The Trouble With Frugality

I love a good deal! 

 I don't mean just getting a sweater 20% off.  I mean getting four sweaters buy-one-get-one-free on top of 80% off!  That's the kind of sale I scored just the other day at H&M.  

When I am shopping for clothes I usually look at the price tag before I look at the item.  This is what I was doing while I was shopping for my oldest boy at Target a while back.  I'm always shopping for him, because he keeps growing out of his clothes.  That's the thing with kids; they keep getting bigger.  I found a row of shirts his size on the clearance rack for $2.50 each so I just picked one of every color.  When I got home I realized that one had a flaming cracked skull on it with the words, "Rock and Roll Forever."

 Now, don't feel bad if you let your kids wear flaming skulls and such, I'm not judging you, but I'm just not ready for my little seven year old to be sporting human remains on fire.  I started laughing when I saw it and told my husband I was going to take it back.  He asked me why, because he was sure our son would love it (which I'm sure he would), and he also wondered if it was worth it for $2.50.  But I'm frugal like that and yes, I took it back.  So I spent more time going back to the store when the shirt probably wasn't even worth the gas money it took to get there.  And that's the trouble with frugality!  

If you're interested in being frugal like me and wasting time and gas scoring super killer deals on clothes, just follow some of my tried and true frugal-shopper techniques:

FIRST:  Walk immediately to the back of the store and look for the racks that say CLEARANCE!  

SECOND:  Shop at the end of the season.  That's when the stores are getting rid inventory.  

THIRD:  If it's not at least 50% off,  don't buy it.  

DON'T BE TOO PROUD:  Take time to visit stores like Ross, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls.  Their clothes are often cheaper than thrift stores and they are new!

REMEMBER:  Don't buy it if you don't love it or need it.

MAKE EXCEPTIONS:  Shopping frugal makes room in your pocket book (and conscience) for the occasional splurge.

FINALLY:  If you don't have money to spend, don't go to the store!

Happy frugal shopping, and...

Rock and Roll Forever!