13+ years have gone by since then and we were still using several of those things. The Washer and Dryer were long ago replaced and the couch was replaced a couple of years ago, but other including the dining room table were still in use. They weren't wonderful but they worked and we were glad to have them.
After our kids stopped using booster seats (which are really rough on chairs) we had decided that we would love to find a bigger and nice dining room table with matching chairs. We had a rather strong opinion about what we liked- Solid wood, medium color, sturdy, big enough for our family and then with extensions so it would get fairly large as we like to have company, something that would look like it could fit in a farmhouse (not ornate and no padded chairs).
As we started to look (a couple of years ago) a little in seemed like what we wanted wasn't too easy to find especially not in a price that we thought was very reasonable. The prices were definitely over $1,000 and though we thought about that price range that seemed like a lot and if we spent that much it would need to be on something we really loved- and we hadn't found that. This summer a garage saleing friend offered to keep an eye out for us and she found several dining room sets and I would get excited when she would call me up just to find out that it wasn't really what we were looking for and even used the large sets were around $1,000.
So we continued to patiently (well at least I tried to be patient!) wait.
And this weekend I just happened to be looking through an online sale site (a fellow barterer had directed me there to check out her album to see if there was something I wanted in exchange for something I had that she wanted) and I saw pictures of a dining room set. I showed them to Ken and was decided we would like to go look at it if it wasn't to far away. Well when I arranged going to see them I found out that they were less than a mile away!
We went to look at them and they were just what we were looking for at 1/3 of the price that we had been seeing. When we were talking about how to get it over to our house the man even offered to deliver it in his truck. What a huge blessing this was and we are so glad that we patiently waited rather than just buying the first things that we saw.
Being patient works for me! (Now hopefully this will help me to be more patient about other things that I would like to change in our house!)
I'm in the same boat right now and that's a great reminder to me. We are actually looking for a new dinning room table but don't want to spend a lot. We've been looking so long that last year I bought cheap chairs off craigslist to replace the chairs that were so falling apart that they could not be used any longer. I guess I just need to keep waiting and watching though.
ReplyDeleteWe had a roughly used dining table. I knew what I wanted, but like you, I didn't want to pay the price that it was brand new. Like you, I was patient. Like you, I stumbled on to a great deal! $15 for a farmhouse style table at Goodwill. It even has a butcher block top! Now, I am patiently waiting to replace my chairs!
ReplyDeleteHi! I had my first son at 18 so money has always been tight. I have been blessed with so much free or supre cheap stuff. As I look around my house:
ReplyDeletefree couch
free awesome bookshelf
free armoire
free train table for boys
free kitchen table and chairs
free computer hutch
free bed frame
free mattress (was a gift, it was new)
free night stand
free twin beds for my boys
free toy cubby thing with cubbies
free tv (have never paid for a tv, when one breaks we seem to get another)
free dishes
free glasses
free pots and pans
free coffee table
free end tables
Recently I bought an all wood armoire for my room (I do not have a closet) for $90 and it fit perfect and fits so much inside.
God blesses us so much!!!
I have even gotten 3 free cars over the last 14 years.
Your new to you set is so pretty!!!
ReplyDeleteWe waited and bought one off of craigslist. We wanted solid wood, no corner legs because it makes using benches more difficult, and one that would seat a bunch. We found just the thing for $100. I plan on refinishing it this summer but we have been using it for 4 years already. We use benches we already had and add folding chairs as needed when company comes.
ReplyDeleteI love the new dining set! It is really pretty.
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That's a great dining room set! I agree that patience often pays off when it comes to furniture and other big-ticket items. In fact, a few years ago we realized that we have a 5-part Furniture-Finding Plan!
ReplyDeleteOne advantage of buying mostly used furniture is that it's more likely to be solidly made out of real wood, instead of particle board or plastic held together with cheap little clips!
Love your new table. It looks very nice. :-)
ReplyDeleteGood post. Planning out how you want to furnish a specific area of your home would be a good idea to avoid any unwanted mistakes. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteReminding yourself not to make decisions too hastily when purchasing furniture seems like a good idea to save yourself money in the long run. Thanks for the ideas.
ReplyDelete