Thrifty Treasures: Summer Clearance Shopping

Linking to Rhoda's Thrifty Treasures today!

I've added a few things to my Thrifty Wish List over the summer, namely a metal shelving unit or etagere for my deck, but I haven't had much luck lately with yard sales or thrift stores. I refuse to buy thrift store stuff just for the sake of *stuff*, so the girls and I have been leaving Salvation Army empty-handed lately. If they don't have a decent looking buffet for me to makeover, we make the rounds and then head back into the parking lot.

I have found some great buys in local department and super stores, so I thought I'd share a few of those with you today. Like I said last week, it doesn't have to be from a yard sale to qualify as a thrifty treasure...in my opinion, anyways.

Although it annoys me when stores start hauling out Christmas displays in October, I was delighted to see most summer items at Target marked down or on clearance this week. By marking summer stuff down now, we have plenty of time left to enjoy it!

On a mission to buy toilet paper and shaving cream for T, I hauled the girls in one of those giant 3-seater carts (their choice, of course) around the store...because it is Target, after all, and it's not fun unless you browse!

The Dollar Spot was sporting some cute Back to School items, and we picked up this Kitty Cat Travel Pillow for Michaela Byrd for $2.50.

Natalie has a pink travel pillow (also from the DS, several years ago) that causes much wailing and gnashing of teeth on long car trips. Now we have two, and I'm sure they'll fight over the kitty cat, but at least my kids won't have to nap in their car seats with their necks all tilted at odd angles. Who knows? Maybe that $2.50 will save us from visits to a chiropractor someday.

As we rounded the corner (it's really hard to round corners in those giant carts!), I gasped when my eyes fell upon a 50% Clearance rack end-cap. This 1 quart ice cream maker came home with us for $12.49. It was originally $25.

I know you can find ice cream makers relatively easily at yard sales and thrift stores, but there's never a guarantee that they're not on their last leg, or (even worse) already broken.

I decided that $12.49 was worth the cost to play around with our own flavors and have some more summer fun with the kids. My sister bought her own ice cream maker recently, and she gave me some tips over the phone. I can't wait to play around with this baby!

My last purchase wasn't particularly thrifty, but I snatched up the last 4 patio seat cushions in a pattern I'd been eyeing all summer. They go along with a little post I have planned for tomorrow, so if you stop by you can check them out.

What about you?

{Have you had any thrifty luck lately?}

Am I the only one who has lost her thrift store mojo? Or maybe my local shops are just experiencing a shortage of donations....either way, I'll keep looking for items on my list, but I'm trying not to bring home any more *stuff.*

In other news, our next Show Me the Progress party is coming up on Wednesday, July 28th!

I originally planned this party as a way for Decorating Dilemmas participants to share updates on their Dilemmas, but I think it would be fun to hear about Progress you're making in any area of your life!

This is going to be your chance to celebrate the little steps you've made lately, whether it's updating a design element in your home, working on your reading list, losing the last 5 pounds, losing the first 5 pounds, tackling that 6 foot tall pile of laundry, or finally finishing that craft project you've been holding off on.

You don't have to have linked up to a Decorating Dilemmas party to share at this party, and you don't have to have a completed project to link up. If you want to post about the best ideas you received for your Dilemma and ways you plan to implement them, that's fine.

This party is all about encouraging each other to meet those final goals. I hope you'll consider linking up!