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THRIFTY COUTURE DECOR PART 1 THE FURNITURE

Now that you have your new space, you really need a place to sleep, sit, entertainment for yourself and your new guests. If you have a furniture bank voucher great....but if you don't...then you need to get busy...the floor can get quite hard after awhile, even when it is padded with all those free blankets you were given when you were in a shelter....blankets are given out by many well intentioned, and kindhearted people and churches in the Wintertime because yes technically homeless people need to keep warm...however most homeless people come in to shelters when the temps drop. Most places like Libraries, McDonalds, Burger King etc ( just a few of the places people go to hang out for the day and keep warm) do not allow people to come in with blankets. 

When I lived in Pennsylvania my sis and I went to Saint Vincent de Paul and bought refurbished mattresses and box springs for $60 a set. Great bargain and the factory was right there...they only reused the frame and everything else was new. Personally I am not such a fan of buying a mattress in a second hand store for several obvious reasons...the latest being the dreaded bed bug infestation in many places. There are stores that sell "seconds" (those with slight defects) you might want to check out. Those same shops often sell refrigerators, washers, and dryers as well. Bed frames can be purchased for next to nothing at Thrift Stores...just be sure to buy the correct size...you can't always return, or exchange them. You can always plunk them on the floor which is where mine stayed until a year later when I needed surgery and my surrogate family did not recommend me trying to get up from that low point. My furbaby at the time...a ferret was offended...he thought the mattresses were on the floor for his bouncing pleasure!

Furniture can always be purchased at thrift stores...but the name these days can be deceiving...many thrift stores are not thrifty, often selling antiques and estate sale leftovers for profit....so check around for one that sells their items to help out those in need. I lived in an area where there were black plastic milk crates left everywhere and my friends often gave them to me. I ended up with 6 nice ones...washed them off in the shower and let them dry. Although I have since purchased a "real" bookshelf...I am still using my milk crate bookshelf in my office. The great thing is when I needed to move I put all the heaviest books in them and it was easy to move them although they were heavy...no worries about the bottom dropping out.

If you need a table and chairs a simple solution can be to buy a card table and chairs set...for $27 I had the table and 4 chairs and I made a tablecloth from a thrift store sheet. I still have that as well...you can always use the extra table and chairs. The folding chairs tuck neatly in the closet. My table is round so on occasion I have put the folding chairs around the table in between the regular chairs...table for 4 easily becomes...table for 8. If you don't have much space but you have extra money...Ikea has excellent alternatives to the stationary table and chairs. You can go to their website www.ikea.com and order a free catalogue or just look online. 

So by now you should have a bed and a table. You have a place to sit....but where do u relax? You can check out Thrift Store chairs or sofas but again...buyer beware of bed bug issues. You may need to go to a more upscale thrift shop. My sis and I found a great alternative...camping chairs. We found some in 2006 reduced to $6 at the end of the season at a big box store. She purchased 1 and I purchased 2 in case we had a guest...well actually it was because I couldn't choose between the 2 colours lol...that happens a lot.  I even found one reduced to $11 the next time we were there that was not only oversized but also had an attached foot rest...can't beat that at all!

Stay tuned for Part 2...THRIFTY COUTURE DECOR THE NECESSITIES

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HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THRIFTY GURL IN THE ATL!

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"THE LAST STEP OF RELOCATION THRIFT"

Welcome to another Thrifty Gurl post!

Now if you have used your free time to make phone calls...did the legwork...and scored that great rental...which I hope you obtained on a Move-In Special...then its time to move your belongings in on your move-in date. But what if you don't have furniture or maybe not enough to furnish your new place? This is where in many cities the shelter option can really be beneficial. If your city has a Furniture Bank or even offers assistance through the Salvation Army you can get a voucher from the shelter you were in. Check with your city for the protocol. I will tell you that many furniture stores donate their floor models to furniture banks so you can really get great stuff. I didn't know this but I had a very good person who was a God Send that chose the very best stuff for me. God bless her always!  

A word about the Move-In Specials...most rental places are in direct competition for your rental dollars so you will see signs with posted with $99 move-in or 1st month free...etc. To save extra $$$ move in in the middle of the month and save even more because your first month will be pro-rated.

Enjoy your new digs! 

Stay tuned for more thrifty tips from a very Thrifty Gurl in the ATL!

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"THRIFTY...BUT DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME..."

Hello again! In advance...thank you for reading and following my blog "Thrifty Gurl in the ATL!"

Just to follow up on the moving aspect...as I stated before I would post the story of moving after the move. My sister and I were allowed to park the truck with our belongings and my ferret Bosco who was inside...(due to the bag check I could not bring him in as I had intended)...inside of the gated parking lot reserved for the employees. That was great because the last thing you need is for your stuff to be ripped off. Within a few days we had found a storage unit and paid the dollar for the first month. The problem is neither of us had the energy to unload the truck. A couple days later while looking for an apartment, we were tired from all the walking and not one of the apartments we looked at was suitable from the outside. Once again my sis to the rescue. I would NOT recommend doing this EVER. Once she told that she was about to flag down a car I went into panic mode. My dilemma was, I could either stick with her like our mothers told us to do, or stand on a street where I had no clue where I was and no idea how to get back to the shelter. My sister flagged down the first car that stopped at the stop light or stop sign I don't recall. She had said she would look for the first friendly face...hmmm all crazy people have a way of looking friendly right? Like I said I would NOT recommend anyone doing this and I definitely would never do it again. God truly was watching over us...although we didn't know it at the time...John would be a blessing in disguise. By the way... I sat in the backseat because I figured I could always jump out of the car and scrap the whole stick together idea. Call it survival of the fittest or self preservation. John not only gave us a ride back to the shelter, but him and a friend helped us a few days later to unload the truck and put the stuff into storage. He invited us to church and picked us up twice for service. He and his fiancee even invited us to spend the night on Christmas Eve so we wouldn't have to spend Christmas in the shelter. Christmas Day was spent at his future in laws home for a big traditional holiday feast with a houseful of family and friends who all embraced us like we were a part of  them. We even received gifts. As if this all wasn't over and above anything we could have imagined, John, single handedly helped us move into our new apartment. That meant we had to load the truck and unload it again and carry everything up about 14 stairs into our new home. He had even paid for the rental truck! God sent us an angel...without him moving would have been horrible. We used to speak fondly about our friend John quite often, who after a few phone calls of checking on us,communication stopped. We never saw or heard from again. Still when he comes to our minds in all these 7 years we wish him well and say a prayer of blessing for our heaven sent angel.

I dedicate this post to John...may he always be well. We are eternally grateful to you and your family.

  

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"THE PROS AND CONS OF CHOOSING THE SHELTER OPTION" PART 2 "THE PROS"

Today's blog post will show you how the shelter option can work in your favour. If you were a bit put off by the cons....maybe these pro perks will get you to thinking that maybe its not such a bad idea after all.

1. Having to leave the shelter 5 days a week serves a purpose. What is it? MOTIVATION! When you leave MSH you walk 1 block to a day shelter. There you had use of telephones for free and phone books and contacts. This is where you do your apartment searching and phone calls to check availability. Some of us need a push,  and some shelters give you at least 30 days.

2. No need to pay for your meals. You may not always like the food but hey its free and you probably didn't always like what your mother cooked either. 

3. Free stuff. The day shelter had free clothing three days a week. There was a business center for job search. Free computer classes...3 levels., free Marta transportation cards. Help to get your ID, free resume help. Laundry services, showers, magazines and books to read, free lunch. If you were hired at a job you were given free business attire including shoes.

4. At the main shelter...more free stuff. Because it was holiday season we all received Christmas gifts. There were free concerts, great holiday foods and treats. Free toys for the children.

5. In some shelters, once you snag an apartment or rental house, you receive a voucher for free...yes FREE furniture. More on that in another post.

These are some of the many benefits of choosing the shelter option. Did I know this ahead of time? No, but all of this was an added plus for 2 people who really just needed a roof over our heads till we found a place to live. I do not recommend by no means that you take advantage of any shelter. Many do and get "stuck" there for years just because of all the free stuff and carefree living. Don't! Do what's right and move on. If you were dependant on any controlled substance and you are in recovery...there are even more programs within some shelters to help you not only succeed, but get a fresh start.

  

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"THE PROS AND CONS OF CHOOSING THE SHELTER OPTION" PART 1 "THE CONS"

There is always a Ying and a Yang to everything. True also of the pros and cons of choosing to stay in a shelter vs shelling out money for a hotel/motel long term. In any given situation you have to store your belongings which translates in more $$$. Here's a tip...most storage facilities want you to choose them to store your goods. Therefore they may offer the 1st month free or in the case of my sister and I, we had to pay just $1. Actually I splurged and paid it since most of the things were mine. Unloading a truck CAN be as complicated as loading one...but in reverse. I will explain how this was accomplished separately in another post because it was indeed an adventure all on its own. Now back to the topic...pros and cons of choosing a shelter. What may be pros for some may be cons for others and vice versa, so these are my opinions from my perspective. 

Lets start with the Cons...just like meds its always best to get this out the way and eat the cake last...smiles

1. Most shelters will want you to participate in something...no lazing around and watching the telly or snoozing all evening. That means chores, etc

 (see #4)

2. You will probably not be able to eat complete meals whenever or wherever you choose although you may be allowed to have snacks.

3.MSH had a bag check point. A long line often formed but all bags and purses were checked before you could go to your dorm. This is for your own safety so its best. Technically can be considered a plus but many people couldn't stand it.

4. You have to  attend church service every evening at 7.30 pm. The shelter for men had optional Bible study times and bused them to church service if they chose. The women were also bused on Sunday mornings if you chose or you could attend services there. Different churches came to do the services.

5. Five days a week you must get up early...they flash the lights and loudly wake each dorm up. Bad for me because I don't like to be woke up. I used to get up ahead of time on my own, get a shower and start getting dressed.

6. Which brings us to point 6. Get dressed for what? Monday through Friday you have to leave the shelter and stay out until the designated check in time. There is a method to this madness and it is actually a plus as you will see in Part 2 of this post. The great thing about MSH is that you left everything in your dorm and then each one was locked. Just like in the small town shelter I mentioned before.

7. Many shelters require you to take everything you own with you daily when you leave. Not great if you have a lot of things. If you have a storage leave all you can in there. If you have one close by like we did you can actually visit it when you need to.

8. The reason you are required to take your things with you, is because many shelter fill up on a first come first serve basis. MSH gave you a bed for 30 days with a possible extension under certain circumstances. 

These all the cons I could think of at the moment. Some actually are pluses in disguise as you will  learn in Part 2 "THE PROS AND CONS OF CHOOSING THE SHELTER OPTION" "THE PROS"