Well you know where this is going. A bunch of bloggers who love thrift shopping going on a Value Village store tour in some brand new & roomy cars? Ok, twist my arm to say yes. That’s what went down recently and I can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday. After another super successful and fun BlogPodium conference, a small group of us Value Village lovers decided to go on a thrifty road trip. So what happens when 5 bloggers are let loose in 4 Value Village stores with $100 each to spend and 2 Ford Escapes to fill? Keep reading to see how the treasure hunt unfolded. Spoiler alert – there was no hair pulling. We all love finding bargains. My friend recently got a special 30 off Kohls coupon and she saved so much money, but it was time to see what bargains we could get at Value Village.

Here’s the crew – myself and 4 awesome ladies ready to get our thrift-on at our first stop. Dani from Life Over Easy, Kristen from Storefront Life, Lucy from Craftberry Bush, and Virginia from Fynes Designs. Look how excited we are!

There was lots of consulting and on-the-spot brainstorming. There was also a lot of “but do I really need that?” and “I sooo need that” and thankfully not one single “you could put a bird on it”. Shockingly there was no fights, maybe just a tiny jealous glance into the cart every now and then. We all seemed to have different enough tastes that no one was going after the same thing. Also because we had to drive around together all day.

So what did I spend my $100 on? Lots of stuff! That kinda money goes a long way at Value Village, which is awesome. In normal circumstances, the thought of spending this much money would’ve filled me with dread, but knowing how much I could buy with this budget really softened the blow. I hate worrying about my financial situation. I would love to be able to go out shopping and not be concerned about how much I was spending. That’s why I have been thinking of ways to make some more cash in my spare time. My friend suggested that I become a trader, and trade the likes of cryptocurrency, stocks, and ETF’s, as according to these etoro Handelszeiten (etoro trading hours) you have the ability to trade as and when you please, as well as getting a decent amount of money at the same time. How good is that? If I did this, I could expand my budget for the next time I come to Value Village from $100 to $200 or more! Imagine what I could buy? I didn’t really have a project or hunting list, I was just waiting for cool stuff to jump at me off the shelf. And by ‘jump’, I mean buried under and amongst lots of not so cool stuff. I mostly stuck to housewares because that’s my weakness. I also was hoping to have a few before & after projects to show you but unfortunately life got in the way a bit. BUT I can still share my thrifty scores with you and some of my plans to hopefully inspire you to be open minded when you’re on the hunt next time at Value Village.

These teal & gold plates made me squeal. They are absolutely perfect as is. I can’t wait to add them to the open concept shelf in my new kitchen. Aren’t they beautiful?! I know smoking is ugly but these old brass ashtrays definitely are not. I’m thinking of turning them into candles with some simple white candle wax.

One of my most questionable finds of the day was this huge flower pendant light fixture. Have you ever seen anything like it?! I definitely questioned it as a hit or miss but my gut just couldn’t walk away. It’s a little off season now but transforming this next summer will be one of my biggest thrift challenges yet. What do you think? I would love to hear any good ideas you have for this gal. My friends got some great bargains too. One of them was actually telling me about the guitar pricing in a pawn shop that she visited a few weeks ago. She said she got some amazing bargains and the guitar was in fantastic condition. If you look properly, you can find some amazing deals wherever you are!

How cute is this lamp?! I think it would look great in a child’s bedroom or playroom. A little gold paint to simplify and freshen up and it’s good to go.

These planters were my first find, I really lucked out. That is real brass along the top, which I love. The bamboo could possibly use an update with a solid coat of white or black but I’m kinda liking them au natural as well. What do you think? I’m planning a bit of a plant section in my place so these will come in handy.

Old wine racks are a dime a dozen at Value Village but they usually aren’t my style. I happened to be looking for one and this one was perfect. It was already brass but I decided to give it a fresh coat of gold spray paint and now it looks perfect on my gold bar cart.

Yup, we definitely did some damage. We had no problem filling those Ford Escapes right up. The motion foot activated trunk opener came in super handy with our hands full after each stop. I’m also used to driving a small 10 yr old car so the smooth ride and touch screen options were a treat.

Overall it was a great day of thrifting. I admit that going to Value Village is usually a solo mission for me but I think it’s because most of my gal pals aren’t into digging through the rough to find the diamonds. These ladies and I were on the same page. I loved having someone confirm a decision or take a questionable item out of my hand and put it back on the shelf. I’m thinking this may have to be a regular thing!
Interested to see the treasures that the other ladies scored? Check out these links to read about their finds and some great thrifted before & after projects. Thanks for a great day guys!!

Thrifted Home Accessories, Craftberry Bush

Thrifted Lamp Makeover, Storefront Life

DIY Candle Holders from Thrift Store Bowls, Life Over Easy.

A Wall of Baking Treasures, Fynes Designs