Thrifty Thursday in Minnesota
While living in Michigan I really enjoyed learning where to go to get the best prices on groceries, services, activities, etc. Now living in a different state, I get to figure out what that looks like in a different state! When Dan and I got groceries this week, our eyes almost popped out of our heads because we are so used to Aldi’s prices. I was extremely bummed to hear that they do not have an Aldi in our area. There is a Wal-Mart, but for those who shop at Aldi, you know you just can’t beat Aldi prices. Anywhere.
So instead of just going to Aldi and maybe Meijer to pick up those 2 or 3 things that Aldi didn’t have, I am relearning the joys of searching through sale ads online to find the best deals. You may think “who has time to do that?” Well, I always told Dan that since he is working very hard to bring home the paycheck, I am going to do my best to spend it in the best way I can – in other words, be a good steward of it. I don’t mean that to say he never buys anything, but I am typically the one who gets the groceries and runs the errands because I LOVE IT. Yes, I LOVE to grocery shop.
As we were unpacking boxes, we knew we STILL had things we just didn’t need. Not that I am becoming a minimalist, but today another 5 boxes of “stuff” went to non-profits. Now living in our new place, we figure why keep the stuff that we thought we would need, but didn’t, and then save it for when we MAY need it? Saving it for when you MAY need it I think is a cause of clutter. Plus, how often do you end up using it? Probably never. So we have gotten rid of even more.
I decided to give you a little glimpse into what the house we are renting looks like. We are still finding the perfect place for certain things, but you can at least get the idea.
For those of you who know us personally, you know how much we just love this couch: NOT. I SO did not want it to come with us, but Dan was right that we shouldn’t buy more furniture while he was unemployed. We needed something to sit on, so it came with us. We are looking forward to the day when we will be getting a different one!
So onto the thrifty part of this post.
Here’s a breakdown of what we own and where we got it from. This is proof that it doesn’t cost a lot to set up a home!
Couch: $40 (Dan bought it while in college)
Coffee Table: Handmade by Dan
Piano: wedding gift
Entertainment Center: from college
Rug: This is probably our biggest splurge in this room (from when we got married)
Yes, that is the SUN that you see poking through! I just can’t get over how sunny it is here! Sidenote: I was switching agents for our insurance today and she said another couple from Michigan was just in yesterday and couldn’t stop talking about how sunny it was – so we aren’t crazy!
End Table: from my grandparents
Leather recliner: handmedown from grandparents
I LOVE all of the cupboard space in our kitchen! We did not have much room in our other house, so it’s nice to have everything easily accessible!
Kitchen Aid Mixer: Handmedown
Kitchen Aid Belgian Waffle Maker: Wedding gift
Coffee Maker: I have no clue where that came from
Toaster: Wedding gift
Kitchen Table: I think we paid $75.00 for this and I reupholstered the chairs myself (unfortunately the fabric doesn’t match anymore, but it’s SO cheap and easy to reupholster so I plan on doing it again!)
Through the generosity of others, we were able to get both our stove and fridge for FREE! Microwave was free from my parents…not even sure where they got it from.
I just love how the kitchen is set up. It’s cozy.
Entryway into the kitchen area. Where the rug is, there are two good-sized closets to store cleaning supplies (vacuum, broom, etc) and other big kitchen items like crockpot and bread maker.
Part of the basement. There is another “room” just to the left and then on the other side of the wall by the treadmill is a workshop, freezer, and more room. We have plenty of space here! Such a blessing! As you can see we still have a few boxes to unpack
Mudroom! It’s SO nice having our washer/dryer on the mainfloor AND in a mudroom! Love the old church bench too and the light hanging (came with the rental house)! Such character.
Back downstairs, this is a little cold storage room – PERFECT for when I can (literally).
The house has two bedrooms as well and one bathroom. Pics to come later. It is just fun to think about how you gather items for a home – I bet if you looked around YOUR house, you’d have stories to tell on how you obtained certain items. It is such a blessing to look around our house and the items we have in it, and see how much God has provided. We don’t have brand-spankin’ new things, but what we have works. We enjoy them and appreciate them. We are looking forward to continuing to establish a life here!
For those of you who live in Minnesota, clue me in on how YOU save money in this area because it’s all new to me!
