The Bargain Hunters

By Pam & Sue

July 3, 2008
Aladdin's Lamp
SPCA Thrift Shop
The Coffee Shoppe

Pam: With the economy such as it is, we all have to tighten our belts ­ in every aspect of life. When I can find clothing bargains, it gives me a sense that I am taking care of my budget.

Aladdin's Lamp Consignment Shop and SPCA Thrift Shop

Sue: I had a good time in the $1 room. Shirts, dresses, skirts, pants on neat hangers filled the room. I found two beautiful shirts that looked as if they had never been worn. They were mine now.

Pam: I found a shirt in all the colors I love for just $1. We checked out all the other rooms and found jewelry, a rack of fantastically good-looking jeans with great price tags of just a few dollars. You know the ones that are really comfortable because they've been broken in but aren't worn out. We also had a good time going through the shoe/purse room.

Sue: That's where I found a beautiful wallet for just $2. As I was neatly rummaging through that room I turned and looked through the display window in the office that had some nice items. My eyes fixed on a gorgeous Hummel. I collect Hummels and know they are expensive. This one was a little girl sitting on a fence; I didn't have that one. I asked Jeanne how much it was and she said, "A dollar." She told me it had cracks in several places but had been well mended. I bought it.

I left with a bill of $4.20 ­ two shirts, a Hummel and a wallet. I was convinced that these kind of stores are the right thing for my budget! Pam left with her gorgeous $1 shirt.

l Pam and Sue's favorite part of Aladdin's Lamp: Their Saturday yard sales, their bunch of little lanterns (12-15) selling for just $15 for all of them and that great $1 room, plus those 25-cent items.

We drove over to SPCA Thrift Shop, 2214 Garden St. in Titusville. If you haven't been there, shame on you. You can supply probably everything in your home ­ from a juicer to a bed, from shoes and clothes to CDs and sofas.

Pam: I always make a beeline for the clothes racks because I find nice items there. I have a thing about tops and shirts so I always look for those. I picked a black long-sleeved shirt, a cream shirt with embroidery ­ both will be handy when I'm riding with my fiancée on his Harley. Because I like to present myself well at work, I bought a pale pink top and sweater set for $3 in perfect condition. Sue has the same one so let's see if we come in to work with the same thing on one day. We have this uncanny ability to wear the same colors ­ very weird. But, great minds think alike.

Sue: I always love it when someone calls me smart. I found quite a few 25-cent items, including kid's clothes. My boys are bigger now but I thought if they were still real young this would be my place to go because they outgrow their clothing so quickly. I found heaps of CDs for just $3 ­ every kind of music you can think of, lots of books ­ from cookbooks to novels, and I loved the $2 movies ­ kid's movies, family movies, you name it. It's cheaper than renting them and you get to keep them. They also have a fantastic children's room filled with toys and games. I spied a 1,000-piece lighthouse puzzle. We, at the Beacon, have a lot of lighthouses because of our logo. It was $1.50, but I knew I'd never have time to put it together. I showed it to Pam and she bought it. Well, if she has that much time on her hands, maybe she doesn't have enough work to do. I told her that when we were driving and she almost pulled over and made me get out.

Pam: I left with the puzzle, two shirts and sweater set for $7.16.  You just can't beat it.

• Our favorite part of SPCA Thrift Shop: The wide range of items and the low prices. We also like the people who work there because they are very nice. And we love the shop because the money is for the animals. So when you shop there you do yourself, your family budget and the animals a favor.

Our Restaurant Review

The Coffee Shoppe

After a pleasant bargain-hunting session we were hungry so we decided to find a bargain for lunch. There are plenty of good prices around for going out to eat. We stopped in at The Coffee Shoppe, 125 Broad Street in the Baldwin Plaza.

It was hard to decide what to order for lunch because the menu and specials on the board sounded good and inexpensive.

My eyes went to the Shoppers Special. For just $7.59 you get the works ­ salad or soup, choice of egg salad, grilled cheese or tuna sandwich, dessert, coffee or tea.

If you like breakfast food, you're in luck at The Coffee Shoppe. They serve breakfast from 6 a.m. ­ 3 p.m. They have quite a few bargains there. This one beats Denny's Grand Slammer in price. It's called the No. 1 ­ pick  four items ­ two eggs, bacon, sausage, ham or corned beef has, grits or has browns and toast and jelly for $5.09. This is just an example. They have a wide range of breakfast items at great prices.

You could eat at The Coffee Shoppe for under $3, not including a tip if you order a hot dog for $2.69 or fried egg sandwich for $2.65. Both are served with chips.

The menu has just about everything you are hankering for. From a turkey sandwich to lunch and dinner specials.  Sue: I decided on the $6.50  lunch special of fried flounder, fries and cole slaw. Pam's order wasn't far off. She decided on the fried mullet with the same sides.

We got our food quickly, which is always a plus if you are in a hurry. The food was piping hot and absolutely terrific. The flounder was fresh, flaky and had a really nice taste with batter on it that wasn't too much.  In other words, I was eating a whole lot more fish than batter, which is my pet peeve when ordering fish in other places ­ usually it's just batter you're eating. And there was no grease. It was almost has if the whole lunch was baked.

The fries were some of the best I've had recently and the cole slaw was one of the best I've ever eaten, hands-down.  Pam: I agree. The cole slaw was delicious ­ not too much liquid, a beautiful taste and the cabbage was cut up real small. I wanted another order because I found myself eating it rather quickly it was so good.

I usually eat my cole slaw last, but not today. The mullet was lovely, also a lot more fish than batter.

We topped off the lunch with their famous homemade cobbler at $2.50. If lunch wasn't perfect enough, Scott, the owner, outdid himself with the cobbler.

Wow. There are a few places in town, one in particular, that touts their cobbler as the best, but we think The Coffee Shoppe is the winner here. The crust and top is flaky and almost tastes like graham crackers, but isn't, according to Scott.

The portion is just right, especially after a meal. The cherry filling was delicious and not overly sweet like some. It would have been good with coffee or tea, but it was just too hot outside to think about hot beverages.

• We rate The Coffee Shoppe a 5 beacons out of 5. It's clean, the service is friendly and good, the prices are a bargain and the food is outstanding.

If you haven't been there before, you are missing something.

The Coffee Shoppe is open Monday ­ Thursday 6 a.m. ­ 3 p.m., Friday 6 a.m. ­ 8 p.m. and Saturday 6 a.m. ­ noon.