Finding a Deal On A Sax and Six Bags Of Jewelry

I went to a local thrift store and only had a few minutes before closing. 

One of the workers told me they had three or four new bags of jewelry. When I told her I appreciated her letting me know, she said there were a few more ready to come out. She was already off the clock, but she went and got them for me to look at.

I didn't have much time to look and see if there were much in each bag. I did see that at least three had silver in them, one has a Zelda watch still in the package as well. 

On my way out of the store, I saw that they had put an instrument in the sales case that looked nice. It was only $30 and the store was closing, so I grabbed it and looked at it until I got to the checkout and it looked great so I purchased it as I have always been able to sell my kids musical instruments fairly easily. 

I am excited to see what is in the bags as I could see gold in one. 

Have a blessed day!

Customer Service By Phone Verses Online

I made a call this week to a company where I purchase my vitamins. I had some issues with some vitamins I purchased recently.

I called the customer service number and was on hold for a LONG time. It was SO long, that I decided to try to contact them online as the phone kept giving a message that you could contact the customer service by text or chat online. 

So, I started up my computer and went to the website and had a hard time getting a chat to go as I was trying to find a customer service chat. I opened one and typed in the number for customer service chat, but it didn't tell you that anywhere until you click into the chat. I then typed in the number and hit enter and after about a minute waiting, the chat said, "No chat information, chat is closing." So, I tried again! 

It closed again. Finally, on the third try, I was about to get a human to chat with about my issues. I went back and forth and was a bit frustrated that the man wasn't able to look up my history based on my email. I had to give him the order numbers which didn't help and then finally had to give him the actual name and item number of the products, so I actually think the chat did take longer than if I had a person on the phone, HOWEVER, I had been on hold on the phone the entire time I was chatting! 

I never did hear a human voice while I was on hold! I was on hold almost an hour. It only took me a few minutes to get a chat going online once I figured out that I just had to hit a chat box on the order page. 

I got my situation taken care of by chat in half the time! It was just under a half hour that I chatted verses the hour on hold and not getting to speak with a human. 

I would suggest that next time you have a customer service issue, you see if going online to chat is an option! 

Have a blessed day!

Sorry About Yesterday - Thought it was Posted

I am on a new dosage of thyroid medication and it is messing with my weight, energy, and thought process. 

I wrote the post for today yesterday and thought I had posted it last night. I didn't notice until just now that I had everything done but the post time. 

I am planning on doing and update video on my many Dr. visits and my future scheduled appointments and the information I have learned since the visits. 

I wish I was thinking a bit more clearly, but I feel like I need to give the meds a chance. It has only been a few days, but I don't know if I will be able to stay on them. I hope that if they don't work, we can find something that will help this crazy ride I am on! 

Have a blessed day!

The Day Was Fun - the Day Was Long

 I left early this morning and got home late tonight. I had 1 1/2 sleep before heading out of town, so by the time I got home, I was exhausted. 

The day was fun, the day was long, and I'm so glad, that now its done!

It Pays To Be Honest - Great Find

Today I went to my local thrift store as I had 10 minutes before I had an appointment. I was in a hurry and walked through the store quickly. 

I found a new puzzle of Christ that I know someone in my world will enjoy. I have also been buying self sealing canning jars for emergency preparedness. If I see one for under $2 that has a super tight seal, I will buy them so I can use them in an emergency. 

Both items were $2 each. I was in a hurry and at the register she put the items in and I paid and left quickly. On the way to my appointment, I realized that the total should have been $4 but the receipt shows I paid $3 on my card. 

After my appointment, I returned to the store to pay the extra $1and someone had just dropped off three totes of items and in the top of one of the totes, was a paint by number set of one of the temples for our church. 

When I showed them the price tags on the items and the receipt, the cashier told me to not worry about paying it because it was her mistake. I told her I was interested in buying the paint by number set and that I wanted to be honest and pay the extra dollar for the item she mis-charged me for earlier. 

She sold me the paint set for $2 and then charged me for the extra dollar she missed earlier. 

Princess Two has been doing lots of paint by number pieces recently and I was so excited finding this set for her. She will enjoy it I am sure. I love that she is expanding her talents! I also love that Heavenly Father blessed me for being honest! If I hadn't gone back, I wouldn't have found that kit and I had no idea they even existed. 

Honesty is the BEST policy! Have a blessed day!

Help With Prescription Drugs - Worth A Try

I shared last week how I had a horrible migraine and in the update video post last week as well about how I tried a new migraine  medication and it didn't work. 

The first sublingual medication I tried was Nurtec. It worked in about 45 minutes, didn't make me throw up, and took the edge off. I did have break through but it was minimal. You can only take one every 24 hours, but after four or five hours, it would come back a bit, but I could take a Tylenol as it didn't get bad and at least I wasn't throwing up. 

My Dr. Gave me a prescription for Nurtec and another medication and I went to pick up the medication and the pharmacy told me that the Nurtec was really expensive and wasn't approved for my insurance plan. The Dr.'s office sent in to requests for the medication to get pre-approval, and both were denied as it isn't an approved medication as I think it is a new medication. 

I asked the Dr. office if I should try and get a hearing to try and tell them why that medication works and the other doesn't, but they said they haven't had much luck with that with the insurance I have. 

They shared that there is an assistance program through each pharmaceutical company. They said you just need to google the medication you need, and the words "patient assistance" to find the application to maybe get help getting the medication you need. 

I came home and searched online for "Nertec patient assistance" and was able to click right on the link within seconds. 

The process wasn't hard. Basically, they want to do a financial check on your social security number or look at your taxes to really see if you need help. They look to see if you are on any help programs. 

They ask for a denial letter if you do have insurance showing that you have tried to get the medication. They also ask for your medical card to see that your company won't pay for the medication. 

I printed out the application and made copies of the denial letter and my insurance card and then dropped off the filled out application to my Dr.'s office so they could fill in the prescription information and fax it to the company. 

I don't know that I will qualify for the assistance, but I figure it can't hurt to try. After my horrible day last week vomiting and dry heaving all day and not getting out of bed until nearly midnight, I am to the point I need to find some answer or way to not have those type of days anymore. It would be lovely to have something that would allow me to live a more "normal" life! 

Fingers crossed! Have a blessed day!

Great Thrift Find 14 K Wedding Band $30

I went to one of the local thrift stores, and have been checking recently every day at that thrift store as they have the new jewelry people and they are putting out so much jewelry. 

I met a woman there the other day who I have seen buying bags regularly while there. I was looking at bags, and she said she got a men's wedding ring in the bag that the local pawn shop paid her $150 for. The bag was $25. That is a good find. 

I then noticed after she said that, there was a ring in a bag to the side by itself. I usually don't pay much notice to the side bags as they haven't put gold in those usually. I decided to pull it out of the locked case and look at it with the help of a worker and he allowed me to pull it out of the bag so I could look at it with my jewelers loop. 

I was thrilled to see it was 14 karat gold and is a men's ring so is a bit larger. It was $30 and I had the thought that for $5 more than a jewelry bag, I get a nice 14 K gold ring, and not have to sort through a jewelry bag. 

I bought the ring and came home and weighed it. I was .29 ounce. 

When you look up the gold calculator for 14 karat and that ounce weight, the ring is over $300 of gold! I LOVE that the new people at the thrift store are putting out the gold and silver! It is like a treasure hunt every day dropping there as I run my errands. 

I feel blessed. Have a blessed day!

Fun Dinners and a Small Miracle

A few weeks back, I had the thought that I should take my nieces to dinner. I don't have children their ages, so I don't get to know them as well as some of my other nephews and nieces. 

I took their older sister to dinner a few years back and my youngest two girls took the twins out to dinner asking them on a "date" which was fun. 

I texted them each asking when would be a good time to go out. They worked out which day would work best for each and I was able to take one to dinner on Friday night, and one on Saturday night. We had a great
"date night" and dinner and I enjoyed getting to know them better. 

When I was picking up the second twin, I grabbed a picture with the first as I forgot to get one the night before when I took her to dinner to her favorite place. 

When I was dropping off the second after dinner, she told me her older sister had come home for the weekend. I texted asking if she wanted to go for ice cream. She told me she was out with her sister, but wasn't feeling all that well and maybe we could do it next weekend. 

I told her that was great and decided to go to Walmart and pick up some groceries. While doing my shopping, I ran into them! It was nice to visit with them. One of them commented on how often I run into them when shopping! I told them it was probably my mom directing traffic from heaven! 

We visited and then I went back to shopping and headed home. When I arrived home, I realized that my favorite silver necklace was not around my neck. I called my sister and asked if her daughter could see if I lost it at their house or near where I parked, but then I remembered playing with it at Walmart while talking to my nieces. 

I rushed back to Walmart and asked if anyone had found a necklace, and one of the workers asked me to describe it. I did, and he said he found it on the ground in the main isle. It must have come off while I was fiddling with it talking to my nieces as I had my purse over my head in a sling style, and I think the purse strap may have caused the clasp to open and cause the necklace to fall. 

I was so grateful for them turning it in and for going back when I first noticed it or others may have not known about him finding it or taken it. 

Here is a link to the post where I found and bought the necklace. I wear it all the time and you can see it in my photos with the girls. I am so grateful that I was able to find it! I am blessed!

Have a blessed day!

Helping My Neighbor is Paying Off

I have been trying to help my neighbor clean out her shed and fields since her husband passed away a few years ago. I helped her clean out and organize her basement awhile ago. Here is a link about that post.

Last year, I cleaned out her field a few different times and started listing her husbands yard tools for sale to help her get some money for them as they are rotting in the elements.

I was able to sell one mower, one tiller, gardening supplies and have had a tiller, mower, and lots of wood for the furniture he made still for sale. 

These items have been listed for sale for over a year and over and over I would show the cedar and aspen logs hoping to sell the entire lot of them. I had a few offers for $200 but some of those logs are $70 each so I was hoping to make more. Finally, this week, I organized someone to come and loaded them up while I was up attending the baptism of my grand-daughter. 

I was so excited to know that it was gone. She got $250 for it, but she would have been excited to just have someone clean it out for free. I told her to hold on as she could make some money for it. Since cleaning out her basement, I have made her quite a chunk of change posting things and she has given me half of what I make for her. That wasn't my intent as I have posted things for them for many years but she wanted me to make some money for all the help I have given them. 

She texted me telling me they came and picked up the wood and she wanted me to come get $125. I went to look at the shed and was so happy it is finally getting cleaned out! I need to make sure we get the lot sprayed now before the weeds take hold again as it got bad last year. I am so glad I can help her and it is nice that she is willing to share some of the proceeds with me. 

I think we can stick the rest of the items in with my next yard sale, and then it will be completely cleaned out! 

Have a blessed day!

Day of Deals - God Loves Me

I was at a thrift store last week and saw a GeoSafari game in the box on a shelf outside. I didn't know if it was something my grandchildren are old enough to play with, but I called my daughter and she said she didn't think it would be something they could use currently. 

I asked how much it was and the worker said $10. I decided against it. They go for a bit online if they have extra sets and it had four new sets inside with the prices still on them. I just didn't want to pay that much so I passed and told them it needed a price on it. The assistant manager took it to the back. 

I went back this past week and it was near closing and I was shocked to see it on a cart that came out for $3. I figured I could sell it online as it was still in the box. When I pulled it out off the cart, behind it was a cast iron HUGE roaster! It was new with the instructions, a cook book and two inserts, and pre-cured / seasoned for $4! I grabbed it as it can cook a turkey in it as it has a vent in the bottom or you can flip it and use the top as a dutch oven.It is also a smoker I was thrilled with that! 

I went to the collectable counter and they had a new in the bag Aqua Filter with FOUR ceramic filters. I researched the gravity fed filters years ago for an emergency class I was teaching. Berkey and Auqu Filter were the two best gravity fed filters and you can wash and clean the ceramic filters over and over rather than buying new disposable filters for other units. You can also plug the holes and get down to just one filter and it will still work and you can send the ceramic filters with people traveling to use with inline tubing! The only downside to ceramic filters is they can freeze and crack so you need to keep them warm in the cold like sleeping with them near you type of thing to keep it safe in the cold. These units with three filters are over $350. Extra filters are over $50. I paid $150 for it. 

I went to the other thrift store and I saw a 10 gallon metal Igloo cooler which I have never seen in my life before! It was $12.50 but online they sell for quite a bit. I could only find one or two 10 gallon online anywhere. I found lots of 3 gallon and a few 5 gallon, but only 2 online in the 10 gallon. It did have some rust on the inside base, but I know there has to be a way to coat that as it would be super cool to have at a wedding for drinks as that is the style currently. I know it will sell, even if it is just a decoration as it was full of dirt, so I think it was a decoration before it was donated. 

I love when God provides things that I can sell and help pay bills. Even if none of them sell, most I could keep for emergency preparedness. I know They will sell as they have all sold online. 

I'm feeling blessed as God always takes good care of me! A Gratitude moment for sure! 

Have a blessed day!

$20 Grab Bag with LOTS of 14 Karat Gold and Sterling Silver as Well

 Last year just after Valentines Day, I got a few bags of Jewelry. My grand-daughter was having a "princess ball" and due to COVID, it was canceled. 

They asked everyone to dress up and join them in an online dance party. Several of the aunts and uncles and other cousins joined in the dance party. 

I decided to go all out and dressed up in what I could as a princess and enjoyed her dance party.
I figured while I was dressed up, I would do a few jewelry videos. I can't tell you how many jewelry videos I made that never got posted. 

Every so often, I go back and look at some of my videos that haven't been posted and realized I have LOTS of videos on all sorts of things that haven't been posted yet. Some haven't been uploaded, some have been uploaded and just not posted. 

When I looked at this video, I was kinda sad it didn't get posted as it had LOTS of 14 Karat gold that is actually pretty and wearable, as well as some sterling silver and some gold plated silver. 

The nice thing is that it was only $20 for the entire bag. After that, the price went up and the bags had less in them and there was never anything of value in them. For an entire year there was nothing in any bags so I was happy to find some recently now that she has left the store. 

I think she dug through what was there so it may take some time for new items to be donated as the bags they have brought out recently since she left have been fairly junky. 

This bag had at least four bigger pieces of 14 Karat Gold and 2 pieces of sterling silver. What a fun bag for $20. 

Have a blessed day!

Another Jewelry Bag Video - Hoping For More Soon

I am so excited that the lady working at the thrift store retired and isn't working there anymore.  

The manager told me they have lots of jewelry and that they will be putting more out soon and are bagging it right now! 

It will be interesting to see if the bags have more gold and silver now that she isn't around. I already got one bag with silver and gold since she left so I am hoping things will be more exciting now! 

Have a Blessed Day!

Catching Up on Jewelry Videos

I was reviewing my YouTube uploads and found that I have several jewelry videos that have not been published that I took and uploaded.

I thought today would be a good day to post one. I had a long day catching up with Princess Four who had a wonderful trip to New York. I may post about that next week. 

I got this bag months ago at a thrift store and since there haven't been jewelry bags that are good for years, I figured she missed this bag with the large bracelet as it wasn't marked in a normal way. 

I am always happy to find large and heavy pieces of silver or gold. 

Have a blessed day!

14 Karat White Gold Necklace and Silver in $25 Grab Bag

I got some really good new recently. The main thrift store in town where I have purchased most of my jewelry for the past 25 years has had some changes! 

I was visiting with the manager a few weeks back and he gave me so great news. He told me that the woman that took over and was doing the jewelry at the store would be leaving! 

She trained a new woman to do her job and the first week the new lady took over, there were bags of jewelry just grabbed a handful and stuck the items into a bag. The bags are a bit more empty than the other ladies bags, and she put more things out individually for sale, but not knowing how things sell and being new to the job, she put individual smaller items for $5, $10, and $20.

There were a few bags that had good items in them and I got one and a few other people bought some so I know that they had some good items in them. 

This week, the manager put all the individual items in a bag to sell and mentioned they had a TON of jewelry in the back that needs to be put out and the new girl is on vacation, so he said he would try to get some bags out next week! 

I can't tell you how happy this new situation makes me! I hope this is going to make going shopping everyday worthwhile!

This first bag, I was able to find a 14 Karat white gold necklace and a sterling necklace and square charm. 

I was also able to find a pretty cameo that I like and would potentially wear in the bag! 

I am hoping that the new woman will fill the bags a bit fuller and not make them so expensive, but at least there is an option to maybe get something of value in the bags! Oh happy day! 

Have a blessed day! 

A Golden Pearl of a Find - 14 K Golden Pearl Necklace for $0.50

I have had a long day but wanted to share about my latest find. As I have shared many times over this past year, the thrift store where I would get my jewelry bags is now a bust with the new person working there. 

The only joy in jewelry finding lately has been the smaller thrift store that opened up this year. They don't get much jewelry, but they price it individually and the most I have seen on any item is $2. 

I have gotten some lovely silver pieces there but this week I hope I hit the jackpot. I noticed they had some new jewelry and they said one woman came in and bought 20 pieces of jewelry before I came in, so I didn't  think there would be much of value left. However, they had one piece that I normally wouldn't have looked at as it is colored pearls. I thought it was fake and had been sprayed gold. 

I saw the clasp when moving it and thought I saw some markings. I got my loop out and could clearly see it was 14 K on the clasp. I went ahead and purchased it thinking it wouldn't be much due to the color and brought it home. 

I was going to let Princess Four wear it in her play as a piece of costume jewelry but thought I had better look it up as the clasp is a security clasp and is 14 karat gold, so they don't put that on cheap jewelry. 

I tried looking up yellow pearls, but didn't have much luck, I then put in "golden" pearls and found that anything of that color sells for quite a bit. 

I then noticed that there was other markings on the claps on the side and when I looked up those markings, it is the hallmark of the International Pearl company that sells high end pearls. 

I was so excited that it may be worth something and think it would be really beautiful of some of my girls with their long necks. 

It is nice that there is a place in town that I can still get some fun jewelry as that is one of my favorite things to do, is find and wear some fun jewelry. 

What are your favorite things to find? I hope you find it soon! 

Have a blessed day! 

Made $2500 at my Yard Sale Last Week - Feeling Blessed

Last week I had a yard sale. I have had a yard sale around this same time of the year for at least three years now. I used to have them all the time, but now I just pick this same week each year as there are people coming into our town for activities. 

I made $1,300 two years ago. I made $2,200 last year, and this year, I made $2,221 and then the day after, I had a man show up to buy some Hot Wheels stuff I had for sale and picked up two items I had on the table that I put out towards the end of the yard sale for $155.

I sold a lawn mower after the sale and another person contacted me buying some Disney videos and a pitcher for $26. 

So, in the end, I made over $2,500! It is amazing to me that I keep pulling things out of the garage that I had from 20 years ago to sell on eBay, and I still have 30 or more boxes of items to sell on eBay. Of course, I sell things the girls give me, or items I purchase and then decide to not keep, and if I find something I know is of value at thrift stores, I will get it and then sell it for less than it would sell for online to people at the sale, and then they can sell it online and I make money and they make money. 

I am still trying to recover from the sale as I was up all night putting it out on Friday, and it rained on Saturday. I had to dry it all out on Sunday and put it all out again on Monday. I sold from 10 a.m. to dark each day and my goal was to make $200 each day. I made that and made more and more each day. Saturday I made the most which was wonderful! 

I am so happy as I wanted to make enough to pay my house taxes. I did make enough to pay my house taxes and a little more to put towards my house insurance! 

Of course, it was a LOT of work, but it was nice that it worked out in the end. I feel VERY BLESSED! 

Have a blessed day!