The basic point that one woman's sell pile is another woman's wish list is the foundation of this process (get the full story at Homemade Change). Notice that I didn't use the classic “trash vs treasure” comparison. Trash is usually trash. I do, however, believe treasures are living in your home. Right now, they are probably hidden in one of three ways. Your treasures are disguised as “set abouts” (aka dust collectors), camouflaged by other items or completely MIA in storage. A lot of these items COULD be in your sell pile... which really means the items on your wish list COULD become your new treasures. Got your attention now?
OK...I love the cleaning out and the selling parts of this process. We all know it feels good to declutter. Recouping part of the expense or making a profit off of an item is rewarding. But for me, nothing feels as good as a new dress, the perfect, vintage storage piece I have been coveting or a night out with my hubby. I enjoy the rewards of this Homemade Change and I really think you will too.
I recently found a set of water goblets in a local consignment shop. Gorgeous, cobalt blue glasses on clear stems originally priced at Pottery Barn for $10 a glass. Though I saw them when they were first dropped off at the consignment store at $4.50 a glass--immediately knowing they would forever be described in my head as “entertaining show stoppers, yet I love to use them everyday”-- I resisted. See, this shop has an aggressive markdown schedule and every 25 days an item sits on the shelf, the sales price is reduced by 25%.
Perfection of glass form and shopping
strategies aside, I had perfectly nice plum colored glasses at home.
I further reminded myself that I received these pretty and “perfectly
good” glasses for free from helping a previous client clean
out her storage apartment.
No, no you read that right. I said
storage “apartment” and not “unit.” This sweet lady literally
paid a mortgage for a place, separate from where she lived, to keep
piles of “stuff.” Stuff she never used, never needed, and never
missed. Though she wouldn't accept payment for the few she offered
me, she had a lot of treasures. (More on that story at a later time)
So, to my amazement the perfect glasses sit at the consigment store for 50 days (now, 50% off of the original price) and are moved to the bargain room. I'm contemplating purchasing them when I see two women with armfuls of blue and clear beauties, carrying them like treasures. MY new treasures. I wanted to scream. It was then that I knew I had made a mistake. I LOVED those glasses. AND STUPID STUPID STUPID I had “perfectly good” condition, pretty plum glasses that would be perfect...in someone else's kitchen. I also had ZERO investment in them besides elbow grease, sweat and a little muscle soreness from decoding clutter in the storage “apartment”. Before I could stop myself, I exclaimed, “Oh how pretty! I love those!”. And this thieving broad replied, “Me too, honey, but I only have room in my home for twelve so there are six left in the back.” I could have kissed her.
So, to my amazement the perfect glasses sit at the consigment store for 50 days (now, 50% off of the original price) and are moved to the bargain room. I'm contemplating purchasing them when I see two women with armfuls of blue and clear beauties, carrying them like treasures. MY new treasures. I wanted to scream. It was then that I knew I had made a mistake. I LOVED those glasses. AND STUPID STUPID STUPID I had “perfectly good” condition, pretty plum glasses that would be perfect...in someone else's kitchen. I also had ZERO investment in them besides elbow grease, sweat and a little muscle soreness from decoding clutter in the storage “apartment”. Before I could stop myself, I exclaimed, “Oh how pretty! I love those!”. And this thieving broad replied, “Me too, honey, but I only have room in my home for twelve so there are six left in the back.” I could have kissed her.
Now, this next part is a confession NOT
a suggestion. I bought them. I HAD to! There they were in the bargain
room. I practically skipped on my way to gather the six remaining
goblets and purchased them straight away. Thoughts of “iced water with lemon
wedges, the perfect contrast of the blue and yellow... cocktails in the
summer...” danced in my head. No pestering little details or inward
questions of where was I going to pull the money from to pay for
them. See, it's not that we're poor, it's that my husband and I budget every dollar.
We PLAN to blow some money every month (but we save a heck of a lot
more) and that blown money is usually spoken for together.
NOPE, bought 'em. Sure, the deal was unbelievable and I loved them, but we are on a self imposed, planning to retire early budget. Luckily, I just happened to have a sell pile (plum glasses) and turns out they were on another woman's wish list.
NOPE, bought 'em. Sure, the deal was unbelievable and I loved them, but we are on a self imposed, planning to retire early budget. Luckily, I just happened to have a sell pile (plum glasses) and turns out they were on another woman's wish list.
I dropped my old glasses off the next day, they sold within a week and I made my $12.50 back. $10 a glass treasures for just a little over $2 a glass...success and fulfillment :). Mmmm that is the sweetest unsweet tea I have ever tasted.
