In an economy like this, its all about the "steals and deals", isn't it? I have always been a fan of good stuff for cheap--and since my rent has gone up in the past year, I have really kicked it into high gear.
You gotta love the discount stores--I'm talking Big Lots, and if you live a little bit more up north, Ollie's (the BOMB for books) and Ocean State Job Lot, which my sister is a huge fan of. Yes, it looks like something exploded when you first walk in, like your brain can't take in that much data. But imagine what you can find!!! And you always end up finding it. Like a DVD of Stand By Me for one dollar. At a Big Lots in Virginia I bought a kajillion Vitamin Water 10's (a discontinued flavor) for 35 cents each!!!
Lately I've been turned on to
Coupon Kim. Yes, I always wondered how you can go to Harris Teeter and get six cans of soup, four rolls of toilet paper, two boxes of cereal, yogurt, and frozen broccoli for 32 cents. Its a little something called coupon websites and super deals week where they double your coupons.
Clothes...I'm almost done going to regular stores at this point. I like clothes CHEAP. Sometimes I think even the thrift store is trying to rip me off. For me its all about finding decent stuff from Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, and J. Crew at Rugged Wearhouse. I'm not trying to brag, but this is done frequently by me. I'm saying I want a t-shirt for three dollars and a dress for under ten. And a good thrift store (especially in a rural area) is like finding a gold mine sometimes, isn't it? You have to be willing to frequent these places regularly though. I'm not going to lie, a few shots of espresso help before going into any discount stores. You definitely have your tactics and rules figured out for tackling places like these.
Now, I'm not saying I never buy anything kind of expensive, and I like quality. Shoes, for example, are hard to find fashionable, high in quality, AND cheap. You just have to cave sometimes. But with all the money you've saved, its not a big deal!
