I feel ... frugal!

[bethr311]

School is out and as the clean clothes come up (roommate does the laundry) I'm going through the stuff that no longer fits 15 year old son. I found a pair of khakis that had really worn well (I'd hemmed them up when I got them and let the hem out last fall) and were finally way too short.

So I whacked off the bottom, hemmed up the legs and now they're shorts!

I know to all you frugal livers this is NOTHING but it made me feel like a frugal pioneer woman! Laugh already, I'm laughing too!

[mcnerd]

Actually that is a great achievement. Be proud that you thought of it and followed through with your frugal idea.

[khorrell]

Great work! You are right to be proud!

[takeitfromkate]

After recently having a new baby and trying to cut costs any way that I can, I have been buying clothes for the whole family at consignment shops and discount retail clothing stores. Before we had the baby, I never shopped at these places especially consignment shops because I thought the clothing was too worn and dirty looking. However, I found a childrens/maternity consignment shop that is very clean and more than half of the stuff still had the original store tags on it! I also started getting clothes for my husband and I at TJ Maxx, where they have name brand stuff for about half the price of department stores. I also asked around for our friends to give us their kids hand-me-downs for the baby, and if the clothes look too worn or have a stain on them I just let our little one wear them around the house or at meals so I don't worry about ruining her "good" clothes. I can't believe that I used to pay full price for clothing, and I wish I would have opened my eyes to this years ago. It has saved us a TON of money! You just have to find the right places to shop.

[gt0163c]

Originally Posted by takeitfromkate

You just have to find the right places to shop.

That certainly is the case.
A lot of my clothing is from clearance racks at various stores. Kohls, Target and Old Navy are my favorites for most of my clothes. I can often find things for thrift store prices. I used to be able to get many of my clothes from Lands End outlet stores, when I traveled to visit my grandmother in southern Wisconsin. Sadly, she died a few years ago and I haven't been back to that area since. My church also has a rummage sale every year to raise money for mission trips. I usually pick up at least a few items there for very inexpensive prices.

Beyond just clothing, I buy a number of other things used. Many of the books on my bookshelves, a good percentage of my CDs and some of my DVDs come from the local chain of used book stores (Half Price Books. Those places should have warning signs at the entrances.). I've found that it's often cheaper to buy a DVD either on sale at a regular store or, definitely, on clearance at the used book store, watch it and then sell it to the bookstore than it is to rent from Blockbuster. Of course, borrowing it from the library (which I don't do very much at all) or from a friend (I do that more) is even cheaper, but if I'm not sure when I'll have a chance to watch it, the buy on sale and sell it back option is great one for me.

Many of my home furnishings are hand-me-downs from family and friends. My entertainment center and dining room table came from a former coworker who just wanted the stuff out of his house. My washer, dryer, computer desk, computer chair, computer monitor, futon and various other things are from coworkers who were selling things before moving (mostly British coworkers returning to the UK). My sister has provided many of my kitchen items. As she upgrades her stuff, she gives me her old items. And, at this point, 10 years out of college, I still have never bought a television. People just seem to keep giving me their old ones when they upgrade. It's a sweet deal if you can get it.

[purplefdu]

Outlets that are not in plazas are great places. If you don't get the difference the LL Bean store has an outlet store near their actual store. This has great prices and returned merchandise for cheap. A mall made of "outlets" is really not much of a bargain unless you work there and get a discount on top of their "bargains" for last year's merchandise.

My mom's favorite use for old jeans is shorts, although I normally ended up with cutoffs as we never owned a sewing machine.

[SouthShoreGirl]

I agree with all the tips everyone has shared! I am newly pregnant so I am asking around if anyone knows of any good consignment/thrift shops in my area where I can get maternity clothing. I also will shop in these places after the baby is born. I also will take hand-me-downs from friends for both self and the new baby.

As a rule, I also shop the sales at Old Navy, Kohl's and Target. I also have gotten some basics for cheap at Steve & Barry's. The SJP Bitten line is okay for basic things like t-shirts.

[Julie Rains]

You might want to check out consignment sales -- there are shops but also some organizations (churches, preschools) host seasonal sales. Here's a link to a resource.

[SouthShoreGirl]

Originally Posted by Julie Rains

You might want to check out consignment sales -- there are shops but also some organizations (churches, preschools) host seasonal sales. Here's a link to a resource.

Thanks so much for the tip!