Budget Buys... Dinnerware

Do you ever find yourself starring at dinnerware at Dillard's or Macy's and trying to calculate out if you can afford it? We do, we love looking at dishes but never seem to buy any new ones for the simple reason there so DARN EXPENSIVE! Who has 130 bucks to spend on plates that stay hidden in your cabinets most of the time. And to top it off half the stuff you get with a set you don't need or want. Who actually wants the coffee cups that look like tea cups, they're way to small(we need our coffee to function) and don't even get us started on half the sets that come with the tiny bowls meant for the mice that live in our cupboards (just kidding..we think).

 Another option is to buy the dishes separately. You think you have found a way around the madness.. WRONG! 14 dollars per plate and 12 for a bowl! That will add up fast. Not to mention you need more than 4 if you plan on feeding anybody but yourself.

A couple days ago we were bargain hunting for cheap stools to reupholster and our local Goodwill is located right next to a Family Dollar. We hesitated at first whether or not to enter but decided it was worth a try. We wondered the whole store and found nothing but a cheap bottle of comet; disappointed we were ready to leave but something urged us to look again. We realized we missed the very last aisle and guess what we found? If you said dinner dishes you were RIGHT! Not just plain Jane white dishes either, these were fiesta colored. Similar to the ones we had our eyes on at Dillard's. We argued for awhile on what color to get but finally settled on multicolored plates and matching bowls(and not those tiny mice eating ones either). We opted out of getting any matching coffee cups just for the fact that we have so many(obsession ALERT) and these were on the small side. They didn't have any matching salad plates, but they did have some in a similar color(who needs things to match 100%) so we made room in the basket for them.

Poor guy at the register had to ring up 8 plates, 8 bowls and 8 salad plates, he had nothing to put them in. He had to run to the back to grab some boxes so we could get them out of the store in one piece (and surprise they made it all the way home too). So how much was our total? 24 dollars plus tax, only 1 DOLLAR for each bowl and plate, I mean yeah its a dollar store but who actually expects to pay only a dollar for ceramic plates! So next time your out and about don't hesitate to stop in your local dollar store and see what they have you might be surprised (we were).