Sounds impossible, right?? Surprise!! It really isn't that difficult to do. I'm not really a yard sale person, so I won't send you in that direction. Personally, I find it to be pretty gross to buy used dishes. They get washed of course, but it still kind of weirds me out. Don't confuse me with a germaphobe though, used dishes are just one thing I can't get past. Kind of like buying used underwear. Gross!!!
When we moved from Kentucky to Oklahoma a year ago, we got rid of nearly everything we owned, including most cups, plates, bowls, etc. If it was my silverware, cooking utensils, or anything used for mixing/cooking, we kept it. But the rest was disposed of. I won't tell you that we got rid of the dishes by selling them in our yard sale, because that would make you laugh at me after my little rant. Instead, we'll just say that another family that needed them more than us now owns them.
Anyways, we have been starting over from scratch since moving here. My father-in-law's wife gave us a small set of dishes to get us by, but I really "needed" a set of my own. Okay, really I like any excuse to buy new dishes haha. Who doesn't?? Since we are starting over on several items though, we have really needed to watch our budget. So, I have been on the look out for a cheap, yet beautiful set of dishes for a year.
One option for finding cheap, yet awesome dishes is to find the nearest
Ikea. I am a huge fan of Ikea dinnerware, mixing bowls, and anything they have for the kitchen. When we lived in Austin, TX, we would take at least one weekend a month to walk through Ikea and dream. Many times, we came out with some new decoration, storage bin, or something for the kitchen. The prices are really great for the quality of the product. We have put the Ikea dinnerware through everything imaginable. Seriously!! They have been dropped, banged, licked by the dogs, kicked (from a drop stop attempt with the leg), and even set on fire. Yep, you heard me!! Set on fire. That was some of our set from when we moved from TX to KY. Hubby wanted to see exactly how much he could put the plates through before they finally broke on us. It took a huge, TX style bonfire to finally break one. It also took him throwing one as high as he could in the air, with it landing on the paved road before it broke. If you have an Ikea near you, I would seriously look into the
Dinera brand dinnerware.
Unfortunately though, we no longer live in Austin or have an Ikea anywhere near us. I wish they had one in Tulsa, but they don't. Shock!! Even if they had one in Oklahoma City, I would go for the dinnerware alone. That would be too easy, this is Oklahoma after all. The land of nothingness and boredom. Can you tell we don't like it here? *Sigh* Oh how we long for Austin again. Maybe we'll be blessed with a job transfer for Hubby.
I have been keeping my eyes peeled whenever we have gone shopping anywhere for the past year. Two months ago I found a set that I liked at Wal Mart. It was a pretty set, with earth tone colors around the edges, almost making it look stony. It still wasn't right though, and the price for the "service for 4", including coffee mugs I really don't need, was still $40. I wasn't content spending that much, especially when I wanted a set that didn't include the mugs.
After nearly giving up on finding the right set for the right price, I decided to take one last look at Wal Mart last week. I fell in love!! The most perfect, simple, yet beautiful set was sitting on the shelf, staring me in the face. It was as if I had heard it calling my name from across the store, because I was drawn straight to it. It got even better when I realized it was a service for 4 that did not include the coffee mugs. Whoohoo!! I could have danced in the aisle based off of that itself. It gets better though! I found the set for only $10!!!!!
It turns out that having patience and avoiding impulse purchases really does pay off. Who would have guessed?? So far, they seem very sturdy, tough, and easy to clean. We've made it through a whole week without chipping anything so far. The bowls could be a little larger, but that's okay. The smaller size may help us make wiser decisions on ice cream portions. Either that, or we'll go back for seconds and eat more than usual. That one is going to depend on which day you ask me.
I can't promise that you will find $10 dinnerware sets at your local Wal Mart, but it is definitely worth a look. For those of you near an Ikea, I'm jealous. Enjoy the store for me next time you're there.
***While you're here, please share about the best deal you have ever gotten on dishes in the Comments. I know there have to be more options out there besides Ikea and Wal Mart for good, cheap dishes. So, please share where you have found great deals with everyone else.
