Nifty Thrifty Thursday

Who? Me? A shopaholic?

No...

Okay, guilty as charged.

But, it’s a genetic pre-disposition.

Seriously. No nature vs. nurture argument here.

Okay, maybe a little of both.

My mother loved to shop, and her mother loved to shop, and I’m not sure about her mother, but shopping is in our blood. Just ask my sisters or my dad. We can shop, and we do. (although, I have been A LOT better recently)

My mother trained me in the art of shopping when I was just a little girl (as I now train my children). I was one of her shopping buddies to Leggets (the only larger store we had growing up - it is now called Belk), and to Corning Revere (why my love of dishes started early). Mom taught me how to be a smart shopper. She was the Queen of bargain shopping, also Queen of the yard sale.

The last week my mom was in the hospital, she wasn't able to really communicate, and she stayed pretty sedated because of her pain. It was a Friday, and I leaned over close to her and said, "Mom, if you would just get better right now, I promise I will take you yard sale-ing all day tomorrow." I half expected her eyes to open, or for a smile to creep across her face. But, no such luck.

She went yard sale-ing even if she felt horrible, I think shopping is a therapy for us. She could have felt awful, but the moment she started yard sale-ing or stepped into a TJ Maxx, she would get a burst of energy. I am the same way. I could shop all day and not eat anything. When I was pregnant, I could go into a store exhausted, but get a second wind before I even hit the first rack. I was in labor with Trevan and didn't realize it while I was shopping with my mom. Every now and then I would have to sit down and rest, and mom would say, "maybe we should go home," and I would be like, "let's just stop into one more store..." We even got in the car to go home and we ended up at the mall...

We are shoppers. Luckily, though, my mother taught me how to be thrifty. I would consider my self a very smart shopper, and a thrifty person. So, I have decided that on Thursdays I will give a Nifty Thrifty Tip. Some of my tips, may not really be tips to you, but you can read along anyway.

Here is today's Nifty Thrifty tip:

(though not a new concept, but one way I save money)

I buy clothes a little bit bigger. Not for myself, but for my kids. For example, this outfit is a 2T, my daughter isn’t quite 18 months. Though the outfit is a little big, you can’t really tell. Right? (just say no) The tights are really supposed to be capris and the green top should hit above her knees, I think, but it still looks cute like this - and will fit her through the summer. Most of her and Trevan’s clothes are like that. Also, when Mallary outgrows her dresses, I then have her wear them as shirts with leggings. Of course, not every dress works like that, but a lot do. A few sundresses from last year will be cute flowy shirts this year. Viola!

And that, my friends, is just one way I stretch a dollar.