photo by adiything
DEAR SARA: What’s the difference between a consignment shop and a thrift shop? — C. York, e-mail
DEAR C. YORK: Consignment shops sell items that are brought in by individuals. The store helps people sell their unwanted items. In other words, they buy some of their inventory outright from people. They split the profit, too. The store takes on the marketing and sale of the merchandise. Sometimes the stores will pay a flat rate to the person bringing in the merchandise, and other times they’ll give a percentage of the profit after the merchandise has sold. My experience has been that consignment stores offer more higher-quality merchandise that is displayed nicely. They’re privately owned, too. Thrift stores can be charity-based and accept tax-deductible donations, or they can be a for-profit resale store. While they can sell on a consignment basis, it’s not the primary way they stock their inventory. Prices at thrift stores are often lower, too.
DEAR SARA: How do you decide a need versus a want? There doesn’t seem to be a specific answer/definition, and there are lots of gray areas between wants and needs. That started me thinking. How do others define the two? — J. Moffitt, Michigan
DEAR J. MOFFITT: Food, clothing, heat and shelter are basic needs and essentials. Each person has his or her own personal needs, too. For example, I don’t need a car because everything I need is within walking or biking distance, but it’s a strong personal need. I simply don’t want to go without a vehicle. My personal need for my computer could be absolutely absurd to someone else. To me, sacrificing a personal need wouldn’t be satisfactory. I’m fortunate that I don’t have to live on only basic needs. When prioritizing on your path toward frugal living, pinpoint things that are important to you. A want will be something that is nice to have. Only you can decide and separate wants from needs. Start from the basic needs everyone has, and take it from there. Keep in mind that not many people want to live a life in basic survival mode. If your goal is frugality, then consider what things are not necessary, the long-term impact of the choice you make and whether you can afford it. Are there alternatives? How can you be less wasteful? I can’t impose my values and views on anyone else.
DEAR SARA: A group of us is having a progressive dinner. Several people volunteer their homes, and each host home provides a drink and one course, plus the tableware. We want this to be very frugal. We are having four courses: appetizers, salad, entree and dessert. My part is the appetizer. I’m thinking of greeting people outside on the front porch with a pot of hot spiced cider and giving them that for a drink. Then I’ll invite them inside for the appetizers. Sure would love to hear your suggestions. Thanks! — Diana, Missouri
DEAR DIANA: I would make soup and a hot dip. Serve them with cheese, raw vegetables, crackers and fresh bread or baguettes. You can use a slow cooker to keep the hot foods hot. It’s simple, stress-free and not too light, but not too heavy.
译文:
旧货店对寄售店
adiything拍摄
亲爱的萨拉：寄售店和旧货店的不同之处是什么？——西.约克，电子邮件。
亲爱的西.约克：寄售店卖的东西是个人带来的。商店帮助人们卖他们不要的东西。换句话说就是他们当场买下他们存货清单中的一些东西。这样他们也会从中分得利润。商店负责出售这些货物。有时商店会付给带来这些货物的人统一的价钱，有时他们在卖出货物之后给他们一部分利润。根据我的经验，寄售店出售更多的高质量的商品，他们都被很好的陈列出来，并且他们也可以私人拥有它们。旧货店可以是慈善基地和接受免税捐赠物或者他们也可以是为了赢利的转售商店。他们可以以托销的方式来卖，但这并不是他们供应货物的主要方式。在旧货店，货物的价格通常也是很低的。
亲爱的萨拉：你是怎么去区分必需品和需要品？似乎没有一个确切的答案/定义，并且在必需品和需要品之间存在着许多灰色地带。这就让我开始思考，其他的人是怎样去定义它们两个的呢？——简.莫非特，密歇根
亲爱的简.莫非特：食物，衣服，热和房屋是基本的需要和必需品。每个人也都有他或她自己的个人需要的东西。比如，我不需要车，因为我需要的是步行或骑车，这是一个强烈的个人需要。我只不过想不坐车去。对于其他的人来说，我对电脑的需求可能是很荒谬的。但对于我来说，牺牲个人的需要不会令人满意。我庆幸我不是只靠基本需要品来生活。开始每个人都有基本需要，然后都得到了满足。请记住，没有多少人希望生活在基本生存的生活模式中。如果你的目标是俭省，那么就考虑什么东西是没必要的，你做出选择后的长期影响以及你是否可以担负得起。还有其他选择吗？你能够做到多俭省？我不能把我自己的价值标准和观点强加在任何其他人身上。
亲爱的萨拉：我们一群人正在享受着一顿先进的晚餐。一些人主动让出他们的房子，每个主人都提供一种饮料和一盘菜肴外加餐具。我们需要这样的晚餐因为它非常节省。我们有四道菜：开胃菜、凉拌菜、主菜和甜品。我负责的部分是开胃菜。我想先在门外拿一壶热乎乎的香苹果汁作为饮料来招待他们。然后再邀请他们进来品尝开胃菜。我非常想听听你的意见。谢谢! —戴安娜，密苏里
亲爱的戴安娜：我会煮一锅汤再烧一锅热水。拿奶酪、生蔬菜、薄脆饼干、新鲜面包或者法国长面包来招待他们。你可以用一个慢火炉来保持热食物的热度。这种炉非常简便、无压力，不会太轻但也不会很重。