The Lord Blesses the Frugal

Ha! To all of my shopping buddies (that means you, Rach) who have been endlessly annoyed by my frugal ways: i win. I may deliberate a little too much over five dollar purchases, I may insist too often that we "check the thrift stores first", I may be way too excited when I get >50% off...but nobody can argue against the deals I get. Being frugal isn't about being cheap. Being frugal is about being smart. There is plenty of dignity in the sale racks at the mall, thank you very much.
And let's talk about thrifting. I am both a name brand snob and a proud owner of a Goodwill rewards card. (yes, i am aware Goodwill is not a legitimate charity...but honestly, I ain't shopping for charity.) See, being frugal isn't about dressing in oversized coca-cola t-shirts from Salvation Army. Being frugal is about finding the treasures in the dump. I look through everything in the thrift stores...sometimes I don't find anything. I suck it up and move on with my life...but my favorite $2 lime green fleece blanket, the $7 green Aeropostale vest hidden among the lint-laden sweatshirts, the $4 nike shox bball shoes, my flawless $3 Gap cardigan, and the $6 New York and Co. coat make it all worth it. Let me illustrate something for you...

Once upon a time, there was a seventeen year old whose pursuit of happiness led her to Target. She had a craving for new summer clothes&colors, and target had the perfect products. Shorts, cross-body bags, dresses, t-shirts, etc. etc. etc. But alas, being poverty stricken, she had no extra cash.

So, I went to Goodwill. I guess Target must have recently given them a donation or something, because I found 2 pairs of shorts that I had tried on at Target and the exact cross-body bag I had been considering purchasing. Each would have cost over twenty bones at Target. All three items were at Goodwill, and all three were new with tags. Score! $4 each for the shorts, and $10 for the neon orange purse. 'Twas a good day for me. In all, I got six quality tank tops, three pairs of shorts, a cross-body bag, and an iPod case for a grand total of $35.

Be jealous.

Kodiak modeling my new, bright orange cross-body bag. (the strap lengthens, obviously)