Extravagant Costs of Underwear

Hi Frugalicious People,

Why is it that underwear is so EXPENSIVE?! A bit of stretch fabric and maybe some lace to pretty it up. Each year when I look for a couple of new items I am shocked at the ridiculous prices. Being on the Rubenesque side of things, I can not find inexpensive little numbers. So paying 50% of my food budget to hold my boobs up?! Is a No Way - I don't think so, situation - well this week that's for sure because I'm feeling extra frugalicious.

With an increasing need to lift my Balcony to better heights I wandered into an op shop near a public library I was visiting and there... behold my eyes, was a rack of brand spanking new bras for $6.99. Original Target price tags of $39.99 still attached. I tell you, those who look and wait an extra day are often happily rewarded!

So my lovely Blogland friends go and take a look at your local charity shops - there might be some brand new underwear in your size just waiting to help your body lift its game.

Are you willing to go looking in your local charity shop for that tiny bit of stretchy fabric?

To all ladies having to pay the extra costs for having extra flesh (like I do) I wish you luck on your hunt,

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under.
(FB - Link)

Freedom or Financial Debt.

Hi Everyone,

I've been watching a bit of Ted lately and becoming inspired by people who are living or doing things I would like to try out. We don't have access to regular TV in our home so the net, blogs, You Tube and the likes are my relaxing evening entertainment. So while everyone else talks about the newest popular TV show and run out to buy the same lipstick as the main character, I'm watching something that is expanding my mind and encouraging me to not fall in those consumer traps.

Many of you living the frugal lifestyle will know of Adam Baker and the changes he made with his wife and baby for a simpler lifestyle - they aimed for freedom, to get off the financial debt round-a-bout. Well the exciting thing is you can watch him talking about his experiment or lifestyle change and how it worked out for them. So sit back and put your feet up for 20 minutes and enjoy!

Don't forget to let me know what you thought... Are you aiming for Freedom too?

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under.

Being Good and Frugal in October

I'm being really good so far. The only frivolous stuff has been a little junk food from the super market at my desk (chocolate and chips).

I menu planned for the week and my groceries were only $75 (including a $12 bottle of laundry liquid).

Layer of ratatouille, egg and topped with cheese. Mmmmm.

I have shopped at the garden plot 1st. One of my garden neighbours is off travelling Nepal for a few weeks and told me to help myself in exchange for me watering the garden. So this has allowed me a few more goodies then usual.

Shopping at my plot 1st. Dolly snacking on Snake Beans.

Dolly was on school holidays for 1 week and we went to lots of FREE activities including arts & crafts, out door Life Be In It activities, computer games at our local Officeworks and a movie under the stars (Rango).

Outdoor Life Be In It team encouraging kids to be active.

15 minutes on the Computer Games at Officeworks Kid Station.

Free Movie - we took our blanket, drinks, pop corn and lollies.

Our lastest couchsurfing couple included a qualified hairdresser so I received a hair cut & dye whilst Dolly had her hair done each day in exchange for the couch.

Ready for School Rapunzel style.

And tonight I commenced work on a 2 year old Birthday gift out of old clothes and scraps. Dolly was invited on very short notice to a party this Saturday morning at 9am. Not much time to create but pushing myself along. My mum picked up the Softies Magazine for only 30 cents at a local op shop, just for me :-) Of course the mags instructions are all with new fancy pantsy bits and bobs. But I'm repurposing old stuff that needs a second chance and hopefully it will turn out looking presentable.

Creating on a Tight Schedule - Yet Again.

How is October fairing for you?

A Happy Yess $50

I completed my laundry, watered my 2 plots, had my market stall and menu planned. But I'm too knackered to do my food shopping, that will have to wait until Monday or Tuesday night.

So.. at The Happy Yess market I made $50 after taking out;

• $150 float, 
• $12 stall fee, 
• $25 stock costs 
• $7 for 24 coat hangers and 
• $8 lebanese food from a fellow stall holder for The Rambling Expat, Dolly and myself. 

This is less then last time, however I set up too late, missing the 1st influx of willing customers who found nothing at my stall to tempt them. And this is still a hobby. Me playing around, dreaming of the "what if's..."

Clothes Rack, Bookshelf and Card Table.

Dolly made $7 on a soft toy and a pair of outgrown shoes. She spent $2 on gingerbread men another stall holder was selling. Leaving her $5 to divide into 3 equal parts. As this would prove difficult I slipped an extra 10 cents into her pile of coins. And this is what my 4 year old did on her own with a brain foggy with exhaustion. (Proud Mama here.)

Dolly Positioning her Money.

$1.70 placed into each container;

• short term (spending, lollies, toys), 
• medium short term (horse?), 
• long term (home?).

And this is my $50 :-)

Let the Good Times Roll

• $25 will go into our travel fund (Borneo?)
• $25 into my garden plot jar as I need to purchase a timer for water irrigation.

I really wanted to try and squeeze another market in somewhere else last month but felt too shy. However another stall holder has given me her number and we may go together and cheer each other on. I just have to go and spend my $25 "stock money" on another op shopping spree to prepare my next stall.

Did you sell or swap anything this month?
What do you get your kids to do with their money?

Saturday Op Shopping Finds

Hello Lovers of Thrift,

I went to my local Op shop with my 3 year old daughter and found some great goodies to feed my consumer wants and needs.

My Total Spend = $8.50.

I bought a Pumpkin Patch tracksuit for Dolly for $8.00, it's super soft and warm. This is a purchase for our trip to France. It will be so cold and winter! Due to us living in the tropics we don't own much warm clothing. I need to build up 3 sets of clothing for her. I am relying heavily on family in France to lend us other winter clothes when we arrive.

I also purchased a novel in Spanish to gift a Columbian friend for 50 cents. Bargain and unusual find.

Warm Tracksuit and Spanish Read.

My daughter Dolly also made a purchase with her own money: Total Spend $6.00

Dolly purchased a beautiful rocking unicorn for the inexpensive sum of $6.00. She should be able to flip this and get her money back once she had outgrown it.

Rock My Unicorn

I also picked up a couple books (Perfume), tops and vintage Dollies to flip on Ebay. I'll see if I have any luck.

Did you go op shopping (thrifting) recently? Any fun finds? Were they needs or wants?

In thrifty solidarity,

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under.

Op Shopping Fantastica

I LOVE op shopping (thrifting). It's frugal, it's green and the chase is thrilling.

Many people think op shopping is "dirty and gross" but everything can be cleaned in some manner and re-used. There is always so much to go through to find your gems, but there is a lot out there and many wonderfully unique pieces too. Once you start op shopping regularly you will find you get used to running your eyes along the racks quickly and finding the good stuff.

I love being able to purchase items on a small budget and feel guilt free too. I see my purchase as saving stuff from landfill and preventing the over production of new stuff.

I op shop not only because it's frugal and green, but also because I'm Rubenesque meaning clothing shops with my size are ridiculously over priced and very limiting in range. So I'm very lucky I have Op Shops around me and even though I'm in a small town I still find many gems.

So don't be shy, go and browse your local op shop. My hints are; take cash as some op shops don't use cards, take a shoulder bag to keep you arms free for the items you want to check out, look carefully for stains and holes and have fun. 

Here is what I purchased in the past 2 weeks: TOTAL PRICE $14, all items in pics below.

• Novels in French for my partner: $2.50 for two.
• Professional development book for myself .50cents.
• A really cute leather headband for myself, $1.00.
• A book I really wanted last month but refused to fork out $45 for, and there is was... Urban Eco Chic only $3.00!!! I was so EXCITED... it's a beautiful book.

Books and Headband = $7.00

My Gorgeous Book!!! = $3.00

• Cooper Street dress with a teeny weeny burn. $2.00, purchased for sewing projects. (New Cooper Street dresses start at $159. The fabric is luxurious.)

Cooper Street Dress = $2.00

• A white wool beret for an up coming trip to France $1.00.
• Trial size make-up from Mary Kay $1.00 for a whole lot.
• Sewing hooks & eyes I needed for a sewing project, Lucky me! .50 cents.
• Salt and Pepper shaker by an Italian company $2.00.
• Maori doll for my daughter .50 cents.

Beret, Make-up, Doll, Salt & Pepper Shakers and Eyes & Hooks = $5.00

Do you Op Shop? What have you found lately?