Living a Thrifty Lifestyle While Still Having Style

Most of us these days live in a hazy cloud of consumerism. Ads on television blare at us all hours of the day and night. Bright, glowing signs for various fast-food chains, discount stores and car dealerships light up the night sky as I drive home every night. But, this wasn't always the way things were. Life has changed a lot since my grandmother was a child, and truth be told, she has, too.

My grandmother was a child during The Great Depression. She even still has a book of ration coupons from that time. Imagine the thought of it all. There just wasn't enough of anything. Everything had great value. So many things that we take for granted today was so treasured. Even a simple cup of coffee. Everyone got by with what they absolutely needed, so that others could have some as well. How did it all go so far?

Now, what we need is at our fingertips, at all hours, and we don't even have to leave the safe sanctuary that is our home. No scrounging up money to buy a loaf of bread or a bit of meat. No "depression spaghetti" (I may get into that one, it's a strange concept). I could order a pizza from my computer right now, pay with my credit card, and have it delivered to my home, pipping hot, in no time at all. Even groceries and various other items can be ordered and delivered in the same manner.

Everything is expendable. Everything is disposable. Disposable diapers, plastic cups, even disposable food storage containers. When I was a kid, my mom used cloth diapers, which even then, was a bit of a throw back. A lot of people had already started using disposables, but not my mom. Everything was saved and reused, in one manner or another. I am surprised we ever used paper plates or paper towels. The valuable lessons learned by my grandmother were passed down to first my mother and then to me, I have to admit, I feel that even in the case of my mother and myself, these lessons have faded over time. Long gone are the days of "make do or do without." But, with the current state of the economy and the environment, I think it's way past the time when these ideas need to make a comeback.

So, taking the lessons learned from our parents and grandparents, how do you incorporate that into something that remotely resembles those oh-so-perfect pictures in the magazines?  Whether you are decorating your home or dressing for a great night out, there are ways to mix in a lot of style while still being friendly to your budget and the environment.

I have been re-using, and reworking various pieces of handed down, scrounged up and discarded "junk" for years.  My parents found a great coffee table one time and gave it to me when I needed one for my new place.  The table was pretty scuffed up and damaged, but I saw potential.  I sanded it down for what seemed like forever, and carefully hand-painted it.  It was amazing when it was done, and it all it took was a little paint and a lot of time.  The end result was a gorgeous coffee table with a top that looked like stone tiles.  Most people thought it was stone until they touched it.  Did it take a lot of work?  I  won't lie. It took forever!  It was well worth it.  The table would have ended up in the garbage, and a new coffee table like that could have cost me a lot more than a little time. 

With websites like eBay, Craigslist, and Freecycle, items like this can be found all over the place for little or no money. No dumpster diving or early morning trash runs needed.  These days, a new dining room set or arm chair is at your fingertips. And with dozens of great,trendy thrift stores in most large towns, even nice clothes can be found for a great price.  Like the old saying, "one man's trash, is another man's treasure."

My most recent venture involved a Craigslist curb alert. (For those not in the know, a curb alert is a post offering free goods, most often left at the curb for anyone to come pick up.)  I checked the site, and saw that someone had left over stuff from a garage sale.  I was heading to that area anyway, so I checked it out.  I saw a few boxes and a few chairs.  I saw one I liked and brought it home.  It was a pretty basic wooden chair with a chocolate brown cushion.  I liked the cushion and took that as a bit of inspiration and went from there.  The trusty sandpaper and paints came out, and after months of work (a little here, and a little there, between work and sleep) and it was done.  It's now a one of a kind, functional and stylish piece of furniture that I absolutely love.  My next venture is an upholstery project, which should be interesting, considering I have never attempted to reupholster anything in my life.  It should be quite an experiment.  

I don't go out looking for things, I just seem to find them. A cute little chair here, a fun and funky belt there. If you see something that catches your eye, even if it looks like it could use a little work, grab it. It just might become something you really love. Find things and use them in creative ways. Make them your own. My mom bought a really great sewing box off eBay one time, but it ended up being too small for what she needed. I asked her if I could have it, and now it sits on the counter in my bathroom, and holds all my make-up. It opens up sort of like the inside compartments of a tackle box, and the smallish compartments keep all of my various make-up items neat and organized. I have a cute, little butterfly pin that went to a shirt I never wear, but pinned to a hair clip, it makes a great hair accessory for a fun and playful look. I am always collecting bits of this and that, never knowing when I might find a use for it. Admittedly, it's a little silly. I am a little worried that it will only get worse, and I will end up on that Hoarders show. Thankfully, it hasn't gone that far, and in truth, I'm not all that attached to the stuff. I hope to open a store, so that I can sell some of my unique furniture pieces.

Keep your eyes open.  You never know when you might find something that is or could be really great. If you need some seating for your living room, and are willing to put in a little time and effort, you could create a one of a kind piece that is all you.  Most furniture in the stores these days is pretty bland and boring.  A little work and a little time is all it takes to go from pre-fab to pretty fab!  I have a huge list of items I need for my new house, and I am already searching around for just the right pieces to finish off that list. A few bookshelves and a couple of chairs could end up costing me hundreds of dollars, but with my keen eye, and careful handiwork, I could spend a whole lot less. And, so could you.