 | 8 Sep 10 |
Anyone else out there getting a little tired of this recession?
Our family has been tightening the belt for eighteen months now, ever since a series of setbacks dramatically…”reshaped” our lifestyle. In many ways we have been blessed and continue to be blessed, and I’m not about to go ticking off all the hardships because it’s my belief that focusing on them gives them too much power over me. I’d rather focus on the silver lining than the cloud today and share a few of the good things that the busted economy has brought our way.
1. Doing more with less…and liking it.
When we moved out of our large home into our much smaller one, I had to get rid of a lot of things. I no longer had the luxury of spare bedrooms and closets and cabinets and garage stalls and bookshelves; everything that didn’t fit into the new place had to go.
just a few of the boxes of books I gave away
I won’t pretend that was easy. It wasn’t. Excruciating might be a better word. I’m sentimental, and every object seemed to be invested with a meaning or a memory, and I shed a lot of tears as I boxed and bagged things to be given away. My quilt supplies, my hardback books, my extra dishes and vases and serving pieces…all of these were hard. Clothes were ruthlessly considered and if they hadn’t been recently worn, out they went. Anything the kids had outgrown, CDs, movies, games, sports equipment – gone.
But now, after all this time, I have missed very little. I actually know what I have, and better yet, I use it. And this habit has stuck with me: yesterday I realized I use one saucepan for nearly everything and put the other three in the giveaway box. And whenever our closets or pantry start to burst at the seams, we go through and do a purge. I love the feeling of getting clutter free!
2. Doing more for ourselves.
I used to have a house cleaner. It was wonderful, but it was also stressful. Every other Tuesday I went through the house getting ready for her arrival, putting things away (remember all that extra stuff I had?) and tidying and lining up the objets in their proper spots. I was exhausted before she even got there.
Now, I can tidy my house to my liking in an hour, and clean it in two. My kids are required to help out, and that’s a good thing. We wash our cars, putter in the garden, cook a lot more of our meals, and do our own nails. This last one might sound silly, but I love getting my nails done in the salon. It was the one luxury I thought I would never give up, and to be honest I still sneak over there now and then for a treat. But you know what’s really fun? Watching Glee re-runs with Junior, doing manicures. I’m even getting good at French tips.
me on the job at my sister's house
3. Bargain shopping.
I used to hate to shop. I went online, stuck to a few favorite stores, and ordered from catalogs. Now, Junior and I go to Lohmann’s and Marshall’s on a regular basis. We are lucky enough to live within walking distance of both of them, and we browse and chat and laugh and tease each other and try on outrageous outfits and, lo and behold, I suddenly love shopping again.
I just have to share last week’s amazing bargains with you. Junior and I got up at the crack of dawn to join the cluster of determined folks waiting for the Lohmann’s summer clearance to start. We raced into the store (seriously? the elderly couple that got there ahead of us jogged down the aisle) and started our hard-core search for her homecoming dress. At the kids’ high school, the homecoming dance is formal (I’m not thrilled about that, but that’s a whole other subject). We knew it was going to be tough to top last year’s steal – a beautiful dress we got for $6 at the thrift shop:
the six-dollar thrift shop dress!
…but we were determined to try. And I think we outdid ourselves. Yes, we spent more – $68 for a dress and $28 for shoes – but get this: Junior is now the proud owner of a Valentino evening gown. As in couture. As in originally $2,400.
it's a Valentino! 
We were giddy with excitement, as you might imagine, but Junior insisted we look for a little something for me, too. And guess what – as soon as the temperature dips I’ll be sporting a buttery soft faux-leather bomber jacket with gold trim…for eighteen bucks.
So….what to do with all the money we saved? I don’t really have to answer that, do I? We all know it’s going straight to buying BOOKS!
Join in! Tell us about your best recent bargain – or splurge! I’ll choose one commenter to receive a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card. And to all my sisters-in-penny-pinching out there, take heart – and remember to enjoy the silver linings!
© 2010 – 2011, Sophie Littlefield. All rights reserved.
Sophie grew up in central Missouri, daughter of a history professor father and an artist mother. She earned a degree in computer science and made very little use of it. After living in Chicago for ten years, she and her husband packed up the kids and moved to Northern California in 1998.
Most important influences on Sophie's work? The critique group she's belonged to for a decade; her brother, writer Mike Wiecek; and members of the romance and mystery writing communities, who have made for excellent company along the road.
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I had been single-handedly trying to salvage the economy with my shopping skills, but that has changed as well. I’m struggling to pinch the pennies, but it’s really not in me. I haven’t yet resorted to coupon clipping, etc., but I did do very little back to school shopping and have eliminated alot of the shopping that I normally do.
by kris September 8th, 2010 at 6:56 amkris, i did plenty to support the “old” economy…when I think about the many shopping trips i made just because i was bored, i wish i’d tried a little harder to entertain myself in more productive ways. Oh well, I’m getting that education now!
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 9:22 amI love this post! We too are trying to purge what we don’t use, and with two daughters at college, it’d be easy to use their rooms to pile junk (guest bedroom serves that function, sadly) but we have gotten rid of a lot of stuff and we ask ourselves…do we really need this? BEFORE we buy.
(Lori says that as she looks at the towering stack of books in her office, that’s one thing I cannot deny myself….sigh)
And spending time with the girls just window shopping is fun, and always makes me think even if I had unlimited funds, there are certain things I’d never spend a ton of cash on — $200 jeans?
Junior looks fabulous and congrats on scoring such an awesome bargain on gorgeous dress and shoes, she’ll be the toast of homecoming for sure –
I expect to see that jacket at Bouchercon
by Lori Armstrong September 8th, 2010 at 8:42 amthanks Lori, I imagine that jacket will be all over town! One of the best things about it is that fake leather can be cleaned up so easily. heck, I could probably windex it!
As sad as I’ll be when my kids go off to college, I *have* had the thought that I could put up some more bookcases in their rooms…
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 9:23 amI’ve cut down on a lot of little things, including someone to house-clean a couple of times a month. The big thing I did, for myself, was to stop coloring my hair and getting high-lights. Natural salt and pepper, nature can do it for me for free.
by Carol Shenold September 8th, 2010 at 9:15 amcarol, my sister has been doing her hair for years and has the technique down pretty well, though she occasionally dyes a towel or T-shirt
She’s been offering to do mine so I can save the salon bills. I keep wondering how I would look in vivid red hair. One of these days…
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 9:25 amMy recent penny-pinching success was ordering daughter’s college textbooks online–from wherever I could get the best deal (price, coupons, free shipping, etc.) Usually she buys them from the school bookstore–ugh!
by GSM September 8th, 2010 at 9:19 amyikes, i remember the days of shopping for my own textbooks and how shocking that bill always was. I am fervently hoping that at least we’ll be able to buy them electronically in a few years. This summer I went to a presentation on the pricing of ebooks so I know not to expect a bargain, but the savings on chiropractic services from not having to lug around hundreds of pounds of books should make up for what we spend!
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 9:26 amI am such a sucker for the dollar aisle at Target. I never need anything there, but still I walk through and toss stuff in the basket. It’s only $1! But after realizing I can’t get out of the store for under fifty bucks, I’ve cut way back on my trips there.
by Laura Griffin September 8th, 2010 at 9:29 amMy kids love the dollar aisle too. I try to reel them in but…we came home with a $1 dog dish the other day. Target’s a favorite destination. We reward ourselves with popcorn and slurpees when we’re done!
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 10:22 amMy best finds occur at the end of each season. I go to a local department store when the discounts are deep. Last week I bought an adorable pair of sandals for $20.
by ellie September 8th, 2010 at 9:39 amI’m always amazed how far they slash prices at season end. Especially at Kohls – I know these aren’t all over the country, but we have a few in the area and at the end of each season they load everything on a giant rack and mark it dirt cheap. Takes a while to sort through it all, but worth it!
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 10:23 amSophie, love the pictures! I’m not a big shopper but I was thrilled when I found some cute shoes in the clearance aisle before conference! I think they were about $30.00 and they fit! I can’t wear a lot of shoes due to my arthritis, so it was a double bonus.
I love that it’s now in style to be thrifty!
by Jen Lyon September 8th, 2010 at 10:06 amshoes are a favorite shopping thrill for me and Junior too. We have found a few online sites with GREAT prices, though you have to know which brands fit your feet because if you have to return the shoes that eats into the savings. But try endless.com and also 6pm.com. Found a beautiful pair of suede boots for $30 and since Junior and I wear the same size, we are getting a lot of use out of them.
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 10:25 amMy most recent bargain was a 40% off anything coupon for Borders. It comes around every few weeks so I make sure to take advantage and have my ‘to-buy’ book list handy. Sometimes I use it twice…shhh!!
Love the couture dress & Junior looks lovely in it!
by Scorpio M. September 8th, 2010 at 10:26 amOh, I LOVE those 40% coupons. If you’re on twitter, follow Sue Grimshaw (Borders romance buyer) – she always tweets a headsup when a coupon’s available!
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 11:09 amThank you, I am following Sue now!
by Scorpio M. September 8th, 2010 at 7:13 pmLoved this post. I recently dejunked my basement. I couldn’t believe the things that I was hanging on to. I got rid of so much stuff, made money at the garage sale, and then bought used 2 kayaks with what I made. So not only do I have a fabulously clean house, I now have kayaks that I have wanted forever.
My family and I have had a blast paddling a new lake every weekend around our area. I’ve lived here for 20 years and have finally seen places that I had no clue was here. My junk has actually enriched my life and kayaking doesn’t cost a thing to do.
by Tiffinie Helmer September 8th, 2010 at 11:11 amLove those Borders coupons!
by MaryC September 8th, 2010 at 11:18 amAlthough I am using the library more, it hasn’t cut down my purchases at the bookstores.
yeah, i know! i’ve been borrowing books, but somehow that book bill never goes down…
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 11:34 amI walked into a favorite store of mine and sitting there was a gorgeous velour jacket which was in my size. I knew it would fit perfectly and the price was right, slashed for off season.
by ruth September 8th, 2010 at 11:23 amwell ruth, it sounds like the goddesses wanted you to have that jacket.
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 11:35 amHi Sophie, Love your blog so much. This one hits home for me, b/c I’m such a pack rat. But, when we moved a few years back, all of the unpacked boxes that ended up in the basement for over a year went into a big rubbish bin. If you don’t go looking for something within a year, ya just don’t need it! Anyway, here’s a bargoooon for you–TJMaxx, bedside table, to hold all of your books of course, was $350, bought it for $35! Would love to shop together sometime!
by Gina Pangione September 8th, 2010 at 11:23 amTJMAxx is another favorite! Yes, I’ve bought a lot of household goods there – most recent, replaced my favorite nonstick big frying pan for $11 (I make a LOT of pancakes around here!) You’re so right about the one-year rule. I watched the organizing shows on HGTV for a while – i imagine they’re off-air now that the hoarding shows are big, but I did pick up some good tips from them.
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 11:38 amI grew up going to thrift and second hand stores with my parents and I’ve passed the thrill of finding a bargain onto my kids. My daughter and I recently bought over half a dozen pair of pants for her (some designer) as well as a skirt, blouse and adorable vintage coat for myself for $30. My kids know that if it isn’t on sale or second hand they’re probably not going to get it, but they’re fine with it. I am so proud of my junior penny pinchers.
by Janel September 8th, 2010 at 11:38 amthere *is* a real thrill to it, isn’t there Janel? It’s just not the same when you have to pay full price
– - my husband wore a thrift store coat for a long time back when we were first married. I replaced the lining by hand. he loved that coat.
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 12:50 pmSophie–such a great post! Remember the dress we both bought for ThrillerFest (unknowingly) and while I paid full price at Nordstrom’s, you got yours at Loehman’s? I bow before your greatness.
As for my penny-pinching tip, I watch the pharmacy deals at my local stores: for instance, Target regularly offers $10 gift cards for transferred prescriptions, a local grocery store offers gas discounts, and now Kroger’s is giving $25.
The only problem is remembering which store currently has my prescription
by Carla Buckley September 8th, 2010 at 12:00 pmoh carla, prescriptions and gas??? that’s no fun at all! it’s only fun when it’s stuff you *want*, not stuff you need….and just wait to see the dress i’m going to wear at bouchercon that i got for $10 on the same shopping trip. it’s a calvin klein (just like “our” dress – will be anxious to see if you got the same one! mine is purple!)
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 12:52 pmI admit it: I’m not at a fun stage in my life. You’re *such* a good influence on me.
Let’s see, a purple Calvin Klein dress. I’m in! Filene’s, Marshall’s, TJMaxx, and Loehman’s–here I come!
Wait, we don’t have that last one here.
Curses.
by Carla Buckley September 8th, 2010 at 3:57 pmI am fairly sure I caused the recession when I stopped shopping for three months in the last half of 2008. Sorry about that.
by Daisy September 8th, 2010 at 12:42 pmUnfortunately, since then “bargains” have been my undoing– logging into Gilt and RueLaLa every day and much too often seeing something that’s such a good deal I can’t resist, even though I don’t really need it. (I’m getting better, though– just today I passed on the cutest Vivienne Tam dress because I couldn’t honestly justify how much I would wear it.)
On the other hand, I have no skills at thrift store shopping; in my family those all went to my little brother, who is some kind of savant at it. Seriously, dollar-bin designer jeans, high-end suits, the kid has a gift. I think his best score so far was a $5 Le Creuset pot, which I am insanely jealous of.
hey daisy, now of course i have to waste half the afternoon checking out Gilt and RueLaLa.
I *did* buy a Vivienne Tam top recently at Lohmanns – super cheap and chute. You’re one of the best dressed women i know! – - and for sure the funniest commentator.
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 12:53 pmI use my debit card for everything to get rewards points. When I save enough up I get gift cards for, of course, book stores. That’s how I’m able to keep up my book buying ability/habit/obsession.
by HollyD September 8th, 2010 at 12:50 pmoh i love those reward points. they feel like “free” money or like you earned it doing a job or something. I also love cashing in the change jar – do you do that? i always feel like, however much $ is in the change jar we should spend it going out to dinner “for free”.
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 12:54 pmGreat post, Sophie! On a side note, we’ve gotten totally hooked on Glee thanks to the summer reruns, also. Now to add that manicure…
My recession tip is also *green* and good for the environment. We were addicted to bottled water in this family, going through cases of 24 at least once, sometimes twice, a week. The worst part was my daughter is a germophobe and wouldn’t drink from a bottle that was half full (or empty, depending upon your perspective) if it had been sitting around for more than hour or two. But she didn’t want to throw it away, because that seemed wasteful. It seemed like every time I walked into a room, there was half a bottle of water on a table or nightstand. I FINALLY bought a Brita water filter pitcher and we kicked the bottled water habit completely. Not only are we saving money (my husband, who does the shopping, says it’s easily $30 or more a month), our recycle has been cut by a whole container.
If you love de-cluttering, I can’t recommend the show Clean House enough. I get so motivated watching them organize and beautify a house — and Matt the handyman is smokin’ hawt. Love him.
And j’adore la jacket! Magnifique. xoxo
by Roxanne St. Claire September 8th, 2010 at 1:08 pmRocki I hear you on the bottled water. I’ve been after the kids to use the Brita pitcher…and my husband bought them all Nalgene bottles for hiking (necessary when you’re gone 8 days) – I’m kind of grossed out by the idea of using the same bottle 8 days in a row but they all survived!!
MUST go look up Clean House. Looks like my kind of show!!
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 1:32 pmI’m pretty frugal by nature. I buy restaurant.com gift certificates when they’re at least 80% off. I’m a coupon clippers and belong to several saving money blogs (Savings Addict, etc.) I belong to every e-mail list I come across for deals and coupons.
The last (albeit small) deal I got and used was a 40% off e-mail coupon for Borders. I got a $7.99 paperback for $4.79. (Actually, it was free because I earned $15 in Borders Bucks for doing online surveys, but by using these coupons, I get 3 free books for the $15 in Border’s Bucks.)
by Anne September 8th, 2010 at 1:13 pmanne, I have been meaning to check out restaurant.com for ages – going to go there right now! thanks for the reminder!
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 1:33 pmSophie, I love your spirit and sense of fun. For years, I’ve been visiting a couple of great consignment stores in Pacific Heights. It’s an aspect of recycling I love and the women who leave things there have great taste and, obviously, way too much discretionary money! Come with me some time!
by Susan Shea September 8th, 2010 at 1:14 pmsusan, I would LOVE to! I occasionally go to the local shops with Junior – we found me a cute green suit a couple of years ago I wore to a christening….julie swears by the ones in oakland, too. Consignment shops are the best, though it seems like the best stuff is always for the skinny ladies. My size (12) seems like it’s the first to go, probably since there are so many of us. Have you ever been to the ones in Phoenix? I got a great beaded top and a dress, both for $15, that got me through last year’s RWA and Bouchercon.
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 1:35 pmOh, I wish I could go through this house and downsize! I have hopes of The Only and her fiance (Baseball Boy) moving out before the wedding but with jobs nowhere in sight, they may be with me forever! LOL At least they are in college working on advance degrees. But neither one of them can throw out a thing. Same goes for Lawyer Guy, so I guess The Only came by her “hoarding” genetically. Someday. I keep promising myself someday!
As for bargains, I got a White Stag “Big Shirt” – the kind you could wear over leggings if you have legs that look good in leggings – for ONE DOLLAR! The sale racks at Walmart usually are not worth the stop and look. But today? Wow! And the shirt is in my size! I’ll wear it over jeans or a pair of nice “skinny cut” slacks.
by Silver James September 8th, 2010 at 1:36 pmOH! Silver, you reminded me with the WalMart comment, have you ever looked at Laura Benedict’s blog? She did this amazing thing where she decided to dress from wal mart for a year. she’s really stylish so it was amazing to see what she pulled off for super cheap. (plus she’s a great writer and really nice). – wish i’d remembered earlier, i would have put this in the blog. check her out here: http://laurabenedict.blogspot.com/2009/08/wardrobe-by-sam-aka-what-hell-is-laura.html
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 1:58 pmThe outfit I wore to MC the NRCA awards at RWA Nationals came from WalMart. I love shopping there! Thanks for the link, Sophie! (And I didn’t mention how gorgeous your daughter looks in that dress–she’s a beauty!)
by Silver James September 8th, 2010 at 5:25 pmI’ve been enjoying the end of summer sales. I got a nice sheet set at Target for under $15. The thread count isn’t too high, but it feels soft. I’m hoping that I’ll get a great deal on a comforter, too.
by Jane September 8th, 2010 at 2:00 pmGlad you mentioned that! I used to be a sheet snob, I got all my linens from Lands End. I bought some sheets at Target for my son this summer and they are GREAT. Every bit as nice as the Lands End ones and wayyyy cheaper. I love putting them on the bed, they make me feel like such a smart shopper
I’m going to check out the clearance there today in fact.
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 2:13 pmSophie, I can’t even tell you how much I loved this post. Junior’s dress is gorgeous, but she was bound to look beautiful in anything. Still, couture for $68 makes my heart beat faster.
My husband and I live in a teensy 1-bedroom apartment in NYC, so space is in short supply. But I do splurge on books (which is how I’ve managed to create impromptu “walls” around my desk — just wait till Elle Decor catches on!) and vintage clothing. Steal of the summer was a 1950s evening dress for $25. (It was in mint condition, but had ribbons hanging from the front of the bodice, making it look like a costume. Once those were snipped off it was lovely.)
by Hilary Davidson September 8th, 2010 at 2:06 pmHilary, please please please post pictures of your book walls! as you know i am fascinated by your life and your apartment and i just want to live vicariously through you! Are you wearing the vintage dress to b’con? (say yes!) can’t wait to see it. loved the one you had on last time i saw you. Also, can we make a pact, we are NOT going to wear disco clothes on sat. night? i just can’t go there ugh
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 2:15 pmMy latest bargain is a few cute outfits I bought at Forever 21 for about $60 that is a match of regular and sale stuff. I’m also definitely shopping much less.
by Jeanette Juan September 8th, 2010 at 2:21 pmI took a bunch of girls to the mall a while back and they all found cute cheap things at Forever 21 and another store I can’t remember right now. Being a seamstress, i have a hard time with cheap construction sometimes, but the girls like having the stylish stuff even though they may wear it only a season or so. That is hard to take as an adult, but i guess it’s all part of growing up…
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 2:35 pmMy mom was the Queen of Bargain Hunters. I did not get that gene. Although, my last dress for the GH/Rita’s was originally 200 and I got it for 15. So, there may be hope for me afterall.
by Jill James September 8th, 2010 at 2:30 pmJill!! A fifteen dollar Rita dress? I’d say you’re in the club for sure, sister!
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 2:36 pmWhile i can’t beat that deal on that gorgeous dress i do pretty well for myself. I am a queen at bargain shopping. Want to save money take me shopping with you. People literally do call and ask me for help. Before i go shopping for clothes i consult couponcabin.com for printable store coupons. JC Penny always has a coupon of some sort by the way. You must combine coupon with sale of some kind to really save. I did really well with my back to school shopping. Some stores even had long sleeve tops and bottoms on clearance. I am totally cheap when it comes to spending. You really just have to know where they hide the good clearance in a store as well. Then above all else when you’re shopping ask yourself.” do i really need this?” No matter how great a deal is this is important or you’ll regret buying it later.
Purging is alot of fun really. My oldest is leaving for college in about 2 weeks and when he’s gone there will be some purging here for sure!
Lisa B
by Lisa B September 8th, 2010 at 2:32 pmI love Penney’s, Lisa. At the start of summer I bought 3 tops for $15 each and wore them to pretty much every professional event I went to, and got tons of compliments. I secretly prefer synthetic to silk any way – much too lazy to go to the dry cleaners – and if you’re careful and stay away from the more outlandish prints you can find some classy stuff.
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 2:38 pmI love your daughter’s dress. She looks lovely. I am always looking for bargains in the store and online. My most recent bargain buy was a pair of Naturalizer shoes that were originally $80 for $12.77. They are so comfy.
by CrystalGB September 8th, 2010 at 2:48 pmcrystal, i’d say that’s a damn good deal. one of my kids, the li’l math whiz, loves to figure out what % we saved – if she were here i bet she’d say it was a darn big #!
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 3:02 pmWhat a great dress! I have been clipping coupons and baking bread and desserts. I have found that the more I make from scratch the more I save. I check my store’s circular before I go shopping so I can make a list of what I want that’s on sale. In fact, for me, lists are a big money saver since I buy only what’s on the list and don’t impulse buy.
by Maureen September 8th, 2010 at 3:22 pmwe started making more of our own food last year in an effort to eat less sugar. the habit’s stuck, and now we have (mostly) home made sauces, soups, and desserts. I haven’t started making my own bread yet – but my dad did so, every week, for many years.
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 4:21 pmThrift shops are the best, aren’t they? You can find the best things!
by Chelsea B. September 8th, 2010 at 3:37 pmyes and every shop has its own personality. As I mentioned I love the ones in Phoenix. There’s one that’s so over the top fancy I don’t really buy anything there, but it’s fun to look. A size six, white leather, fitted suit for $500 was a bargain when you saw that the original price was $8,000 – IF you are a size 6 – which i most definitely am not! Junior is, though…
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 4:23 pmI LOVE bargain shopping! My oldest daughter and I can really get into it when we have all day . . . LOVE the dresses, both of them, but the shoes are the winner.
by Allison Brennan September 8th, 2010 at 3:41 pmnow that i’ve met your girls, i have a great visual of you guys on the prowl!
maybe our paths will cross in some East Bay shopping mecca…
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 4:23 pmAs a recent school shopping survivor I was over the moon to find $10.00 jeans and $5.00 tops for my 8 yr old monster. My oldest picked up five T-shirts for $12.00 at our local thrift store. In our house we have a rule that if you bring one thing in, one thing has to go out. That way we keep the BALANCE and avoid becoming an episode of Hoarders.
by Rory G September 8th, 2010 at 3:54 pmMy big savings is on my text books. My college charges over $600 for my textbooks and I was able to get my 7 textbooks for a little over $200. I would rather splurge on buying books I enjoy.
by Stephanie McCarthy September 8th, 2010 at 4:17 pmha that made me laugh, Stephanie – nowadays they are getting pretty creative about what constitutes a text book. Maybe some day a class will be taught using a book by one of the authors on this blog!
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 4:24 pmI gets bargains on groceries, health and beauty stuff and things for the house through coupons all of the time. I use coupons and it has now become a hobby for me, so saving money is now a recreational tool as well!
by Kristie C September 8th, 2010 at 5:53 pmdo you ever try drugstore.com? sometimes they have great sales, and there’s a pretty low requirement for free shipping. plus they *always* have my favorite burts bees lip gloss color
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 6:26 pmThe only shopping I enjoy is book shopping. My back room is exploding with books. My dh wants me to get rid of them but they are like old friends, and some I just can’t give away.
by Joyce September 8th, 2010 at 6:07 pmsomehow it seems like book shopping is more of a…”practice” than a weakness.
At least, that is how I choose to see it. If I hadn’t moved several times in adulthood, I doubt I would have any book-free surfaces left. My goal is to someday have bookshelves lining the hallways and the bathroom…
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 6:27 pmI google online to find coupons that will give me a discount or even a freebie. I store these coupons in a folder and when I go grocery shopping I have them all set up for whichever I intend to use at this time.
by Diane Sadler September 8th, 2010 at 6:51 pmok diane….i think you get the “most organized” award. I do the finding and cutting out parts. Even the “storing” part. It’s the “having it with me when I need it” part that continues to elude me…
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 11:47 pmI purchased the GAP Groupon several weeks back (for $25 you get $50). Went into the store on Friday and with sale and 20% for signing up for a credit card, I came out with 2 pairs of jeans, 2 pull-over sweaters and one regular sweater all for $90. At least I won’t be freezing at work.
by lorenet September 8th, 2010 at 10:10 pmi am humbled and awed! I have to look into those coupons – I found some of them on the internet. more organization needed!
by Sophie Littlefield September 8th, 2010 at 11:48 pmgreat post, sophie! i’ve cut back on travel.
by Karin Tabke aka Harlow September 9th, 2010 at 12:48 amthat’s in my next-year plan karin…recently did my expenses and was kind of shocked how much it can cost even with roommates, sharing rides, eating fast food…
by Sophie Littlefield September 9th, 2010 at 9:57 amwell ihave this lil store i love to go to ever chance i get its a small store caleld simply a dollar everything in it is a dollar i have to say i find the cutest nicknacs and purses for my adorable neices along with candle holders and books i just adore it specially when i take the kdis in and they have 5 bucks andthink they are in heaven what can u say 3 and 7 yr olds r easy to please
I love thrift stores
one had a free sale and i got a beautiful quilt for well free
by Bevelry G September 9th, 2010 at 3:55 amawwww beverly, you’re right, who can resist shopping with the little ones! I LOVE taking my niece to target because I firmly believe I’m allowed to spoil her even though I take care not to spoil my own children. I love buying her the kind of silly stuff that I know is not usually allowed. They know the difference, I don’t think I’m corrupting her too much
by Sophie Littlefield September 9th, 2010 at 9:58 amOn a recent trip out to MA, my friends and I stopped at a dinky thrift store in upstate NY. I walked out with a skull decorated thermal top, a green and navy striped T, a veterinarian smock which I’ll use as an apron, and a stretch velvet dress. The price: $8.
I usually spend more than that on lunch!
by Shizuka September 9th, 2010 at 9:04 amok shizuka, now I have the bug. i’m headed over to oakland for lunch, surely it wouldn’t hurt to just pop into the store…briefly…for a second…
by Sophie Littlefield September 9th, 2010 at 9:59 amOh, Junior looks gorgeous in her Valentino gown and you look all badass in your bomber!
My recent savings? I shut off my cable for 2 months and saved $120 plus taxes. There’s nothing but junk on during the summer months anyway so this was no big sacrifice. And while the TV was quiet, I got loads of reading done!
by Pop Culture Nerd September 9th, 2010 at 3:10 pmI hate shopping for me! I’m slightly over-weight and don’t like what I see on the mirror. I do shop for my grandbaby, TuesDae’ which is so much fun. I just went into “Once Upon A Child” yesterday and purchased her 4 outfits, 3 pairs of pants and 6 tops for 16 dollars!!! I was thrilled. Several of the top were 75 cents each!!
by Lisa G. September 10th, 2010 at 2:04 pmI did buy my daughter a dresser for 30 dollars on sale at Kmart last week. I though it was a great price especially since they have it on sale this week for 52 dollars. Same dresser, same store…go figure???
My best bargain was a pair of Cole Hann shoes from GoodWill for $2. My next best bargains are books from the Never Ending Sale at the public library: magazines and paperbacks are $.50 and hardbacks $1.
by Sunnymay September 11th, 2010 at 12:53 pmI just bought me daughter a brand new bratz guitar still wrapped up in it’s original box at the local goodwill store for $2. She’s always trying to play with her daddy’s, so I hope she enjoys her own purple guitar that she will get to open on Christmas
by Jolene Allcock September 11th, 2010 at 7:31 pm