Yard Sale Find!

Summer is here and everywhere you will find people having yard sale and garage sale. I’ve never been to one until I came to the US. I’ve heard of it back in Malaysia but it is never popular. I guess in our culture it is never a good thing buying other people old and used stuffs. I think there is a misconception that only poor people go to yard sales or have them. I am a firm believer in one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Besides saving money, yard sale shopping helps the environment, since you don't get all that excess packaging. You also find unique items you can't just pick up at the mall. Even when you do buy something brand new, the next day it will be considered "used". We actually had a garage sale in CA just before moving to PA. We can’t bring a lot of our things with us so we decided to sell some of it and those unsold were donated to Salvation Army. I actually enjoyed it very much besides making some money from our unwanted things.

I like going to yard sale or garage sale as I enjoy looking at what people are selling and occasionally find some nice and interesting things. There was once we found a gently used love seat for Diana new apartment for $25.00. If we buy it new it will cost us around $300.00. I like buying books, recipe books, kitchen utensils, baking pans and most of all old and unique serving plates, cups and saucers. If you come to my house for afternoon tea you will find me serving you with all the mismatch pieces ha ha…


Bandit was at the yard sale too. Kids just love him.

Anyway, we went to a church yard sale last weekend. Just look at what I found there? All these for less than $15.00. Is that a good bargain or what?


3 very nice and unique ramekin.

1 set of Kaiser small muffin pans (new still in box)

A large Kaiser La Forme Bundt Pan (new with box)

5 recipe books, William Sonoma serving tray and wooden spatula.

Shopping, Shopping, Shopping

My two sisters are here on vacation for 3 weeks. So, where have I taken them so far…no where except for shopping? Well, that is what they wanted to do. Actually this is the 3rd time they visit us here in PA so there is not too many places to take them. All they want to do is shopping. So far I took them to the factory outlet twice and also Marshall and HomeGoods. Just look at the things they bought. As usual both of them need to buy extra suitcases to lug all their loots home. Are they done with their shopping yet…..NO…………. more shopping next week ;)

Just look at all the stuffs they bought!



mmmmm I think I spent too much money ;)

Black Friday Shopping

After the turkey meal, cleaning up, keeps away all the leftovers and putting all the dirty dishes in the dish washer I was poof. We went to bed early as we wanted to get up early for our Black Friday shopping. The 3 of us (Diana, Robin and I) start the day at 5.00am and Carlos went on his own shopping much later. He thinks we are crazy. Oh well, not as crazy as last year as we went at midnight. We finally finished with our shopping at 3.00pm. We went to the outlet first and later we hit the mall. Reach there very early in the morning and there were not many shoppers as most of them already done with their shopping at midnight. Here are some of the things we bought.

Relaxing in front of the TV after the heavy meal. All gear up for shopping later.

We went to Lancaster Tanger's Outlet.
After all the hours of shopping, just look at the trunk of the car.
Look at Carlos reactions when he opens the front door for us. He was shock to see all the bags we had on our hands.
Some of the things we bought. Let me recap the bargain we got. All clothing from Banana Republic 50% off, Gap 40%, Shoes buy one and get the other one for 50% off, Tommy 50% off, Polo less 25% for purchase above $150.00, Coach handbags at 50%, 40% and 30% and on top of that another 10% off for shopping before 10 am, Kenneth Cole briefcase 30% off. Waffle Maker less 50% and Carlos bought some electronics which I am not sure how much he paid for.

Coach addiction.

We stop by at this little diners for our Breakfast/ lunch
The little jukebox on the table.
All happy and contented with the shopping.

We mostly shop for clothing when there is good bargain especially on Black Friday so we went a bit overboard :)

How To Save Money On Groceries

With the situation with the world economy here are some tips to keep your food budget in check.

• Buy store brands. The quality of store branded food items has improved dramatically in recent years, and many now compete with major national labels, according to Tom Marks, senior editor at Consumer Reports magazine. Some consumers may want to stick with name brand detergents or soaps, for example, but buying store brands for a broad array of products from fruit cups to cereals and pastas can save anywhere from 20 percent to 50 percent, Marks said.

• Evaluate unit prices. Buying in bulk is traditionally more economically, but that's not always the case, Marks says. So he and other experts recommend shoppers look at the item's cost per unit, which is found on the shelf sticker next to the item. Marks added that when items go on sale, shoppers should always compare the cost per unit on both the big and small packages to see which is a better deal.
But experts also say shoppers should keep in mind how much their families are going to consume. It's not economical to buy a big bag of fruit if it's going to end up rotting in the refrigerator.

• Compare prices of the same product in different areas of the store. "Where things are placed in a store can make a big difference," says Challagalla. For example, cheese is often cheaper in the dairy aisle than the deli because shoppers have to pay extra for it to be sliced.

• Clip coupons. Shoppers should look through circulars for special deals, but Marks warns them not to assume that all items in a supermarket's weekly flyer are on sale. He noted that manufacturers could have paid to have the item featured.

• Obtain a store card. These loyalty cards allow shoppers to get extra discounts on items without having to clip coupons.

• Consider frozen foods. Frozen peas, fish and other items are cheaper than fresh because they have a longer shelf life."Anything that is perishable, shoppers are going to have to pay higher prices because stores have to build it into their (profit) margins," said Challagalla.

• Ignore precut fruit or vegetables or other prepped items. While it's nice to have that pineapple cut up in chunks, that extra convenience costs money.

• Avoid items displayed at the checkout counter. Stores feature single serving pies, cans of soda and other items at the checkout that are often more expensive, but can be tempting to shoppers, particularly hungry ones.

Article from CNN .com/living

Shopping Spree

Carlos and I is not a huge shopping fan. We will normally go on a shopping spree 2 or 3 times a year. We went shopping at Lancaster outlets last week as we can get better bargains than the normal stores.

Lancaster also know at Amish or Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Here you'll discover Amish communities where life moves at a slower pace and centers around time-honored traditions and values. You'll find beautiful scenery dotted with one-room schoolhouses and wooden covered bridges, modern farm machinery being pulled behind four-and six-mule teams, homemade clothing and quilts gently blowing in the breeze, and where you'll hear the clip-clop of horses' hooves echoing down quiet country roads.

The relaxing atmosphere, the peaceful scenery, and the variety of their many unique attractions and family activities have made Lancaster County one of America's favorite vacation destinations. Over five million people visit Lancaster County each year. Many people return here year after year because they find Lancaster County so special.

You will find a lot of farm land run by the Amish people along the way



The Amish
See who we saw walking on the street. I wonder what was he doing at this time of the year :)
Very old church
Our destination


The very first store I went to :)


After this store I am almost done with my shopping :)
A trunk full of bags
With the trunk full of bags and a few hundred dollar poorer we a good for a few months.

I will be really busy this few days trying to sort out a lot of things for our neighborhood garage sale which we will be participating. Is time to get rid of some junks :)

Reading Terminal Market in PA

Carlos had a day of for Good Friday and we went down to Philly to check on Diana's mail and we also stop by at Reading Terminal Market in PA.

The Reading Terminal Market, established in 1892 at 12th and Arch Streets, is the nation’s oldest continuously operating farmers’ market.

At you can enjoy eating virtually every type of cuisine, from sublime soul food and exquisite Asian and Middle Eastern dishes to authentic Philly Cheesesteaks and traditional Pennsylvania Dutch fare — all available from largely family-run stands.

You can browse everything from hand made imported crafts and American quilts to fresh produce, dairy products, exotic meats and seafood, freshly cut flowers, cookbooks and expertly prepared foods ranging from cannolis and soft pretzels to gourmet South Asian and organic vegetarian cuisine.

Here are some of the pictures I took at the Market.

Lots of Handicraft




There's even a seafood store with my last name on it :)

Look at the size of the giant crab legs

The Amish selling their fresh produce
All kind of Cheeses Fresh produce

Rows and rows of honey