Get the latest news and advice for your furry friends at PETOLOgy! Our pet blog covers topics from proper nutrition and health care to training tips and fun activities. Visit us to learn more about how to best care for your pet.
If you are looking to adopt or consider try the best pet rescue for you. I am not affiliate marketing I just know www.petfinder.com is reliable. It’s worth a shot to see all the pups and kits nearby. Consider fostering!
Oh I’m sorry is my house light and free rent bothering you? Get up it’s 4pm!
Top 10 Reasons; never adopt!
Reasons NOT to adopt a shelter pet for animal rescue week.
They start by making you come home regularly to let them “potty.” Who wants to be responsible?
You legit have to pet them, or they sigh at you because they love you so much and you’re their world
Sometimes they’ll do things like throwing a toy at your cellphone just to get noticed.
THEY MAKE YOU EXERCISE. You genuinely feel like a POS if you don’t take your pet out multiple times a day to smell the grass and other animals’ butts.
After all that, they make you liable. You can’t live on the edge when you have children.
First, they want the end of your bed, and by the time they’ve gotten what they want, they already have started to take up the whole bed
When you read the news and your blood pressure starts rising, and fear takes over, you want to play fetch. Right there. Right then.
You have to say goodbye at some point, and it’s a hard pill to swallow, but the lessons learned are beyond necessary they’re fundamental values.
They make you freak out, thinking they ate something off your floor.
They put up with you. Even when you can’t face yourself anymore. They keep you on a good track. They can replace bad habits. Resilient. They know it, they “apologize” when you get mad and it’s not even at them. Did I mention they never love you less? They fully dedicate their lives to you. Clingy.
Sometimes your cat face times your friends dogs.
Animals have personalities. Some don’t believe this, but they do. Cats and dogs are constantly speaking to you. For mental health awareness and pet adoption and rescue month, let’s talk about all the rescue dogs who’ve saved my life. Those dogs and cats I’ve rehomed to better homes or fostered or taken on cause someone couldn’t have been the spark in my life, and they give me a purpose. Protect them and help them as they have me. Cause in your darkest hour, you will find yourself alone, lifehack: you’re never lonely when you have a dog.
Come on, and I don’t just like dogs cause they’re cute. I need a dog because they’re your partners.
Did I mention they fall asleep on you sometimes and then you can’t get up and you have to calm down, cuddle, and go back to bed.
Picture proof that rescue dogs are awful! Just the worst.
Get up? Not today! Dog is too cute to wake up. Morning breath is real though.
The “attention seeker”
05.06.2022 pet of the day- dale The French bulldog. Found on petfinder.comOkay I guess I’m gonna have to snuggle you oddly or just sit elsewhere? Too cute to move you. Okay how did we get from being allowed on the foot of my bed to sharing the bed to full bed takeover. But still too cute to wake up! WtfYeah you’re gonna need an iPhone. When they’re too cute to move all you can do is take really good pictures of their cute faces. The two species pretend they aren’t a team. But than they are both too cute too move. Sleeping in the middle like a cuddle sandwich. If you have a dog with guard like personality traits they’ll stare at nothing all day long just to protect you. If they don’t move they just grow from the grass🤷They love car rides. Not statistically speaking cops don’t wanna fck with the dog😛Better like doing laundry. That fur does not remove itself Seriously can’t get up today, dogs on me. Work will understand.
Besides forcing your bad habits into good ones and testing / teaching your core values, many dogs and cats are euthanized every day. Idiots.
They are however much work you invest in them. Some dogs are very personable, and others (pitty) are big giant babies. They’re unique. Mutts are the best.
Every day this month, I will post a story about a dog I’ve fostered or an animal-related / veterinary-related blog. Shoot me a pic of your furball!
No time like the present to save a pet.
This blog is a satire- yes, yes, you should always adopt, and yes, you need an animal.
Not sure if a pet is suitable for you? Ask your closest friends and family. If they say you should get a dog, you’re likely annoying them with your loneliness.
Lastly, you are to continue to adopt even when your best friend has passed because a dog’s love teaches you unconditional love and forgiveness; that is what you do. You commit to loving something for 10-14 years. It’s not so bad.
I bet if you could challenge yourself to read this every morning and soak it in, you might find your priorities need a tune-up. Maybe even your friendslist
My goal is to help you get clarity with the clutter and focus on your life’s mission which will free up all of your time to be who you are meant to be, live with more energy, vitality, and passion, and feel less like a hamstring injury.
There is no way to “cheat” the system when it comes to adult education
God
Make sure you strategically plan the lessons you need to be done for the week on
the right day. If the laundry room is packed on Monday nights, then do Laundry
on Wednesday. Plan your outfits if you can. Don’t stress. Get yourself a watch with
a timer, and make sure you know your three jobs before starting.
-Grocery shopping: 35-45mn 1. Get pop 2. Get dairy 3. Get paper towels. Tackle
those aisles first. Use the remaining time to shop for the rest. Shopping can cause anxiety for a lot of people. I am not good with math or deals, so it’s easier for me to
use Amazon Fresh or Walmart.Com to get my groceries where I can boldly see the
values on the app right in front of me. Getting things for sale, discount, or on
clearance is the best way to go. Everything ends up cheap at some point.
-Working: split-shift 5 hours: tasks for that day. Human beings are most effective
within the first 6 hours of the waking day /work shift. It’s entirely possible to have
a four-day workweek or a 5-hour workday. It’s about making sure the time spent
at work is just ON work. We wouldn’t need to be at work for 8 hours if everyone
did their jobs adequately and promptly. Studies show that we perform better with
fewer hours and more vigilant work, and shorter workweeks. You don’t need to sit
at your desk and doodle; that’s unproductive.
-If you work from home, SET A SCHEDULE. Change it up however you like.
Sometimes I work 9 pm-3 am. It’s about making sure you get Quality sleep, at least
5 hours of daily work, and enough days off.
-Every week, you should significantly improve your career journey and your
mental one if you adhere to reading and improving emotional intelligence tasks.
-Nothing is a more notable waste oflife than misusing your time. Days are limited,
life is changeable, “if you’re bored, then you’re boring.” If you avoid all your tasks,
then perhaps you aren’t on the correct career path, aren’t taking advantage of your
work time, or are not organizing your priorities. If you’re at work, you should do
something anyway instead of staring at a screen; it might as well be helpful.
-Zero to do. You can always read. Except, of course, you understand absolutely
everything about everything, then you’re fine. I don’t know anyone who knows
everything about everything but never say never. I don’t know everything; I don’t
think you do, either. Teach yourself something. Be your educator. If you aren’t
thinking critically, it’s because you don’t feel like you’re performing essential
obligations. At the end of each day, if all duties are finished, measure how you
think. If you see negative consistencies in emotions, you need to change
something in your life.
IMPORTANT
If you are sad every day and can’t figure out why, look at who and what you did
that day and what made you upset. If you have no real reason, it could very well be
that you aren’t satisfied with your career. To be happy, one must feel like we are
achieving something, going forward, and helping others. If you don’t think or feel
these three things, you’re likely growing close-minded and have already
considered a more worthy career path. I can’t tell you enough that you need to quit
your job if you hate it. 365 days (about 12 months) = 1 year. Do you have how many
good years are left? One second shouldn’t be wasted doing things that don’t help
ANYONE, including you.
Stop blaming other people for your problems. Even if someone is wrong, it doesn’t
matter. Blaming people is saying you have no intention of fixing this problem. You
want to vent and have someone else take care of it. This causes drama. No one is
ever going to agree with you completely, and everyone has different opinions. If
You want to go far in life; sometimes, your best-confined friend is yourself.
Don’t let others step on your goals before you’re done creating them. If you’re
positive you want to try a new career path, and you know deep down you can do it,
then do it without the approval of others. The result and your success will show for
themselves. Keep your ideas to yourself. It sounds counterintuitive to what we’ve
been told, but too many opinions weighing in often results in nothing getting
accomplished. By you, at least. Someone else might take your idea in the
meantime.
A Different Way to View Your Conversations;
Become Trustworthy to Someone
If a co-worker or friend is speaking to you or telling you a story about their life. Sit dora, shut up. and do
the following
Third-party perspectives: if you were a bystander seeing yourself, what do you
think? This lines up with empathy. To communicate effectively, you genuinely
need to take yourself out of your shoes and put them in a stranger’s. The third-
party perspective is usually used when interacting with others. What three things
should you do in every interaction?
Listen, like. Don’t think about what you’re going to say until that person has said
their piece. We can understand information and process it over TWICE as fast as
we can speak. It’s easy to interrupt people, but you can’t. You don’t understand
their end goal, so don’t race with them to win the conversation. They have their
intentions and their reasons for even telling you everything they’re telling you.
Don’t volunteer advice except if asked. Don’t advise if you don’t know the answer.
Google is at the palm of your hands for every conversation.
Take a couple of seconds to register whatever message was given. Can you
sympathize with this character? How would you feel if you were them? That
doesn’t mean apologizing for everything. It means equaling a human and sensing
what others may be undergoing (only enough to be effective) over sympathizing
is not productive. (Remember, you are NOT that person, and it is ISNT happening
to you, but be considerate, as if it could and were happening to you. It makes you
a better listener and conversationalist. We can all identify with certain emotions.
Most people at any given time feel Happy, Sad, Worried, Anxious, Angry,
Depleted, Thrilled, or Emotional. Think of times when you have felt that way; it doesn’t even have to be the same situation, just the same feeling. -Note in your
mind that they are experiencing that exact feeling right now. Everyone in this
world has feelings unless noted by a psychiatric professional. You might not want
to talk to those people at all.
Now you’ve listened and you’ve decided how they feel, you have recognized how
that feeling might be sitting with them by remembering a time you felt that way.
You have been assessed as a third-party stranger; now you can think of your
response. Try to keep conversations under 3 minutes; if you don’t know what to
say- admit that, or don’t say anything. If it’s concerning work, make sure you are
correct with your answer. Don’t act, just do.
Do just that in 3 minutes. Spending too much time on everyone is as bad as
spending no time with someone. If you have one hour to talk to 2 people. Be fair;
get to the point without being brash.
IF YOU DON’T KNOW SOMETHING, DON’T
PRETEND YOU DO.
Reading a sentence in a book about a subject does not make you an expert. It makes
you dangerous. Most often, there are more to issues than we just want to read
about. You can’t stop Kujo before the ending, or you will see the movie differently
than it is.
Pretending to be an expert on something or acting like something you think is a
fact when you aren’t sure if it has one name: Lying.
When someone seeks advice and gives them advice that’s not proper, you could be
leaving them in a dire situation or causing harm to them.
It drags out the issue and confuses everyone.
How to tell a client you don’t know something without seeming unintelligent or
ignorant.
Phrases that I find helpful:
“I apologize. I don’t want to give you a Non-answer I truly don’t know the answer
and need to do x, y, and z to get you the answer you need.
“I can see how frustrating this is to you, and I empathize. I want to make sure Im
guiding you in the right direction, so I need to consult with x, y, z to be helpful.”
Would it be okay if I call you back or if I contact you a little bit later? I want to
investigate this more so I can make sure your situation is handled properly.
IN A DISPUTE
Do not raise your voice or swear, and don’t allow others to yell at you or swear. It’s
not acceptable or right whether at work or home. Swearing is a sign of stupidity
and a lack of proper education.
Would you please not swear at someone or tell them they are unreasonable? Ask,
“how can I help this situation? How can I help you.
Tell the person as calmly as possible that you do not tolerate or help people if they
are swearing at you. To avoid saying that if it’s terrible, do a quick brb and get your
manager because you cannot fix this at that point.
With, if you try every method, you’ll end up back at the beginning. There is no way to
“cheat” the system when it comes to being productive and developing good. The only way
to cheat is to do it the right way; most people don’t consider this. Practices are EASILY
built if they are correctly structured and have achievable milestones and an achievable
completion date. Everything else is just an idea or a thought. Turn that thought into action
by taking the first step. The very first small step.
How to Identify puppy farmla dog breeders and backyard breeders.
“Puppy mills are commercial breeding facilities that mass-produce dogs (and cats in cat mills) for sale through pet stores or directly to consumers through classified ads or the Internet. Roughly 90 percent of puppies in pet stores come from puppy mills.” – PAWS – resources puppy mills
PAWS › resources › puppy-mills
As horrible as puppy mills are, the ASPCA estimates that there are still more than 10,000 of them in the United States alone. If you want to make sure that your next puppy isn’t coming from a puppy mill, keep an eye out for the following ten signs:
The puppies come from out-of-state – particularly Midwestern states like Missouri and Illinois.
The puppy’s parents are not kept in the same facility, and you cannot see them before buying.
The breeder wants to meet somewhere else if you request a visit to their facility.
The facility offers several different breeds – reputable breeders focus on one or two species.
The breeder has multiple litters available at the same time.
Neither the parents nor the puppies have been appropriately vaccinated.
The breeder makes extreme promises about the puppy’s size, temperament, or other quality.
The puppies may smell like a kennel, and they are likely to have low coat quality.
The breeder doesn’t ask you to fill out any kind of contract or spay/neuter agreement.
The puppy is under eight weeks of age or appears to be much younger than the breeder claims.
Unfortunately, if something on this list is right about the puppy you are thinking about buying, a puppy mill breeder is unlikely, to be honest about it. For example, a puppy mill breeder might offer you papers and a license for your puppy, but if you look more closely, you may be able to tell that it is fake. If at any point the breeder doesn’t appear to be forthcoming about information regarding the puppy, its parents, or the breeding facilities, it is a big red flag. Not only should you avoid buying from this breeder, but you should also report him to the ASPCA or the Humane Society.
Buying a puppy from a pet store is a significant risk for several reasons. For one thing, many of the puppies sold in pet stores come from puppy mills, and it is straightforward to fake the papers or registration that pet store owners use to convince you that it is not so. If you want a puppy, consider adopting from a shelter or go through a reputable breeder.
Dogs NaturallyMagazine, a Veterinary based magazine, inspired me to research this incredibly important, Interesting, and alarming article about dog nutrition.
Studies recently show canines eating brand new diets to pups eating brands with nutrition deficiencies (I.e., Pedigree, Beneful, Alpo), which contain large amounts of processed foods, found that dogs eating fresh foods statistically live on average two years and eight months longer than those with the low nutritional diets and/or “cheap” brands.
That’s an extra thirty-two months on your beloved fur baby’s life.
There are many explanations for canines prematurely aging. Contemporary research shows that telomeres – a compound structuring at the end of a chromosome “shortening” could be one connection between processed diets and a shortened life.
TELOMERES, VITALITY, LIFESPAN
The end of each chromosome is a stretch of DNA named telomeres in both canines and homo sapiens.
Telomeres 🧬 are essentially the tough rounded ends of shoelaces. Telomeres conceal the perimeters of your dog’s chromosomes and stop ✋ them from unfolding. 🚫
As canines age, their telomeres get shorter. Generally, old canines have immensely shortened telomeres. Every time a cell divides, the acting telomere for that chromosome gets shortened. Cells are continually dividing, such as surface cells like skin and cells within significant organs such as the liver.
Once the telomeres are wholly gone, its chromosome on the DNA unfolds 🧬 , and the cell will execute one of three plans:
Self-destruction (apoptosis)
Go Solo (evolve cancerously)
Retire (becomes senescent)
The body is continually residing with cancers and stands adequately equipped to handle them. If the immune system is working sufficiently, it can pick up and demolish any cancerous cells. Again, that’s if the immune system is not compromised.
It’s the senescent (or cessation of cell division) cells that do the most damage to the body. Senescent cells are the one guy who ruins the party as these cells come baring early-onset of age-related disease.
Senescent cells lay dormant, and at any given time in the body, they discharge poisonous chemicals. These chemicals begin to grip to encircling healthy cells, causing that cell to become senescent or cancerous.
You need to protect the telomeres.
HOW PROCESSED FOODS DESTROY TELOMERES
Researchers in Spain looked at telomeres size and diets in human participants. They lay the first stone that the more processed diets they ate, the faster they shortened telomeres.
Partakers that ate three or more servings of refined or processed foods everyday stood 82% more apt to bring into light shortened telomeres.
What is refined or processed food? Like yourselves, your canine companions rely solely on the diet you feed them and to enhance longevity, as well as address specific breed diets and needs it’s important to know how to read a dog food label and more important to understand it. Think of processed food as “fillers”. Bad brands of dog food will usually list a filler or a meat “meal or derivative” (essentially ANY part of the protein source, I mean any part) and include a lot of grains such as corn to keep your pet full for longer. Corn, isn’t easily digested whole for humans, and it’s no better for dogs. This does not mean you should feed your pets grain-free food. It means the grains if at all should be healthy, ground up if needed, and easily digested.
Recent articles in both frontline and DVM360 have linked grain-free diets to cardiomyopathy or heart disease/failure. Hills Food Manufacturer sent a disturbing informational article to all associate Veterinary hospitals in June of 2019 showing the research-based evidence and development of grain-free diets and heart failure or sudden death due to heart issues in over five hundred canines.
WHAT IS A PROCESSED FOODS PURPOSE?
A LOT of pet foods and food brands (raw foods included) encompass refined ingredients. The ingredients are exposed to high heat, processing machines, or prepared in a laboratory and approximately entirely nurtured by human reserves. It cuts expenses for the pet food corporation to put fillers and processed food in the nourishment as grain is an inexpensive crop and corn is the cheapest. Corn that is not ground up is not generally tolerated by humans nor pets- the food must contain appropriate grains such as “ground” corn.
The first ingredient listed should always be the protein source (meat). Don’t be fooled by the word meal derivative or meals; this meat is essentially the meat you don’t want your pet to have (I.e., Weird body parts or even meat from untrustworthy or none grass-fed animals from non-accredited farmers).
Dog food standards are not the same as human food standards. The only thing a dog food brand needs is a label listing the ingredients and for it to be visible on the bag. No further testing of the food to date is required by law. PET FOOD DOES NOT need to be FDA tested unless it’s a prescription diet. It does need to pass its own “FDA” mentioned below.
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) provides nutritional standards (called model bills and regulations) that pet food manufacturers must abide by if they want to advertise their food as “complete and balanced.” – dogsnaturallymagazine
While the pet food industry reduces their costs by supplementing essential nutrients with fillers, processed foods and protein meals and maybe save a few bucks on the packaging, this day in age the brands are all aware (if they weren’t before) and still sell garbage to gain more personal profit (though they swim in it as is), they add bills to your veterinary tab and take years off your pet’s life, practically load your dog up with fillers, meat and meal derivatives, and indigestiblele grains. We simply have no idea we are slowly killing our pets. Not to mention they STILL push grain-free when it causes heart failure.
Name brand pet food. Is it malicious? Not all, well some probably are, but there are many brands of food. It’s unlikely intentional all pet food corporations are trying to murder your pet since canine and feline nutrition is only recently becoming a significant component of raising healthy pets, and though many brands have been forced off shelves or forced to re-do their recipe; to this day, pedigree, also, and Beneful cut corners. Will display labels below
What are the ingredients most likely to be processed? What do you need to pay extra attention to? Words.
Meals (like chicken meal or corn meal)
Flavors (even natural flavors)
Colorings
Vitamins – what vitamins and how much?
Minerals– what minerals and how much?
You probably already know to stay away from meals and flavors. But many “high end” brands and freeze-dried foods contain vitamins and minerals.
Vitamins sourced in pet food are made with petroleum or fat products and are highly processed in factories. Minerals are also being processed in high heat and can be toxi. Avoid “added vitamins and minerals” or “all-natural and fresh with added supplements”
Processed foods are deficient in antioxidants. A fixed stream of antioxidants is vital to ameliorate oxidative stress harm and telomere curtailing.
HOW TO PREVENT TELEMORES FROM SHORTENING
Simple! Food and lifestyle change. Small adjustments you can make that will help keep your dog’s telomeres long and inflammation down.
Here is a list of supplements proved safe to give to pets that are found OTC. These you can purchase yourself.
Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fats: Both omega-6 and omega-3 fats have the ability to control hormones — and the hormones they control have very different jobs. The omega-6 fatty acids produce hormones that increase inflammation, which is an important part of the immune response. They also help with blood clotting and cell growth. The hormones produced by omega-3 fatty acids also control the immune system and they work alongside the omega-6 fats in an antagonistic manner. So, balance between these fatty acids is an important part of a healthy immune system. Both fats are important and your dog needs both in his diet. But these fats must be reasonably balanced for a balanced immune system … and today’s modern diets make this balance difficult.
Sulforaphane: Broccoli and especially broccoli sprouts are rich in a polyphenol called sulforaphane. This is a powerful antioxidant and liver detoxifier … but make sure it’s not heated as heat destroys the enzyme that converts sulforaphane in the body.
Probiotics/Prebiotics: A prosperous stomach includes an abundance of bacteria that reduce inflammation. And as pups age, their microbiomes become less distinct, and this can cause inflammation and telomere shortening.
Those are just expansions to your pet’s diet. Additionally, for an upset stomach, you can serve none-dessert canned pumpkin or boiled chicken and white rice. “Bland” diets are preferred when a dog is experiencing digestive tract issues. What your dog food should contain are the three driving energy sources.
Your dog needs three sources to operate: protein, fats, and carbohydrates. These macronutrients are the only source of calories your dog gets.
Proteinsare made up of building blocks called amino acids. Amino acids are important not just for energy but for vitality and tissue assembly in the bodies cell production. They also fire up the metabolic process. (hence energy drinks are loaded with amino acids and bcaa)
Fat is a rich source of energy. Pound per pound fat is two times more highly caloric than the protein source. You need to watch the amount of fat per protein ratio when feeding. Fat is essential in protecting your dog’s cells and aids in makinghormones as well as fatty–solublevitamins. Without a steady supply of protein and fat, your dog will die.
Carbohydrates are not essential for life, and dogs can survive without them, but that does not mean they shouldn’t be removed from the recipe. Carbohydrates help boost the dog’s immune systems and help reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases.
That being said the following sites are great for pet nutrition recalls, questions, and information.
Dog food advisor Constantly updates with researched and laboratory-based evidence for every type of pet food imaginableDifferent breeds means different nutrition needs!
Example: GOOD DOG FOOD
Taste of the Wild Southwest Canyon Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag
Raised in the “elite” Northwest Suburbs of Chicago my moms go-to-cure for heartbreaks was retail shopping. Sure the election isn’t the same as being dumped by a high school boyfriend, but the pain, the fear, and the loneliness are oddly similar feelings.
Is it just me? In times that are so high pressure I feel like I would do anything just to make myself not think about the election.
Now, I live alone, I’m 29 and I’m poor. What can I do with $20.00? Does that even cover the cost of gas to get anywhere? I can actually get a lot of stuff for $20.00 so DONT FREAK! Not to mention this will forever make holidays non-stressful. You can make $20.00 go as far as gifting your whole family if you’re creative enough.
Imagine a store full of unimaginable products or items. Gems from the times, books of every variety, designer clothes with tags, and brand new designer shoes and purses. Whether your purchase is for monetary gain or just for yourself- you never feel ripped off when you take twenty dollars to Goodwill or Family Salvation and leave with potentially hundreds and yes thousands sometimes dollars worth on clothes.
Note: not one particular thrift store is set up the same. I always look for the ones with the best ratings, or the closest too me. I always have a couple back up ones in case I’m really on the hunt for a product. Some days are hit or miss and be sure to know the dates that certain colors are half off and twenty-five percent off. That takes your $20.00 and gives you about $50.00
1. There is NOTHING, and I truly mean NOTHING (short of intangible items like houses, etc.) that cannot be found or purchased at a thrift store brand new or in excellent condition. I’ve seen nearly everything, at a thrift store. It helps to go to a town a bit wealthier as they tend to give away more expensive items. (I.e $5.00 lazyboy couch. Yes, $5.00) Too often we arrive at a thrift store with no budget, no list, and really no clue why we’re there. That’s why it’s best to have an exact limit. You won’t feel bad if you leave with $20.00 worth of junk, you may feel bad if you leave with $100.00 worth of stuff you don’t want, and have no intention of selling it right away. If selling, a shop and marketplace plan needs to be put into action first. Know what your selling, have a brand and logo self-made and if you can get a godaddy or blue host domain. It’s a waste of money to assume you’ll sell a product if you know nothing about the market value.
If you are one of the clever people who have now figured out how to “flip” items the most profitable way is to start and set up your selling platform like an eBay store, a Facebook marketplace, Amazon sales, posh mark app for clothes, offer up app, let go app, and the next door neighborhood app.
Craigslist pro is on the list of 2020 top platforms to sell, but given some bad experiences I leave that to the last place. If you have a ton of collectors items (I.e a bin of beanie babies, a box of hot wheels, figurines) then Craigslist is good for wholesale listings. My friend made $800 off his 10 gallon bucket of rare and unrare beanie babies. You have to know your market place.
Whether you take that $20.00 and spend it on yourself or sell. Make it a point to buy items that you potentially would want or keep. This avoids piles of unwanted, unfitting clothes, and crappy toys that you misguessed on. Even when it comes to books, unless first edition, signed original copies from a famous author are available only buy books you would read. You don’t know how long they’ll sit on your shelf.
I used to buy books that I thought “other people” would read. What a waste! It turns out my interests are similar to those of my purchasers. Books are and will always be the best items to sell. Self-help books, cooking books, how-to books selling on eBay, Amazon, Etsy, and abebooks.com (for rare) are the best platforms. The amazon app barcode scanner, eBay app barcode scanner, and BookScouter app can tell you the going price of a book just by scanning the barcode while in the store. Books are generally $0.99 for soft cover, and $1.99 for hardcover. Again, if all the books you like have a yellow label. Figure out what day of the week yellow labels are half or even twenty-five percent off. No point in spending more than you need to.
Now, let’s take a step back from selling and focus on you. This election is stressful and YOU need an upgrade. This year, I took. $20.00 shopping spree on a Monday at my local Family Salvation in Niles, IL.
This trip was mainly for my own personal shopping but I always have sales on my mind. It was White is half off day. Anyone who thrifts knows that white is the most expensive color tag. It’s best to buy your expensive items when they are half off. That being said I only picked white (half off) and yellow (25% off) clothes, books, and artwork. How do I know what’s quality and what’s not?
Make a list of designers and brands. Also, measure your waist, bust, hips, and feet size. It’s important to look at your favorite jeans and see what sizes they are and what cut they are. For instance you may be a size 8 but look best in high rise jeans. Don’t go too far off your charts, and avoid cute clothes that your uncertain you’ll fit into.
Once you have an overview of expensive brands I.E Ralph Lauren, Lauren Hill, Colombia, DKNY, Under Armor, adidas, marvel, Steve Madden (and the list goes on) you can browse for those branded items and not worry about how they look, because if they are in nice enough condition (ideally tags) you can always re-sell them if you don’t like the way they fit. Posh mark searches for specific designers so it’s best to know what is popular and what isn’t. For instance last year there was a spike in Betsey Johnson purses. Know the colors of the year, trends of the year, and know your fabrics.
You may be holding back because you had one or two bad experiences at a thrift store. This happens when a store is poorly managed. A well taken care of store will have its items to the best of their abilities sorted, stacked, and priced appropriately.
Don’t be surprised if you go to a thrift store and find a mega win that costs you $15.00. I once walked into Savers with $20.00 and found a Bissell Upright Carpet Cleaner. The exact same one my dad had for $12.99 and in perfect condition. I didn’t think twice before grabbing that. Plus I spent the other $7.00 on what appeared to be a multi use Keurig machine. Sometimes a few items priced well is better than a ton priced low. Remember thrifting is designed for people like me and maybe like you, who really honestly do not have enough money to buy these items at regular price. I also find it amazing to see unique or rare items.
Tips: when buying anything, examine for missing pieces or test in electrical outlet. Many times I’ve gone to purchase a printer at a great value just to find that someone donated a broken printer in hopes goodwill would fix it.
IF NO BARCODE USE GOOGLE APP TO REVERSE IMAGE SEARCH.
Ihave done this onrare books, printers, video cameras, TVs, clothes, wood frames, artwork, pet supplies, figurines, crystal glass, popular coffee mugs etc. unless you want the item don’t get it without doing your own personal appraising.
Shop Ideas:
new and used book resale, vintage and designer purses, rare and collectible toy, rare and collectible figurines, jigsaw puzzles and board game shop, trading cards shop, cute stationary store, online thrift store, designer clothes outlet, framed artwork shop, electronics/chargers/cords shop, phone case shop, vintage glass shop, coffee mugs shop, shot glass shop, mid-century glass shop, silver shop, hair and makeup boutique, art and paint supply shop, used TVs and laptops (yes laptops) shop, jewelry bargains, vintage cameras sale shop, fabric shop, art supply shop, logo t-shirt shop, CD store, DVD store, vinyl records shop, discount furniture store. The possibilities are endless.
Lately, my shopping has been all personal… but with high retail value- I have two brand new t shirts that I got for .50 cents made by Marvel. I am starting to gather figurines which I may one day sell but for now just find unique. I always pick up different texture paper. Ive purchases 100% cotton paper, resume paper, Brite paper, brite white paper, grid paper, poster paper. Bags of cool pens and sharpies. The items such as three hole punches. Staplers, folders, etc. are always a bargain and my favorite purchases are New-Age or best selling books.
To give you and over views- my last trip to Family Salvation I spent $32.00 I spent it on books, a coffee tray, and a computer chair + MEDION music lightbulb, and barstool. Some findings in front of me now are as follows:
side note: a majority of my home is thrift store items, I plan to update the items as I come across them but these are just a random assortment
PETOLOGY 