Miss Clearance

I admit I'm a shopaholic. Sometimes I just want to go to a store, browse thru the racks and check out the items. It started when I was stressed in the office or domestic and I found myself going to the shopping mall to unwind. You wouldn't believe that it gives me a different kind of high just hearing the sound of hangers and the cash registers LOL. It came to a point that I needed to hold on to my cash and cards but I didn't give up on shopping. Actually, it paved the way for me to discover the one part of the store that I've been ignoring but is worth browsing too - the clearance racks. I also learned about the ukay-ukay or second hand stores from the internet and bought items there like winter jackets before going to the US last 2008.

Now that I am here in Canada even if I have my own job and can purchase from my pocket, I maintained that frugality in shopping. Lito and I were not into signature brands (although I found out that the vintage stores here in Canada carry lots of cheap branded items) and are not picky when it comes to buying pre-loved items. We got our Joovy Caboose, Evenflo highchair and some branded toys like Little Tikes, Playskool, Fisher Price etc. for the kids from garage sales and second-hand baby stores.

I went to Goodwill->pre-loved items store last Friday where I found nice home decor items - IKEA frames for a dollar each and decorative mirror for our new apartment. I just hope these items are still there when I go back on Friday because it's additional 50% off on all items. My BFF Joy also told me about Value Village, also a pre-loved items store along Lawrence Avenue. This store is very nice you wouldn't think it's a used items store. The items are organized per category, per size and color. I liked the furnitures and I also found nice but big toys for the kids - kids bike for 10 dollars, a little tikes plastic bike for Lex worth 7 dollars. It will be hard for me to bring them home and besides, we'll be moving. Maybe next time. Here's the one toy I wouldn't pass up, when I saw it I already felt it's perfect for my Lex - an IKEA brand abacus toy, almost new and the price tag is wallet friendly (see the tag?) You know, a shopaholic like me never comes out the store empty handed hahaha.