrapping up things that she wants to pass along to me, knowing that I’ll treasure them far more than a “new” present. (This year’s gift was the small saucepan my grandmother would boil eggs in when I was small.) We’re always passing our clothes around to one another in the family, even shipping them to family members in other states! And I try to give each friend and family member at least one handmade gift on holidays and birthdays, along with whatever other small things I might have for them. That’s always a wonderful feeling!
OH ya…I can relate to this post. My how things have changed in the last few years for hubby and I…I’ve gone from loving fine antiques to loving old worn out flawed painted pieces that I’m not afraid to use. I still have a few pretty antiques but I seem to enjoy my ‘junkin’ pieces a lot more. Even buying clothes has changed for me. I used to buy new all the time with a few garage sale finds thrown in when I found a good deal…now I find my thrill shopping at Goodwill! I’d rather buy a pair of good used jeans than pay for a cheap new pair…same with tops. Living here on the farm I wear a lot of ‘work’ clothes so if I can find them used why bother buying new. We have a kitchen renovation coming up…it’s not going to be a total re-do as we’re going to use what we have for the most part and it will be challenging but I know we can do it on a strict budget. This recession as been a real wake-up call for hubby and I and even though it’s tough I think it’s been something that we needed to experience.
I so enjoy looking at all of your lovely photos and projects. I am especially excited about your small house and thrifty living series. My family of 6 downsized to a small cape of 1500 Sq ft two yrs ago. My two oldest are college students and are not always around but our best times here are when we are all together. There is room swapping and cot sleeping if guests are involved, but I have to say these are happy times for me. It’s fun to see how other women are creatively making use of smaller spaces or just making do in these challenging economic times.