Your Best Cheap Deal of the Year?

[Socal104]

As we are heading into the end of the year, I was thinking about what a fantastic year 2009 was.....for bargains. While unemployment shot through the roof, our auto manufacturers went bankrupt, and our deficit ballooned into the 13 figure range....that's right WOW 13 big ones, the deals this year were just amazing and it hasn't let up. Maybe you picked up a cash for clunkers car? Or maybe you got a HDTV for $600? Perhaps you picked up a house at 60% off or a home theater for $200.

For me the big deals were in furniture as it seemed like every furniture store finally called it quits. Great high end stuff for bargains that I have never seen before. If I had to pick one deal it would be the following:

New full size hardwood desk and matching double-wide two drawer filing cabinet. Originally priced at $1,750. Negotiated cash price..... $200. The salesman was fuming, but hey they were going out of business. Sure I had to get a UHaul to deliver it myself but worth every penny for breaking my back.

So what are your best deals this year?

SoCal
___________
www.LiveCheap.com

[jiggy211]

I think the cash for clunkers deal was the best. I was planning on upgrading my truck anyway and the new trucks actually qualified for the clunkers program. Don't know how this is environmentally beneficial but hey, if someone is going to give you free money, take it. We actually have use for a truck so I don't feel bad for it one bit. Its funny too because we had waited quite a while to replace the old truck and then they come along with the clunker program. From an economic stimulus stanpoint apparently it helped Ford because they had some pretty good profits. So yeah, that would be the best deal. We haven't bought much else this year.

[lucille]

Neither of mine really had anything to do with economic incentive programs.

I bought a 1920 era portable Singer sewing machine. I paid $50 for it at a Goodwill. It works great all I had to do was clean & oil it. The mechanism inside is heavy metal gears and a drive shaft. I can't remember the last time I had my cheapo plastic sewing machine out of the cupboard since I bought this. I have actually started sewing more since I bought it.

The other would be the old wood desk I also bought at a Goodwill. I paid $20 for it. It is hardwood and a very nice old classic styled furniture piece. A new one would have easily cost $500 and been lower quality. It has a ton of storage and now I have a dedicated place to do paperwork in my office. I grabbed the sales tag off of it while at least two other people were checking it out from a distance but not really doing anything serious about purchasing it. I took the tag off and went to the register to pay for it. I think people that don't buy at thrift stores very often realize you need to take the tag to the register to buy a big item. We bought a futon at a thrift and had the tag in hand at the register as someone else came up and demanded the clerk sell it to them because they wanted it. Since I had the tag in hand that trumped this other person who was not happy about the whole transaction.

[Socal104]

Lucille. The thrift store tip is a good one, get the tag. I've had the same thing happen and the salesperson goes by who has the tag.

I think the point you make is excellent and I shake my head when people will buy cheap furniture from Asia that won't last 5 years but they won't consider heading to a thrift store. I was in a thrift store today that had beautiful hard wood furniture from the 1940s that looked like it had been barely used. This stuff could outlast my children and the price for the dresser was $150. I'll wait for them to knock 20% off at the end of the month. What can you get at IKEA for $150 and how long will it last.

I'd love to pick up an old typewriter that is like your sewing machine. A thing of beauty that will last a lifetime. Some of the stuff made 40+ years ago was just amazing quality.