Shoestring Sailors (Cruising on $500 per month - part II)

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by smbdyiam2

If you stop at Thrift stores this may help. Look for thrift stores in well to do localities. Well to do donate to thrift store, but few shop at them so you find better stuff at lower prices.
In Florida we have snow birds. They leave in spring about April 15 tax time . A lot of them donate to thrift store rather than store, or take back north. This is best time to find bargains. Thrift stores are overstocked. Fall Oct. Nov. snowbirds come back this is worst times to find bargains,
Same systems work in collage towns. Graduation stuff goes to thrift stores. Beginning classes students looking for bargains. Worst time there.

Sounds like good advice. And the other nice thing about Thrift Store shopping is that we're not adding to the environmental and human disaster that the fashion industry has now become.

[Buzzman]

Problem is, market stall "entrepreneurs" have already twigged that shopping in well to do areas gets them better quality merchandise they can then mark up by 300-1000%....

So they regularly cruise such stores seeking stock, and often have local 'volunteers' on side to keep stuff back for them, in exchange for a small donation.

Capitalism. Gotta love it.....

But advice is correct. And you *might* get lucky.

For example, a normal-sized friend of mine just happend to be in a thrift shop when a donor came in with a bagful of shirts from her deceased partner. Business and casual shirts. All 'major name brand', many with 'external labels', and he got the lot for $20.

When he got home he found some had factory creases and a few still had tags. Never even worn.

So....you *can* get lucky....

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Buzzman

...For example, a normal-sized friend of mine just happend to be in a thrift shop when a donor came in with a bagful of shirts from her deceased partner. Business and casual shirts. All 'major name brand', many with 'external labels', and he got the lot for $20. ...

Good deal. Although my wardrobe consists almost entirely of quick-dry fishing shirts and zip-off pants . If I saw an hunter, fisher or farmer come in with stuff, now THAT would get me excited .

[Buzzman]

Quik-dry shirts = don't

Zip-off pants = zips fail

My personal fave [embarassment-clothing-fail] is tied-waist track pants.

The ties don't often fail, and if they do, you can use a safety-pin to insert another length of thread or cotton tape to replace it. I have used rope when on the boat. Always got spare cord/rope lying about...

Also ask local businesses if they have out-of-date uniform clothing, or stuff in your size that none of their current staff can wear.

It's amazing how many people in my local town believe I work at the West Kempsey Hotel.....!!!

Got ten shirts in 3XL size (loose fit) for nix after the most recent landlord sold up and had a clear-out at end-of-lease.

My mate in the previous post was present, and guess-timated those polo shirts would fit and suit me. He was right! [I don't have a webcam or you could see I am wearing one as I type!]

They also gave away two unopened boxes of individual-serve Christmas Plum Puddings left over from the previous Christmas (they don't need refrigeration if kept in a cool place, but these had been refrigerated, so were ok. Use by date of several years away).

Tasted good, too!! [My mate wasn't a fan, so I got all 59 of them. Two boxes of 30 less one he sampled].

2-minutes in the microwave, a scoop of Berry Classic Vanilla, and hey presto, dessert for a coupla months. Free.

Just, please, don't offer me Xmas Pudding for a cuppla years...!! lol

[Jdege]

Originally Posted by Buzzman

But advice is correct. And you *might* get lucky.

I needed a desk, when my pressed cardboard Target special fell apart.

Stopped by the local thrift store, and came home with a 1930s-style get steel desk.

Turned out to be vintage a Shaw Walker executive desk, in perfect condition.

[Buzzman]

I did much the smae when I moved here ten years ago. Repurposed my old 'desk' (actually a 6-seat study table purloined from University twenty years prior) and pickjed up a timber-veneered desk with drawer unit and separate credenza for $25.
That was 10 years ago and it's still going strong.
As you can probably tell, my motto is: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
But I am a huge fan of what is these days called upcycling or repurposing, but in my misspent yoof was known as: reduce, re-use, recycle.
IOW, emphasis on the first two, rather than the current fetish of skipping striaght ot 'recycle' as this then requires new items to be manufactured to replace those 'trashed'.
REDUCE consumption should be society's No#1 ethos.
We need to stop making (and throwing away) perfectly good "stuff"!

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Buzzman

Quik-dry shirts = don't

Zip-off pants = zips fail

My personal fave [embarassment-clothing-fail] is tied-waist track pants.

The ties don't often fail, and if they do, you can use a safety-pin to insert another length of thread or cotton tape to replace it. I have used rope when on the boat. Always got spare cord/rope lying about...

...
They also gave away two unopened boxes of individual-serve Christmas Plum Puddings left over from the previous Christmas (they don't need refrigeration if kept in a cool place, but these had been refrigerated, so were ok. Use by date of several years away).

Tasted good, too!! [My mate wasn't a fan, so I got all 59 of them. Two boxes of 30 less one he sampled].

2-minutes in the microwave, a scoop of Berry Classic Vanilla, and hey presto, dessert for a coupla months. Free.

Just, please, don't offer me Xmas Pudding for a cuppla years...!! lol

That's a plum of a find .

Gotta say though, my wardrobe of four pairs of pants (two zip-offs), and eight shirts (mostly quick-dry nylon) are holding up pretty good. I haven't had to acquire anything "new" for many years now. Although I did notice a few nicks in one pair of pants. I might have to splurge at the old Sally-Ann the next time I'm in a big city.

[Buzzman]

When you write "zip-off pants" I can't help but imagine some feather-boa frenzied non-hetero dance routine....ending with the pants being thrown into the audience.

But maybe we go to different bars...???

LOL

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Buzzman

When you write "zip-off pants" I can't help but imagine some feather-boa frenzied non-hetero dance routine....ending with the pants being thrown into the audience.

But maybe we go to different bars...???

Definitely .


Unless you caught my act

[Mike OReilly]

OK, here's my current frugal challenge... I'm in need of new anchor chain. My current rode is getting rather rusty. I've looked into re-galvanizing, but can't find any way to do it where I am (Newfoundland, Canada).

I am surrounded by industrial fishing activities, so I'm going to try and see if there is a way I can access chain through that means, but if anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

[smbdyiam2]

I moved to Fl. Aug 2003. I rented u haul to move stuff. Cost around $1200. after we were in and settled for a month or so. We stopped in thrift store. Ooops. We did not have thrift stores were we had lived last 20 years. With in 1 year we had replaced all furniture except ( 2 small tables ,family heirloom), most of tools , most of clothing. For less than we paid for u haul. 13 years later I still stop at thrifts store once in while. That's when I saw my boat and won on raffle Oct 2016.
Neighbor just went back to NYC to move down permeant . Spends 6 month there 6 month here . I told him to give away stuff up there and replace with thrift stores here.

[sailorboy1]

About the only thing a cruiser will find at a thrift shop are old shorts and ugly shirts. It is kind of a false economy to me as I can order my favorite bumming around on the boat shorts from Amazon for $6 and a 3 pack of t-shirts for $12

[a64pilot]

I do the Amazon thing as well. But for me it’s laziness, I have no interest in shopping at all.
That’s my Wife’s thing, and one of our Daughter’s.
Being Retired Military I don’t mind, actually like wearing the same thing every day, so I have a half dozen of the same shorts

[smbdyiam2]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

About the only thing a cruiser will find at a thrift shop are old shorts and ugly shirts. It is kind of a false economy to me as I can order my favorite bumming around on the boat shorts from Amazon for $6 and a 3 pack of t-shirts for $12

Well while in store once I bought a steering wheel and cables, shifters and cables. off an old runabout boat said Johnson on shifters. when home I built a wood box and mounted them to it. Fastened it to starboard side just back from cabin. removed large 30+ " steering wheel from center of cockpit. more room on boat. Total cost$27.00 I later found large old steering wheels listed on ebay from $50 and up so may sell them.

[sailorboy1]

Based on observation, most thrift store “treasure” finds later end up on top of the cruiser trash, which is the “free to” location.