A frugal discovery: cheap finds for the home, garden and workshop @ Saver Queen

A frugal discovery: cheap finds for the home, garden and workshop

Posted on February 22nd, 2009 Saver Queen 7 comments

Looking to save on home repairs and renovations? Furniture? Art supplies? Last weekend I made a great frugal discovery: Habitat for Humanity ReStores. If you are looking for cheap paint, doors, sinks, desks, windows, cocking, putty, or really any kind of home repair equipment or furniture, start here before you go anywhere else, as it almost guarantees you the very best price.

How did I find out about this hidden gem? It all began when I was thinking out loud about how to find an affordable canvas for my latest art project. I want to do another great big painting - one that will fit nicely above the bed. Unfortunately, large canvases can cost upwards of $100. I started wondering if I could find a cheap piece of wood from Home Depot when Josh mentioned building supply stores. We soon found the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, a short drive from our house.

What is a ReStore? They describe themselves this way:

Habitat for Humanity ReStores are building supply stores that accept and resell quality new and used building materials. They generate funds to support Habitat’s building programs, while reducing the amount of used materials that are headed for overflowing landfills! They are an environmentally friendly store that makes sense!

They almost sell themselves short in this description, as they do not only contain building materials, but furniture, too. I even found a certified working sewing machine for $15.

As we walked into the store, we were greeted with large 50% off signs, due to a moving sale. I found the perfect piece in minutes - a closet door that was painted on one side. The raw wood side was in reasonably good condition and had no doorknob hole. The price? $5 - with 50% off it came to $2.50. The best part? The money was a donation to Habitat for Humanity.

Lucikly Josh remembered to bring bungee cords and we got the door home safely. Nevertheless, while driving I worried that the door was going to slip out and crash through someone’s windshield. I told Josh that I didn’t want my $2.50 frugal find to turn into a million dollar lawsuit. Thankfully, it did not.

So, what kind of work did this peice of wood require? First, I needed to remove the hinges.

Easily accomplished. I also trimmed down the area that was peeling.

Next, I needed to do a little sanding. Even though I was working with a little piece of sandpaper, it didn’t take long. If you were using a brick sander or electric sander, it would take even less time.

Although there were only a few rough patches and scratches, I ended up sanding the entire thing.

Needless to say, it needed a bit of a washing. A damp rag was all that was needed.

If you were using the door for its original purpose, then your next steps would be to paint it and replace the hinges. But since I was using this for a canvas, the next thing I did was take a big brush and laid a good coat of gesso down to cover it entirely.

Since I was making a textured canvas for a multi-media peice, I laid down some of the fruit and vegetable netting and other materials (all free of course) and stuck it to the gesso.

Above is the final prepped canvas. (I will show you the final work when I’m done. I have plans for an abstract winter night rolling around in my head.)

I used about 1/10th of my gesso. A big jug costs about $26 so I used about $2.60 worth. That combined with the cost of the sandpaper (I used approximately 1/4 of a peice worth $1.50 (or 38¢ worth) and the canvas ($2.70 including tax) gave my canvas a total price of $5.68. Not bad for a starving artist!

Do you have a frugal tip to share on home renos, repairs, or art supplies?

Art supplies, Home repairs, Shopping
7 responses to “A frugal discovery: cheap finds for the home, garden and workshop”
1. Erran February 22nd, 2009 at 19:36
  
  I should have mentioned the store to you long time ago…but honestly it never came to mind during our past exchanges regarding furniture (I did check it out once though while shopping around).
  
  Actually, I came across it the first time while I was out in Vancouver visiting someone. We went in on a Saturday morning as part of a volunteering program, and we ended up building some bookcases, which when gets sold, the funds go towards HFH (as you mentioned). A worthy cause indeed. They get donations from Home Depot and other places, and also will get products from house demo’ing. Funny enough, did you know the first one opened up in Winnipeg?? I had volunteered a couple times with them, but stopped when I was a little disappointed with how things were run there (not quiet the same as Vancouver). I saw some $400 leather loveseats during the summer that I wish now I picked up (but then again I wasn’t looking for apt objects yet). Even though I’m not a leather person, the style was very modern, and it goes to a great cause. Alas…
2. Erran February 22nd, 2009 at 19:37
  
  And so far the “canvass” is looking interesting, and I’m interested in seeing the final product.
3. Debra Dalgleish February 22nd, 2009 at 20:01
  
  Thanks for the link to the Restores. No store in Mississauga, but the Brampton location looks pretty close.
4. Lana February 22nd, 2009 at 21:06
  
  I can’t wait to see the finished product!
5. Saver Queen February 24th, 2009 at 12:45
  
  Erran, thanks for the feedback! It would have been a good idea to check there when we were buying the furniture but then again, who knows if they would have had anything there. I’m sure it is kind of hit and miss when it comes to great finds like that. Where did you find your furniture for your apartment?
6. Erran February 24th, 2009 at 13:23
  
  Definitely hit or miss, but you could say that’s the thrill of the hunt (same goes for shopping at Winners or thrift stores).
  
  As for where I’m finding furniture, I have a modern/contemporary style that unfortunately is not so cheap (and I’m cheap as hell), but then again, it seems most furniture is not that cheap. So I’ve been going to the furniture boutiques rather than the chains - get the nice unique pieces. Fortunately, or unfortunately, there aren’t too many of those type of stores, so I don’t have to drive to 1,000 different places (I think we have about 3-5 places in the city). I got my sofa/couch at one store that was closing out for $800 + tax (originally $1400 I think, knocked down to $829, but I worked them down). A beautiful low-back, block - not so friendly on backs/necks one friend told me, but I think it’s comfortable. Then I got two lounge chairs from another boutique - floor model sale - $799 down to $329 each, but I worked on them and got both for $650 with taxes in, but only because I paid in cash (no under-the-table dealings there haha). Bookshelf from Ikea (Expedit) and still working on a bed/stand/dresser and a TV bench (without a TV) - both of which I’ll probably get from Ikea, but have been oogling over a bed set that’s gorgeous but 3-4x times the Ikea price and find myself debating on that for the last couple weeks. Which brings up a thought question…go cheap with Ikea (nice design, but cheap quality) or drop the cash and get something “higher quality” (I don’t think anything is made with 100% real wood these days)? Or go cheap, and wait to buy the “nicer” stuff in the future? *shrugs*
  
  Notice the trend of my postings though? Don’t be afraid to negotiate price on furniture, even when on clearance sales! People have no idea how high the margins are on those things. I have posted a link previously on Gail’s blog, a site that had enlightened me…worth checking.
  
  http://www.carbuyingtips.com/furniture.htm
  
  Not relevent to us Canadian folks, but it’s info regardless.
7. Dawn February 24th, 2009 at 15:38
  
  Sadly they are only in Canada, and I’m down here is Michigan. Great find though! Can’t wait to see the finished piece.
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