Women Only - Hints on good stuff/bargains

[LERCA]

Hey everyone 
We usually have a cold rainy June and it’s already hot so I’m sure it’s going to be HOT this summer. Yesterday I found exactly what I’ve been looking for forever. An enormous gigantic sun hat for $2.49. At the 99 store. I love my Walmart folding mattress even if it wasn’t cheap. I’m excited about those finds.

 Got me thinking about GypsyJan’s post about the great folding stool. I have wasted money I couldn’t afford because I didn’t know what was out there. I read the forums long before I joined and I do feel a lot of information I’ve gotten from women has been helpful for me. Not exclusively but more directed at my needs. I keep notes on my phone.
I liked all the information Gertie got so I’m asking if you find something great or useful or a bargain it would be nice if you’d post it here. Sometimes I read something in passing mentioned in a post and think shoot I wish I had bought that instead of wasting money on something else. I just bought a $20. lantern at Big 5 that broke when I used it the first time. So believe me any finds/useful stuff/ tricks etc greatly appreciated. A lot more people read than post so you’ll be helping a lot of us. TIA!

 

[GypsyJan]

Walmart has Luci lights (inflatable solar lantern) for less than $20...I've had mine for several years. I can recharge it by solar on the dashboard. (At home I keep it recharged with an electric lamp!). Now they make one that recharges your USB (for a few dollars more).

 

[LERCA]

Saw those on Bob’s very beginner video. Didn’t know they were at Walmart they were amazing. Soft lights and folding up and I love using the dash space for something. See there are so many amazing things out there. I prefer to buy in person rather than online.

 

[vanbrat]

Shop the thrift stores! Anytime I want anything. That is my first stop. It is always amazing to me what can be found there. I don't think I have bought anything 'new' for my kitchen in many years. I love the old stuff that has been used for years, and they may show their age, but still have many years of work left in them. And some seasonal stuff that I may only want for something like a party I tell everyone who asks I rented it from the thrift store. Which just means I return it instead of store it in my already full house.

 

[LERCA]

I’ve mostly shopped at thrift stores and eBay for 30 years. I think even if I was a billionaire I would still shop there. So many treasures. I know pretty much every thrift store in my county. I have found amazing things. Just bought two nightgowns new with tags ( Eileen West 100% cotton and Craft and Barrow cotton poly mix for $4.00 each!!!) and a like new Chaps (Ralph Lauren) plaid zippered shirt/jacket same price.

 

[maki2]

Walmart has Luci lights (inflatable solar lantern) for less than $20...I've had mine for several years. I can recharge it by solar on the dashboard. (At home I keep it recharged with an electric lamp!). Now they make one that recharges your USB (for a few dollars more).

The best advantage of the Luci that charges with USB is you can charge the battery that runs that light while you are driving  from a USB port connected to your 12v battery and run the light from that connected USB port if the Luci internal battery is low on power. Sometimes you get a series of days without a lot of solar and often those days are when you need some extra light inside even in the daytime. It adds more function to the Luci, worth the extra dollars to be able to charge it with solar or via the USB port. Of course if you have large solar panels hooked to your battery then when using the USB port you are still doing solar charging

 

[maki2]

I really like plastic mason jars. They are not as heavy as glass and of course don't have the same breakage issues. Handy for storing dry bulk food items. They come in several sizes. Of course they are reusable. While not totally eco friendly they are not in the classification of "single use plastics". It lets me get rid of a lot of packaging at the stores to move things from boxes into those jars. The larger ones that have flat sides on them mean you can conserve space in cabinets and drawers versus using round storage containers. You can not use them for hot water type of canning for food preservation but they are just fine to store things in them in the fridge. Watch the labels ans product descriptions to be sure it says "food safe".

Another thing I love that is inexpensive to buy are silicone place mats. I first came across them in a thrift store but sometimes they are in dollar stores and of course on the internet They are quite thin and are perfect for doing various kitchen tasks. You can roll pastry on them. You can put them under a mixing bowl and it won't slide around on the counter while you stir things. They make a good spoon rest. If you need to paint or glue something you can set it on the mat while you do that and have easy cleanup because paint and glue won't stick to it. Of course they are great to put on a picnic table at camp sites and also on the bench to sit on to keep your bottom clean and dry. If you are making a sandwich you don't need a paper plate to serve it on, the place mat will suffice and can be picked up so that the crumbs stay in it until you shake them into the trash. If you set something on them they keep the object from skidding away so I them useful for quite a few task when repairing items and for crafting. They roll up and can be folded so it is easy to store them. They also work as a kitchen drawer liner so that is another place to store any extras your might want to have on hand. Very thrifty to purchase, many uses and are they are reusable over and over again. But do not use them as a cutting board or hot pads, they are too thin for that.

 

[LERCA]

Recently the 99 has had a lot of different silicon items. So they are easy to find right now. I just bought some silicon washing gloves just because I like how they feel. I haven’t seen plastic mason jars. I will have to check thrift stores-I trust older plastic over Chinese made.

 

[maki2]

I don't think you will find "older" plastic mason jars.
It is not where things are made, you can get plastic jars in the USA or in China, or any other country that are not made to food safety standards. The issue is has the plastic been made and tested to meet food safety standards.

This companies has square plastic jars that meet FDA food safety standards. They wholesale to food manufacturing companies but they also sell by the piece in smaller quantities on the internet.
https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=137589&catid=1298

They also carry wide mouth Nalgene plastic food storage jars but only in a round shape.
https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=118460&clickid=related-slider

You can of course choose to stick to using recycle glass containers instead of putting them into the waste stream.
I myself wash out and save the PET plastic peanut butter jars and mayo jars to use for storing leftovers in the fridge and storing dry foods or other things. It is easy to see what is inside of them versus using the plastic food storage containers from brands such as "Rubber Maid" But I don't put them in the microwave.

 

[LERCA]

There is a company in New Zealand that makes supposedly safe plastics. The name escapes me. I bought a giant bowl at TJ Maxx. And you can find them at supermarkets. I just can’t bring myself to use plastic anymore most of the time especially with a hot climate. I prefer glass. Just one of those new weird phobias I occasionally get. Ditto with metals. And yeah you have be careful if you have an animal that the glass doesn’t break.
As an aside I have read several articles that 90-something percent of jewelry from China made of base metals has heavy metals and arsenic etc in it. Their sterling has a strange gray color that I don’t want to think they are adding to their pure silver to create. I don’t trust much anymore and I’m not the paranoid type.