This is frustrating.

[urban dreamer]

I not worthy to comment. I didn't grow up spoiled or frugal. Both of my parents have 10th grade educations and drug habits. It was not uncommon to hear them fight about how they were 2000 dollars in debt to rent alone (250$ a month by the way. I wish I could get that!). And how they didn't know how we were gonna make it.

My mother never let anyone know we were bad off. She bought her drugs, her entertainment and bought good clothes from Wal-Mart (to me, Wal-Mart is expensive). We always had tons of food that usually went bad. She tried to live the "high-life" without the pocket book to back it up. I am despiratly trying to not be my mother, except I keep catching myself doing the things she did (not the meth part LOL). I spend way too much. Last week my SO lost his only sourse of reliable income. After reading some of ya'll posts, I can't believe I think we're broke. I am fortunate my college is paid for. That's one expense I don't have to worry about.

I have really come to love the Dollar Tree and usually shop there before I go anywhere eles. I am trying to get over this pride issue I'm having and start going to our local Goodwill. I went yesterday looking pots and ended up buying a skirt, some pants, and a shirt. Total? 10 bucks. There is a Savers nearby that I am trying to get the nerve to go to. Hopefully I can learn from ya'll to be more money wish and frugal. Mabey we don't have enough money to get a house becasue I'm spending it all?

 

[freemotion]

Goodness, skip the Dollar stores and go straight through the doors of the Goodwill and the Savers. The dollar stores stock mostly junk....I go into them every couple of years as I forget....and almost always walk out empty handed. I find that most of the stuff, at least in my area, can be had for less elsewhere or at the same price but much higher quality elsewhere.

As for the donation-type stores.....go often if you have one near you! You never know what treasure you will find, especially if you strive to be ss. Many people have no idea of the value of certain ss things. It all depends on your area and who is putting the prices on the items at your store. For example, canning jars are usually a dollar or two each, ridiculous since new ones are cheaper. But other things.....woohoo!

I was looking at clothing once and there was a mother and adult daughter nearby filling two shopping carts and exclaiming over the brand names. They were stocking up for the daughter's used clothing store!!!

If you are embarrassed.....bring a bag in with you to donate. That will get you in the door. Then browse. You won't regret it.

 

[abifae]

The boss said to DH, who was on the brink of retiring, that he envied him - it must be so nice to be able to retire, but he just couldn't afford it!

Having more things often means more debt, not more spending money.

I know a lot of people who make far more than I do who haven't my savings or as much as I have that is usable.

If you have more money, you have proportionately more bills & more debt, unless you are a rare soul who understands finance and doesn't dig yourself into a hole.

 

[tortoise]

If you have more money, you have proportionately more bills & more debt, unless you are a rare soul who understands finance and doesn't dig yourself into a hole.

I am so thankful my SO is a rare soul. Middle class, by any standard, but that income came with 100K student loan debt! He is more frugal than I am. He takes care of money and bills. I earn my spending money. He gave me a credit card that I use sparingly - for groceries and gas, mostly.

I am thankful that we don't worry about money at a month-to-month level. (He worries about retirement savings - his stocks took a bad hit in 2008 and have not totally recovered).

Even though we don't HAVE to worry about it, we still live carefully.

My sister and BIL.... OMG. They HAVE SS dreams! My sister has lots of SS know-how. She is so completely frugal it hurts. They make more money than my parents, but they are always broke. And they DON'T have anything to show for it. My sister line dries clothes on the futon frame and they use family cloth. Their vehicles have been given to them. They live in a small apartment. They don't spoil their 2 kids I don't get it. No one in my family does. Their credit scores are in the 400's!

Even when I was at my lowest point - divorced, single momma barely making ends meet, my credit score was still mid-600 and I was able to get a car loan when my car was not so reliable anymore!

 

[lupinfarm]

I HAVE to buy $85 jeans. I'm 5'11" with long legs, everything is about 6 inches too short on me so I am forced to shop for jeans at the TallGirl store. Minimum purchase is $85, needless to say I don't often buy jeans. I got packs of 2 pairs of Yoga pants onsale at Costco a while ago for like $10 for a pack. Soooooo comfy. And just yesterday I bought a strapless summer cotton dress at Old navy with matching flip flops for under $10 (FLIP FLOPS WERE 1.99!! WOOO).

But i'm tall, with big feet and that limits what I can buy. I'm a size 11 shoe, good luck finding anything size 11 at our Value Village (we don't have a Goodwill) and VV is very expensive as far as second hand stores go.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Hey lupin, have you check the men's jeans?
My SIL is a hair shy of 6' (taller than her brother ha!) and refuses to buy "Rhinestone Cowgirl" jeans as she calls them. She buys guy's jeans, apparently they come in longer lengths than the "tall" women's jeans.

Just a thought, if you hadn't checked into that.

 

[tortoise]

TRUCK jeans are super-long. I am 5'8" and short-waisted and I have to hem them up a couple inches. Plus, they are super-adorably-cute!

I will spend a bit on a good pair of jeans. They do so much good for my mental health. (Then again, I got my last pair brand-new on clearance for $5)

I buy them at a brand-name second hand store for $20 - $25.

 

[Ldychef2k]

I get fat lady stretch denim elastic waist pants at the $5 clothing store. Shoes? I wear a 12, daughter a 13. Since Payless took their cheapest price up to $15 from $10, I haven't bought any shoes. Been maybe two years. But that's okay, because when I used to have disposable income, I stocked up. When you wear the sizes we do, you get what you can get, and get it in every color possible. I now have 35 pair of shoes, and that is after culling out half of them. None of them are stylish, and most of the canvas ones are torn, and six are flip flops, but I don't really care! I have diabetic feet, so I go with what does the least damage to my skin.

 

[bibliophile birds]

I HAVE to buy $85 jeans.

i'm in that boat with bras. the last two i bought were $60 each and i about threw up when i left the store with them. but i will pay just about anything to have a good bra that is comfortable. and they will last me 3 years at least. i've got friends that shop at Vicky's Secret regularly because the bras are "sexy," but they end up replacing them after a few months when they fall apart or they realize that they are horridly uncomfortable.

 

[miss_thenorth]

I HAVE to buy $85 jeans. I'm 5'11" with long legs, everything is about 6 inches too short on me so I am forced to shop for jeans at the TallGirl store. Minimum purchase is $85, needless to say I don't often buy jeans. I got packs of 2 pairs of Yoga pants onsale at Costco a while ago for like $10 for a pack. Soooooo comfy. And just yesterday I bought a strapless summer cotton dress at Old navy with matching flip flops for under $10 (FLIP FLOPS WERE 1.99!! WOOO).

But i'm tall, with big feet and that limits what I can buy. I'm a size 11 shoe, good luck finding anything size 11 at our Value Village (we don't have a Goodwill) and VV is very expensive as far as second hand stores go.

Try the sears catalogue too. Nevada jeans ( i think thta is the name) has jeans in specialty sizes, like petite, plus and tall. I am tall also (5'10"), and I can get jeans for $25-30 for the tall ones at sears. but now, in retropsect, I have not bought new jeans in about 6 years, so the price might have gone up .