I love it when this happens!
Over the last year, I have really grown to enjoy shopping at Goodwill. It's so much fun to see what wonderfully cheap things might be available each week. Sometimes, though, the things I buy are not REALLY needs. They're nice to have and useful, but not entirely necessary (worry not, though...I'm a very anti-clutter person, so I don't go overboard with the buying. Many weeks I walk out of Goodwill with nothing). My dress was a good example of the need vs. want idea...I didn't really need a dress, as I do have several now (mostly from Goodwill!), but I loved it, it was a good price, and I will get a lot of use out of it.
Anyways, last week I found two things that I really did need, and I'm tickled about it.
When my husband and I got married 12 years ago, we received a set of juice glasses. Over the years, they've broken, one by one (oddly enough, most of them seem to have broken since we had kids. hmmmm.) and we're now down to one. We were supplementing with a candleholder (it was a Yankee candle and when I finished burning the candle, it occured to me that it looked just like a juice glass, so I washed it out and put it in the cupboard). This candleholder glass actually became my hsuband's favorite juice glass, but alas, it broke when one of our offspring was unloading the dishwasher.
Last week when we were away by ourselves, we were browsing through Williams-Sonoma and saw glasses just like the one that broke. Unfortunately, they were $10 apiece (apiece!!!). I remembered, though, that every Goodwill I've been in has had a large glassware section, so last week I poked around and found a perfect replacement for our broken glass for the whopping price of $.50.
If you aren't a stickler for matching glasses, I highly recommend buying your glassware from Goodwill. People are forever giving a stray glass or two to Goodwill, and the prices can't be beat. In addition, if a glass has managed to last long enough to end up at Goodwill, it's probably fairly sturdy.
I'm sure my $.50 glass will break at some point, though, and when it does, I'll go out and find another $.50 replacement.
Cheese Grater
I think I've been through two cheese graters in the last twelve years, and both of them have broken because they had plastic pieces on them. My current grater has been cracking more and more lately,
and I was just about ready to go out and buy a new one (after checking Cook's Illustrated's recommendations first, of course).
Happily, though, Lisey found a stainless steel box grater in new condition when we visited Goodwill last week! It's entirely free of plastic, and so I expect that this grater will last me for a very long time.
And the price? $1. I love Goodwill.
Great finds! I love Goodwill.
I also love good will for kitchen things and clothes, but the real deals are on things for the kitchen. I am sure that you will get a lot of use out of the metal box grater. My mother is still using the same one that she got when she got marrieed 33 years ago!
I love when that happens tool! I have had great luck at Goodwill finding things that I need. I keep a written list of both wants and needs for when I go, so I remember what I am looking for, otherwise I just hang out at the fabulous book section in our Goodwill.
I'm pretty sure the juice glass might be from Pier 1 from a few years ago. I got mine from there, and it looks just like them.
I love Goodwill too!
When I moved into my apt I had virtually nothing. After a bad breakup I was getting away with only what I had in my car.
Thanks to Goodwill I was able to furnish my entire apt for under $1000. Dishes, silverware, glasses, pots and pans, and all my furniture except a couch and bed (donated by friends).
It's more than 5 years later now and I am still using most of those things. I love to think of the money I saved and I love the fact that I don't really care if anything breaks. I use my things... but don't feel obligated to them.
I, too, replace glasses with Goodwill items - now that there are only 2 of us I get 2 matching at a time. When the kids were at home each had their own 'special' glass - no matchy-matchy for my kids (thank goodness because 3 matching are always hard to find).
I have a box grater like yours - except it is at least 40 years old and has only needed one repair - hubby had to pop-rivet one side of the handle on about 20 years ago. May yours last as long 🙂
Sara, Pier 1 sounds good...I'm going to go with that. lol
Bellen, I hope I get 40 years out of this one. That would be a heck of a bargain for $1!
I buy ALL of our glassware and dishes at Goodwill (even our "good" china is from there). I prefer sturdy, white cafe-style plates, salad plates and bowls, and clear, classic tumblers, juice and wine glasses. I suppliment with interesting vintage pieces. Because the basics are so plain, I can mix and match and you really can't tell the difference. I have never had a problem replacing anything, anytime I look, and I will NEVER buy these things new! Not to mention tablecloths, clothe napkins, placemats, etc etc....
BTW, I am a long-time lurker, but I'm pretty sure this is my first comment. I enjoy your site very much!
Aww, I'm so glad you de-lurked! I love to hear from my readers. 🙂
I don't think I'll ever buy new glasses again, that's for sure! And when my dishes break, I'll look at Goodwill first for replacements.
A great find! And definitely a reason to go back to Goodwill for glassware. But how does your family survive with just a SINGLE juice glass? Inquiring minds want to know. 🙂
lol Amy! My younger two use their sippy cups or Klean Kanteens when they need a drink, and my older two have a few plastic cups that they use. I don't really drink juice except on rare occasions, so the juice glass is pretty much just for my husband. 🙂
I have found several great and fashionable outfits at Goodwill. My favorite things are the kitchen items and books. Today I found some great jewelry and books.
BTW...I was in Hershey recently, do you live near there? There was an area we shopped at a WEIS and there was a Goodwill next door...(unfortunately, didn't make it inside the GW).
I also like their small appliances! I have a blender, mixer and several cake pans from the thrift store.
I don't use the Goodwill for table items like glassware and such (my mom will probably just give me all of hers when I move out) but I did buy a Braun stick blender there for $1.79. I just need to find a use for it now ...
@Battra92 You can roughly puree many things with that, without dragging out and dirtying another appliance. For example, you can puree soup in the pot, mash cooked veggies (as long as they're not really stringy), make a smoothie in the glass, mix your hot really well.
Almost all of our glassware comes from Goodwill, we've had several phases in our collection where for a while we were finding a lot of this one kind, then we switched over to bringing home a different kind. I do wish I didn't break so many glasses that we can have entire phases, but at least it's cheap.