SHE SHOOTS! SHE SCORES!

I wrote the other day about my Once Upon a Child outing and their $1 clearance sale.  After getting pants for both my kids which should last them for the next year, I spent several days being haunted by the vision of those shirts, skirts, jackets, and sweaters just hanging there with their pretty little orange clearance tags.  I figured after two days the good stuff was long gone, but I kept thinking each item was at least a $3 savings to me (that's if it was purchased full price at the consignment store) and that if I spent an hour and only bought three items it was the equivalent of earning nine tax-free dollars. 

I drove the six minutes to Once Upon a Child and found the place was still bargain nirvana!  I grabbed a cart and quickly purchased next-size or two-size-up long sleeved shirts and sweaters for my daughter, enough to take her through next season and beyond.  I also got my son a couple sized-up sweatshirts and long sleeved shirts and even one short sleeved polo shirt.  I also managed a nice hooded jacket and pair of gym shoes in like-new condition for my daughter.

Total number of items:  38.  Total cost:  $38.00 + tax.  Total if purchased at regular Once Upon a Child prices:  $218.50.
 
Cha-ching!

THE CLOTHING BUDGET -- PART 2

Yesterday I mentioned my goal of buying used versus new and to that end I hit up the Once Upon a Child $1 orange tag sale last week.  I had expected a small rack of clothing and very little selection and had swung into the parking lot with a van full of groceries since I was certain I'd only be a few minutes.  Thankfully (for my groceries' sake) it's been freezing around here and I knew my groceries were good for a while.
What I found inside was HEAVEN.  I saw row after row of beautifully organized clothing with orange tags dangling.

My son is 11 years old and a few months ago was wearing a size 14, occasionally a 16.  He decided to surprise me at Christmas by chunking up a little and complaining of tight pants.  My first stop was the boys' section.  The boys pants only go up to size 18 and, unfortunately, the pickings are slimmer at that age.  I managed, though, to find about half a dozen pairs of pants in size 16 or 18 in nice condition and plain enough that he won't mutiny if I insist he wear them.  Even on sale for one of the minor brands I would have paid $9.99 for one pair of jeans new.  At Once Upon a Child these pants would have cost me anywhere from $4-$10 each.  Many of the pants were by brands that I would never purchase new, such as Old Navy and The Gap, because the prices are beyond what I'm willing to pay for something that will be outgrown in six months. 

Next stop was for my daughter who is 7 years old and extremely tall for her age.  She's very thin but has a very long torso which means she outgrows her shirts because they've gotten too short, not because they're too tight.  Right now she's wearing a size 8 and has plenty of pants and shirts for this season.  I planned ahead.  (I'm learning quickly that part of the key to buying used is to anticipate needs since snow boots in size 4 may or may not be available when it's snowing and that's her foot size.)  I purchased half a dozen pairs of pants for her as well in size 10.  Again, they were $1 apiece and even used would have cost $4-$8 each.
My mind was on my groceries sitting in the car, so I didn't want to linger much longer.  I did take a quick swing through the shoes and boots.  I found a nice pair of boots that were not on sale but were a size and a half bigger than my daughter's current size and for $4 I thought they were worth grabbing.  Also not on sale were a pair of roller skates for $4 and I've been wanting to replace my daughter's outgrown Barbie skates.   Lastly I got a pair of white sandals with that lovely orange tag that will be perfect for my daughter's Easter outfit.

When my purchases were rung up I spent a whopping $33.50 for 16 items, including a pair of skates and a pair of boots.  The receipt also shows that I would have spent $104.50 for these same items at "regular" price (i.e., normal Once Upon a Child prices).  When I think of what each of these items would have cost new, especially those Old Navy pants, I start to swoon.

THE CLOTHING BUDGET

My goal this year is two-fold as far as spending goes.  Number one is to spend less.  Number two is to buy fewer items new.  One of my favorite blogs is The Non-Consumer Advocate by Katy Wolk-Stanley (http://thenonconsumeradvocate.com/).  I'm constantly inspired by her even if I often fail to follow her lead.  One of the things she advocates is buying used.  She has pointed out numerous times not only the financial benefits of buying used but the environmental ones as well.  I really considered the latter during the Christmas season when I found myself overloaded with shipping boxes, packing peanuts, and brown paper from numerous online purchases.  Christmas morning there were the toys' cardboard boxes, little bits of wire that held dolls in place, clear plastic covers, etc.  The environmental impact was overwhelming even though I recycled as much as I could and I almost exclusively use cloth gift bags.

With Ms. Wolk-Stanley's inspiration accompanying me, I hit the new year with a fervent desire to buy used.  The gods were smiling on me last week and, I like think, encouraging my first efforts.  I've always been a consignment store shopper for my kids' clothing, starting when my 11 year old was in the womb and I discovered I could buy a week's worth of onesies used for less than the cost of one new one.  Normally my preference is for a charity consignment store in my hometown of Loveland, Ohio called Truly Blest.  Last week, however, I received an e-mail that the Cincinnati/Dayton area Once Upon a Child stores were having a $1 clearance sale.  Everything with an orange tag was a dollar.  I swung by after my grocery shopping expedition at Meijer so that I wouldn't waste gas making  a separate trip.

Frankly I usually find this Once Upon a Child overpriced for used merchandise and I really thought there would be a small rack of clearance items that would take 5 minutes to go through.  Boy, was I WRONG.  Tomorrow I'll tell you about the cornucopia that awaited me...

Too Much of a Good Thing

My 11 year old son received an iPod Classic for Christmas.  I was happy to oblige as I knew he'd get a lot of use out of it and he's at that age when gift-giving has become torturous.  I don't know what he wants.  He doesn't know what he wants.  The one sure thing is that he won't like what I've picked out.  I figured any kid would be thrilled with a $250 piece of electronic equipment that does everything but tap dance.  Then he went into a pre-Christmas depression and when I mentioned his upcoming iPod acquisition he told me, with all seriousness, that an iPod wasn't much different than his $30 MP3 player and that it was a "snoozefest."  A $250 snoozefest?!?  He has since taken that remark back.  He does, in fact, love his new iPod.  He did not, however, like many of the other gifts that various relatives picked out for him and told me on Christmas Day that next year he thinks I should just give him cash.

My 7 year old daughter liked some of her things but obnoxiously flung others to the side upon unwrapping, deeming them unworthy of her attention.  I know even the things she likes today will simply be sitting on the floor as obstacles for me to walk around in a couple weeks.  I mentioned this attitude on the part of my children to my sister who said, "They get everything they want.  And they don't appreciate it because they've never not gotten everything they wanted."  And she's right.

That's when I started seriously thinking about changing the way things work around here in 2011.  I've made this kind of commitment many times in the past and it usually falls apart by January 15.  This Christmas feels like it pushed me over the edge, however.  Am I raising little Paris Hiltons, overindulged and bored by the world because they have too much?  We are overloaded with Happy Meal toys because the kids don't like my cooking and frequently I throw my hands up and head for the golden arches rather than argue with them.  Even the minor holidays of the year, like Valentine's Day, become mini-Christmases with large gifts and little appreciation.  I'm very concerned about the environment and yet so many of our lifestyle choices don't reflect that.  We have too much garbage, too much stuff, drive too much.

I started this blog as a help to me.  Yes, I will admit my motives are selfish.  I wish I had all the answers.  Frankly, I feel like I have none.  I've read other interesting blogs where people simplify their lives, get "green," cut their spending down to the bone.  Unfortunately my blog won't be that extreme.  I'm blessed with a husband who makes a good living, I'm a stay at home mom of two, we have a nice home, and we have no debt other than our mortgage (which is 2/3 paid off).  I would never get my husband to agree to any kind of extreme frugality.  And, frankly, I like my little pleasures and luxuries even while feeling some guilt over the workplace practices that produced them or the environmental impact.  No doubt this blog will be full of hypocrisy.

I intend to write about my journey into trying to find a better way for my family.  This is an experiment for me and as such there will be lots of failures and theories that turn out to be wrong.  I'm writing this from the point of view of the seeker, not the expert.  I don't have the answers, but I hope by this time next year I have a few.  And I'm hoping to learn something from others along the way and share my little discoveries and remain accountable by sharing the experiment publicly.

My family is so blessed.  We have so much and seem to appreciate it so little.  That needs to change.  Welcome to the Gratitude Expedition.