Coincidence?

Goodwill is starting to get picked clean.

At first, I thought it was a fluke. I went a couple times, and couldn't find a thing. That happens occasionally. But, to have it happen 2 times in a row was weird. Then, Claire and I went together. Same thing. Both of us found small items, but still, it was very odd not to find goodies like we usually do. Everything left in the store seemed........tired. You know, like you'd find at a THRIFT STORE :X.

Today, I went to another Goodwill. One that (usually) has a higher percentage of designer goods and high end stuff. Same thing......old, out of date, yuck.

It may sound egotistical, but I think you guys are listening. I think you're thrifting more and more, and that's why the shelves are empty. Hey, it's as good a reason as any, right?

Just remember to donate what you don't need anymore. Erin and Claire need some successful resale shopping therapy.

Toiletries Of The Aging Thriftnerd: Toothcare

Are you tired of this series yet? Well, good news! Today's our final installment! I would probably be more timely, if I didn't have to work for a living :P

Taking care of your teeth in a frugal manner is almost 100% preventative. In other words, you need to head off dental problems before they show up. Most of the time, you can.

I have two kids, and they both got the exact same dental care growing up. Brendan has never had a cavity, and his teeth are perfectly straight, naturally. Claire has had cavities her whole life, did the $4000 round of braces, and wears a mouth guard at night for TMJ. She takes better care of her teeth, and yet, this recent trip to the dentist revealed 3 more cavities. Sigh.

Well, when you grow up with absolutely no dental problems, you tend to get a bit lazy. Kind of like growing up without a weight problem: you eat what you want with no fear of repercussions.

Brendan had to pay the piper this past year. After several years of no dental appointments, he went to a new dentist in Canton, only to find out he had periodontal disease, which necessitated painful scraping under his gums and a prescription rinse, all to the tune of over $900. Ouch. Of course, this happened before he was eligible for dental care through his employer. Having had quite a scare, Brendan must now floss, brush and rinse well every single day, and schedule regular dental appointments, for the rest of his life. We got him a very nice electric toothbrush for Christmas.

Claire must ALSO floss, brush and rinse well every single day, just to keep her problematic teeth from getting worse. No traisping off to bed with unbrushed teeth for either one of my precious gems.

We all know flossing is a pain, but neglecting to do so results in even bigger pain! I didn't start flossing regularly myself, until I was in my late 30's and going through a divorce. I had always had dental insurance and regular dental care throughout my childhood and first marriage, but facing the possiblity of not being insured when I became single, I started flossing every night. It has made a huge difference, and I know the problems I HAVE had could have been worse had I not been so diligent.

Both Crest and Colgate have come out with new toothpaste and rinse combos. Far from being just another marketing scheme, they really work! Dentists can tell if you use the rinse, paste and floss routine! Another integral part of good toothcare: get yourself an electric toothbrush! You don't have to go all out and buy the $100 plus models; the $5-on up disposables really pack a punch. They are great for ridding your teeth of plaque.

How long should you brush? Two minutes at least. Pay attention especially to the backsides of your very last tooth on both upper and lowers. They do the most work chewing, and because they are so hard to reach, they get neglected, and more often than not, they're the teeth that get infected and pulled. If you have an electric toothbrush, they are especially effective in getting those hard to reach teeth.

Ok, so we've covered the basics. Now, what about whitening? You've asked at a very good time! At home whitening kits are effective and much cheaper than the dentist's version, which can run $500 and up. An average of $30 is what you might spend for the DIY kits. I've used them twice, and they are great! They don't taste all that great, but it's a temporary thing........2 weeks of daily whitening treatments can yield almost a year of pearly white teeth.

Doing as much preventative care as possible can eliminate a lot of dental problems. However, like with Claire, sometimes your best just isn't good enough. Unfortunately, you can't shop around for cheap dental care that's also good. Our family had several bad experiences with a dental chain that supposedly saved us money, but the care was dangerous and substandard. Ask around for a good, caring dentist. Also, look into dental insurance if you can. That monthly investment will pay off when it's needed (just ask Brendan!).

So, to sum up today's blog:

Never go to bed with unbrushed teeth!
Always floss daily (at least once a day)
Use the floss, brush, rinse 3 step punch!
Blow everyone away with your DIY whites!
Ask around for a good dentist, and utlize dental insurance if you can.

And, smile, darn it!

The High Price Of Athletic Shoes

These are my brand new New Balance workout shoes. Paying for them ticked me off.

I have looked for months for a brand new pair of workout shoes second hand. They ARE to be had. I have seen and bought them in the past. This time, however, that fabulous deal eluded me. So, I resorted to shopping for a brand new pair on the clearance rack.

I found these lovely green and turquoise beauties at Meijer for $34.50. They were regularly priced at $69. SIXTY NINE DOLLARS!!! Why? Will they also wash my car and do my laundry?

I learned about 5 years ago that New Balance work the best with my feet. So, that's the brand I buy. It's honestly better than buying a no name brand with no cushioning or support. My last pair of NB not only wore like iron, but they also washed in numerous bleach loads and came back looking spotless. Even when I started wearing them to the shop.

So, if I were to be completely honest with myself, I would do the math. Say I bought that last pair for $50. I wore them every day to work for several years. That results in about 96 cents per week, for at least a year. Since I had them longer than that, the outlay went down even more. Ok, that helps.

I guess it's that initial shock of paying so much upfront, and that's why I try hard to find name brand goods second hand. If your kid runs track, you wouldn't believe the like new pairs of cleats I see at Goodwill every single time I go.

I know I run the risk of losing a good deal of my readers when I talk about second hand shoes. There's a real 'ick' factor involved for some folks. Here's what I do: buying name brand, good quality shoes at a thrift store, means I can take them home and run them through a scalding hot, bleach load in my washer. Superior quality ensures that they will come out perfectly fine. Added bonus? You paid $4.99 for them resale, so you can afford to play a little laundry roulette.

When I buy anything second hand, I am beyond thorough when checking them out. Seeing how much wear there is, checking out the inside to make sure everything is still stitched and where it belongs. Making sure the soles aren't sloped (huge sign of too much wear).

It seems to be much easier to find heels or other kinds of footwear second hand. People tend to hang onto their athletic shoes longer. However, like I said, I have found great deals. Brands I otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford, like that fabulous pair of K-Swiss back when Claire was a baby. I loved those things right to the garbage can.

I am just getting back into working out, 4 months after my hysterectomy. These brand new NBs won't do the work for me, but they'll sure help.

At $34.50, if I wear them at least 5 times a week, their final financial outlay will be mere pennies :)

Being A Packrat Pays Off

I am not a immaculate homemaker. We don't have corn growing in the dust in the corners of the house, but we also have 7 pets, so some days it's a total wash as I chase hairballs around, and clean up cat vomit. We need to replace our living room furniture, as our baby kitties endlessly 'christened' it, and we can't seem to get it cleaned. Needless to say, I don't judge others for their housekeeping skills, or lack thereof.

Clutter drives me bat crap crazy, but I do have my stacks lying around. Sometimes it's nothing more than garbage that needed to be recycled a looooong time ago, but other stacks are necessary (FAFSA prep for Claire is staring me in the face. KNOCK THAT OFF!).

And then, there's my blessed hubby's stacks. And stacks. And STACKS.

We have a full garage and basement. Michael never throws anything away if he doesn't have to. While I'm not enamored of the heaps, I have been shown time and time again that keeping things can pay off big sometimes.

Case in point: I gave Michael a new, large crockpot for Christmas. Earlier this week, I accidently knocked the lid off the counter, and shattered the plastic knob. Boy, was I steamed. Crockpot replacement lids can often run as much $$$ as a crockpot!

Michael came downstairs to see what all the hollering and stomping around was about. Immediately a plan started forming in his brain. He ran out to his workbench in the garage, and came back with an extra kitchen knob, from when we remodeled the kitchen years ago. I had no idea we had extras!

He brought the knob to work, bored out the hole, scavanged up the necessary inner workings, and VOILA! A crockpot lid that once again functions in it's intended role. All for free, thanks to a resourceful husband who is handier than anything. And, never throws anything away.

By the way, I was warned that, if I dropped the lid THIS time, the heavy replacement knob would shatter the lid. In other words, be careful, wife!

In closing, I need to issue a disclaimer over yesterday's 'haircare' addition of the blog. Our mission statement is always to show folks how to do it for less, NOT to give the impression that we have it all together and are all that. We know we aren't the be all end all last word in thrift. We just want to share our experiences :)

Toiletries Of The Aging Thriftnerd: Haircare

I left the 'aging' in the today's blog post title, but we'll do a bit of talking about my dear daughter's hair, too, and she's nowhere near aging!

You know how the older generation just loves to say, 'back in my day!' or, 'you guys have NO idea how good you have it!' Well, I can honestly say this applies to haircare. In the almost 50 years of my life, I have seen such changes, particularly in the area of home haircolor and conditioning. Where once we had to strictly rely on going to a salon for top quality products, now we can often find just as good product over the counter.

That being said, I will start this off by saying, NOTHING will replace a good haircut. There are many ways to save money, but if you want to look current and stay on top of those pesky split ends, do yourself a favor and find a great hairstylist, and quit crying over the cost. Hey, if it's so easy to do, CUT YOUR OWN!

Then, Instagram the results. Snort.

If you want healthy hair, you need to take care of it. You need to keep it trimmed. You need the proper shampoo and conditioner for your hair type. You need the right brush. And, you need to make sure you're using the right haircolor and treatments. It's worth taking the extra time to do your research and make sure you're buying the right stuff. The payoff? Beautiful, lustrous locks.

I used to use whatever I could find in the way of brushes and combs. One was as good as another, right? Actually, no. Especially since my hair is color treated, I needed to find a brush that was gentle. The boar bristle brushes are truly kind to your hair. So, are the brushes with widely spaced bristles. You want to eliminate the chance of snagging and breaking your precious strands, so choose wisely. I also use a special comb made just for combing out wet hair after shampooing. Just using those two tools have made a huge difference in the quality of my hair.

After shampooing, I do very little blow drying. Color treated and dry, my hair needs every break I can give it. I only blow dry my crown and bangs, using a round, natural bristled styling brush. I dry it to the 'just damp' stage. I also only wash my hair two times a week. It's amazing, as we age, how little we need to cleanse those follicles!

If you're my age, I recommend a hairstyle that takes minimal heat styling. The first day after I shampoo, I do the whole 9 yards as far as straightening and curling. Then, on the days after that, my style needs very little upkeep. I have long layers that hold their shape nicely. I will wash my hair tonight, but this morning, as I was getting ready for work, I bent over, touseled my hair with my fingers, smoothed it out a bit, and sprayed it. I use Elnett spray, which at $13.99 is NOT a bargain price, but it is gentle on my hair, doesn't feel sticky, yet holds exactly as I like it. I consider that a bargain!

As far as shampoo and conditioner, I like the Pantene line a lot. I use the Pantene Intense Moisture conditioner. For shampoo, Sally Beauty has their ION line of products, and I'm using their Intense Moisture shampoo. L'Oreal does a great job of putting coupons in the Sunday paper for their products, so I can always find one when I'm needing Pantene. I belong to the Sally Beauty Club, which for $5 a year, I get discounts every time I buy something, not to mention emails and special gifts. We seem to be going to Sally more and more, as Claire will be starting cosmetology school in a less than a year (ZOINKS!) and she's always wanting to check out the makeup and haircare products. She uses the Biotera line for shampoo and conditioner. At $6.99 and $10.99, Sally's shampoos and conditioners are much less than the usual salon product, yet are just as superior.

I have been coloring my hair since high school. I remember being a freshman, and having my mom pull my hair through those little bitty holes in the color cap when I wanted 'frosted' waves. Oh, the pain we endured! When I was a senior, I decided I had had enough of my ashy, mousy brown haircolor, and asked my mom to make me a blonde! I have been 'augmenting' my haircolor ever since. In the old days, when you colored your own hair, the consistency was like that of a Barbie's hair.....strange and stiff. Going to have my hair professionally highlighted eliminated that, but it was also much pricier. I paid as high as $150 for professional highlights (ah, the good old days???).

During my divorce, I could no longer get my hair colored professionally, so good ol' mom came to my rescue. I started using L'oreal Preference, and it's truly a superior product. One box every 3-4 weeks keeps my roots in good shape. Because I use blonde, it's unnecessary to color my whole head, and it's much easier on my ends when I don't. Blonde doesn't fade like other colors, and even though it's not peroxide based, it's still harsh on my hair, so not coloring my whole head helps a great deal. You can also coat your ends in conditioner when you color, for extra protection.

After coloring, I try to wait at least 4 days before shampooing.

My darling Claire seems to be following in mom's footsteps, as far as coloring her hair in high school, but she goes for sexy, vixen red! The L'Oreal Feria Intense color every 4 weeks does the trick. Red DOES fade, so for that added oomph, we do Claire's whole head (yes, I color it, I'm paying it forward from my mom!). Since she still has oily hair, she must wash it every night, but she waits at least 2 days before washing after applying color. She also watches the heat styling, often opting for free, natural waves, or putting it up into a cute topknot. You can get away with that when you're young :P

Both Claire and I receive compliments on our color, so we must be doing something right! I don't claim to be an expert, but after a lifetime of playing around and finding the right products for my 'do, I think I've finally nailed it. Claire wears her hair very long, but she swears by regular trims to get rid of the crispy split ends. Especially after a play or musical, where she must subject her hair to nightly torture sessions with 1000's of bobby pins and about a ton of Aquanet!

I am looking forward to my darling daughter's foray into cosmetology. I'm sure we will both benefit from some added, professional advice!

'We Can't Afford It!'

I know I have posted about this before, but it bears repeating. A LOT. Seems daily I hear 'I can't afford that!'

Now, this can be a legitimate statement. If you live close to the poverty line, you truly can't afford things. I'm not talking to those folks at all. The rest of us need to change our wording.

It takes awareness of priorities.

I'll use Michael and I as an example. We have two older cars. Michael drives a 2004 Dodge Ram, and I have a 2002 Honda Accord. Both vehicles were paid for in cash, and bought used. They're fabulous vehicles, but they're getting up there in years and mileage. Should someone say, 'you're needing to buy new cars,' it would be an easy, pat answer to retort, 'we can't afford new cars!'

In reality, we probably can, BUT. Our priorities lie in a different area. We are more concerned with getting our last kiddo graduated, and pay off some medical bills. We're still trying to get things situated after my lengthy time off for surgery. We don't have the cash on hand to buy new vehicles, and we're lacking the room in the budget for car payments, at this time. So, we take extra good care of the car and truck, and maybe someday, we'll be in better shape financially to replace them.

Do you see what I just did? I owned up. Instead of copping the 'we can't afford it.'

It shouldn't be such an issue with me, but it is. I guess it's because I hear far too many people whine and complain about not being able to 'afford' things, and then doing something like taking a tropical cruise. Buying an expensive car. Building a McMansion. All the while, crabbing about having to buy groceries for their kids, or pay for them to go to a certain school, or just basically providing what a parent needs to provide.

I'm pretty sure I'm not speaking to a majority of you, but there may be a few who need to step back, and own up.

So, if you find yourself getting upset about paying for the basics of life, yet go out to eat often, buy designer goods at full price, and spend every spring break someplace warm........be honest.

You can afford it. It's a question of priorities.

Toiletries Of The Aging Thriftnerd: Nail Care

I'll try not to belabor things in today's post, as long time readers of my blog are well aquainted with the angst of this writer regarding her nails. Some expensive luxuries were very easy for me to give up, others not so much, and this is one of them. I love having my nails and feet pampered, it's truly one of life's finest pleasures. It's also pretty pricey, considering you need to have it done every other week.

And therein lies the rub: when you're counting every penny, you get an ulcer every time you break one of your professionally manicured nails. I see enough dollar signs going 'bye bye'......I don't need more!

So, what can you do? You like the look of well groomed nails? Well, do them yourself!

First of all, I can't stress enough how valuable YouTube tutorials are for any and all makeup and nailcare instruction. You can find step by step videos on how to give yourself a perfect manicure at home. Whereas we once had to swallow hard and buy those inocuous yellow and black 'For Dummies' books, now we can anonymously search for cuticle softening and removal in the privacy of our own, beauty challenged homes :P

Like long nails? Well, unless your nails are as thick as steel pipe, I'd go short. Keep them shaped and well groomed, and short nails go with everything. Get in the habit of carrying around a good quality emery board (the big ones can be had at the dollar store)and you're set whenever you hit a snag (literally). Do NOT try to cut off your cuticles. You risk infection and lots of unnecessary pain. Instead, buy cuticle remover at Sally Beauty, and make soaking your cuticles part of your nailcare routine. Be sure to follow the directions and get every last drop of the remover off before you go onto the next step.

Once you've filed and shaped your nails, and softened up your cuticles, you're set to polish them up. If you're wanting the most impact with the least amount of work, buy a buffer (also Sally or the dollar store) and buff your nails to a splendid shine. Those having no splitting or peeling nails can do this with ease. If you like the bare look, but DO have an issue with breakage, check out Sally Hansen Hard As Nails, or Miracle Cure. They can be worn by themselves, or I use them as a topcoat over polish with great success. In fact, I'm on my second week using the Miracle Cure over my nude polish, and am just today seeing a crack here and there. That, my friends, is a successful home manicure :)

Do you prefer colored polish? There are several over the counter brands that have staying power. Revlon is always a good, well priced brand for polish. They have a high color turnover, so once you find a favorite, you might want to stock up! Claire and I also love Essie brand. We like it better than the hugely hyped OPI. We've found Essie at Meijer and Kohl's......with the latter having the biggest variety of colors.

Once you've put on a coat or two, seal it with a topcoat of something clear. Leave a little time in between coats to make sure it sets up a bit. After you're done, spray your nails with a 'quick dry' spray, or run your nails under cold water. Both will help to set your polish on top, but allow a couple hours for thorough drying all the way through. Be patient, and don't do your nails an hour before a big date or event.

If you do your nails before bed, and wake up in the morning with 'blanket prints' on your nails, a quick coat of clear will renew your 'just polished' beauty.

If you're like me, and get polish on your cuticles, dip a cotton swab in polish remover and clean it up. Make sure to dab Aquaphor around your cuticles as often as you can, like before bed. This winter has given me snaggy cuticles like you wouldn't believe, and Aquaphor has helped a great deal.

I would never tell you what color to wear on your nails, but here's a bit of advice from a girl with very lined fingers.......darker colors tend to bring any imperfection or age out more than if you go natural or with a nude polish. I have to save my wild, dark colors for my toes!

Ok.....what if you say, 'this is all well and good, Erin. But I love the look of acrylic/gel nails. How can I duplicate THAT at home?' Well, you honestly can't 100%, but you can fake it well! Check out the press on nails at your drug or big box store. If you're a fan of the 'French manicure,' you have several brands to choose from. I was pleasantly surprised at the resilience of the new press ons. With good, firm application, you could easily wear a set for several days. For the budget minded prom goer, a set of press on nails will look just as good as a professional set, with the added bonus of not having to ruin your nails when you eventually have to take the suckers off.

There you have it! Tightwad advice for your pretty fingers and toes. It does take more time than if you just ran into the salon for some nail TLC......but it's a whole lot cheaper, too.