The price is right

May 19, 2007 – 10:00 pm

I have a dilemma. Up until this year, I haven’t had much of a need for casual clothes. Sad, I know, but true. So here I sit with a closet full of wool, cashmere, silk, and other high-priced and high-maintenance items. Not exactly the ideal wardrobe for a park-roaming, finger painting, squirt-gun dodging momma.

At the same time, when I quit my job I did so under the strict understanding that we would NEVER AGAIN SPEND ANY MONEY. Seriously… you can cut your income by 60%, but only if you’re willing to majorly put the hurt on your cash flow.

So far my solution has been to wear one of two outfits all the time. This has two implications: 1) I have to do laundry a LOT, or 2)I wear dirty clothes. Which cycle I’m in depends on the week.

Oh sure, I’ve visited the local consignment store, the thrift store down the street… but I have to admit that each time my squeamish, snobbish nature gets the better of me. I walk into one of those places and my nose wrinkles at the musty smell. I gingerly finger through a couple of rows of clothing, disdainfully pushing aside anything slightly faded or, well, worn. Maybe it’s too many years shopping at Nordstrom and J. Jill. Maybe it’s a lack of vision. Whatever the reason, second-hand is just not my bag, baby.

Until…

A friend (whose clothing choices I respect) told me about Value Village. She was a new convert, and described coming out of the place with HUGE BAGS of quality clothing for dirt cheap. So last week I decided to check it out.

Ok, so the smell is still slightly musty. I discovered that breathing through my mouth helps with that. The store is set up similarly to T.J. Maxx or Ross; a large brightly lit room with rows and rows and ROWS of evenly hung clothing. It’s easy to find your size and flip through. It’s clean, organized, and there’s a lot of good stuff! And cheap! I found 2 shirts and a jacket, all name-brand and good as new, for a total of less than $10. What’s NOT to love?

But perhaps my BEST find was a “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” book for a buck. Of course I HAD to buy it (I’m totally a sucker for those 7 steps, 3 ways, 15 reasons type self-help books). And there’s a certain sweet irony to buying a book like that at Value Village. Once I finish it (and learn how to be rich), I’ll share my secrets with you.

Yes indeed, this looks to be the start of a long and beautiful friendship.

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2 Responses to “The price is right”

  1. By Brillig on May 20, 2007 | Reply

    Well done! And, yeah… I completely know the smell you’re talking about…

    Hubby read Rich Dad Poor Dad a few years ago and loved it and professes to have learned a ton from it. However, apparently the rich part, um, doesn’t happen right away? Still kinda waiting on that… :-)

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  2. By subarctic mama on May 20, 2007 | Reply

    I love VV. For a while I had given up on it, but then I had a lucky visit and 2 out of 3 jeans were perfect. It was a miracle. I came home and proclaimed, “I will never buy new clothes again!”

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