4 ways to spend $50 this weekend...and do some good!

Hmmmm, yes, the holidays are coming....
Although the reactions of family and friends would make a memorable post here at The Happy Badger, I've decided not to give them curb finds as Christmas gifts. I could, however, set up a whole holiday shop with the ornaments and artificial wreaths and trees I’m seeing on garbage piles.

Do you wanna save a buck and still do good with your gifts this season? I’ve got four solid ways to get the most for your moola.

1.   St. Barnabas Church Clothing Sale. Irvington, New York, Route 9.

NOTE THE HOURS. These volunteers will do what it takes to get you the goods. Respect!

 

Hello, biggest and best sale I’ve seen in years! Why have I missed you before? And who makes those tasty peanut butter & chocolate bars you sell in the snack booth by your well-stocked Xmas boutique?

Why is everybody so nice and well-behaved here?? I just
saw a pair of new Tod's men's driving shoes (retail $425) for $15!
 

St. Barnabas clearly believes in moving the goodies. Everything—everything—is already 50% off. The sale continues until Sunday evening, and they are still putting out clothes every night.  Westchester Friends: Get in the car now, and read the rest of this later!

I stuffed a massive boutique bag with new or like-new shoes, clothes, and accessories for my Man, my friends, and my kids for less than $50.

I've said it before, but I love flipping through the racks at thrift shops and church sales: the exercise soothes the Hunter-Gatherer part of my brain.

I made a tiny church volunteer nervous with my giggles when I found a girl's size 6 purple velvet pants embroidered with tiny white Eiffel Towers--still with $50 retail tag--for $2 and then paired it with this absurdly cute Oilily beret for 50 cents.

Yep, I'll never lose my little one in a crowd when she wears that ensemble.

See where the lady in khakis is standing? Those $15 Tod's shoes are right in front of her. And there's a huge men's section behind her, and to the right of the scarves is a rack of fab vintage coats and dresses, and beside that is a cute shoe boutique. This sale just goes on and on...

Know what I left behind for you? This gorgeous,  flawless size 12-14 Tadashi strapless maxi dress with butterflies on sheer silk. Cost: $25—about $300 less than retail. 

Ok, here it comes: “But, Badger, where would I wear this?”

This wise Badger replies only, “At that price, you should wear it to vacuum the house.”

 

2. Sandy Hook Promise. Survivors of unimaginable grief, the parents of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, have never wavered in their quest for justice and for protection from gun violence for the rest of America's school children. 

Their online store makes supporting their efforts remarkably easy. I donated $26 to the cause and received a limited edition OPI nailpolish as a thank you gift. I wore it for Halloween, but it'll look winter festive with alternating red nails, no?








3.    Eton. I worry (do you?) that the US is overdue for a weather disaster. This year, I’m giving a loved one, and myself, the gift of preparedness with Eton’s hand crank and solar chargers for phone and tablet. An emergency crank radio might sound like the least hip gift ever, but Eton manages to make it look good.

FRX3--American Red Cross. Love this thing!

Eton is doing good things with my dollars, too: their website’s front page states that until November 27, they’ll donate 25% of every webstore purchase, plus $140,000 of products, to disaster relief in the Philippines.

I’ve given to Red Cross to help in the Philippines, too, but it’s nice to see Eton put my money where its mouth is.

So, browse their site; you’ll be surprised by what you can get for as little as $15.
(Disclosure time! Yes: I bought something from them. NO: not getting paid by them for this. HELP: can you tell me how I could get paid for this review…?  

4.      The W@tercooler: Holiday Pop-Up Shop, Friday 11/15, 5-9 pm. And now for the shameless self-promotion portion of this post. This Third Friday (aka today) Rivertown locals, including this Happy Badger, will take over The W@tercooler to offer you fine, hand-made awesomeness for body and soul. 

I’ll be selling high-end clothes for thrift shop prices, along with my own upcycled game board magnet sets, weirdly adorable bookmarks, and funky date night wallets made from vintage audio cassettes. 

Depending on the item, I will donate 20-100% of sales to The Howson Children's Fund, which supports two local girls who lost their mother to domestic violence. And, I do ship!

 

     Like what you see (the wallets, not the toenails...)? These are also available at Whimsies on Broadway in Tarrytown!

 

These pretties are on sale at A Nu Toy Store in Tarrytown, 

and I'll have loads more with me at The W@tercooler.

 

So, climb those stairs next to Mr. Nick’s Pizza on Broadway, hang out at Jenifer Ross’

masterpiece of comfiness with your friends and neighbors, support local vendors, and get the

jump on your gift shopping.

 

You could do worse with your time and money…like go to The Mall. Bah-Humbug!

 

Copyright 2013, Tanya Monier