A penny saved ...

The Backstory:

Growing up, my mom (whose name happens to be Penny) was determined to find everything our family needed at a thrift store or at least at a discounted price. I’m proud to say, I try to do the same. My mom still is the thrifting queen.

Taking cues from my mama, Jeff and I are always trying to save a few dollars to help pay down those pesky student loans, save for a vacation or have a fancier-than-usual night out. Starting today, each Thursday I’ll plan to share with you a way we are trying to make the most of our money. Maybe some will work for you, too! Also, if you have tricks for saving cash, I’d love to hear them!

Thrifty Thursday Post:

Last Saturday morning I made a thrift store run. I’ve been trying to find a less-than-10-inch-wide console table (for under $50) so I’ve been checking there regularly. One of the stores is a consignment shop so I usually take a bag of things I’m not using anymore. So far I’ve made over $125 by consigning unused items!

After I dropped of my bag of consignments, I scanned the furniture for a narrow console table … no luck. I moved on to the clothing racks which are conveniently coordinated by size then color. It’s like a giant clothing rainbow in there. I scanned the racks until a shirt in the medium red section caught my eye. I went to the dressing room with a red knit dress; a red, black and white sweater; two red silk blouses; and two black blazers.

After trying everything on, I narrowed my selection to the red things. I loved the Ralph Lauren blazer I tried on, but it just didn’t fit right. (Thrifting tip: don’t buy something just because it’s inexpensive – make sure it fits well and looks good on you. You’ll never wear it otherwise, and even though it was a bargain when you bought it, it’s not if you never wear it.)

When I checked out, the grand total for all four items was just over $12 (woohoo!). Wanna know the best part? The red knit dress I bought for $3 was a St. John by Marie Gray – the same dress can be found on eBay for $149.97. The original retail cost was around $500. It's one of my best finds so far.

My thrift-store finds. Yes, I know it looks like I'm ready for

Christmas – it's because I am (I'm already planning my decorations).