THERE is a running joke in my family about my conscientious consumption.
I'm not a "picky" person – we prefer to use the term "selective." And I'm not "cheap," either, just a little…"frugal."
Okay, maybe I am both picky and cheap, but it's paid off – literally – in helping me stock my overflowing wardrobe.
I'm a thrift store fanatic, and I'd estimate that 75 percent of my clothes are sourced from secondhand shops, garage sales, and online consignment.
Even when I don't buy pre-owned clothing, I almost never buy clothes at full price. If it's not on clearance or doesn't have a coupon available, I'm not interested.
In the past ten years, the most I've ever spent on a single outfit was $42, and after the event I needed it for, I sold the parts I didn't want to keep and made my money back.
Right now, I own 102 pairs of shoes, which line my entryway on two shoe racks.
Even those racks were a bargain: one was on sale when I ordered it online, and I discovered the other, identical rack on the street and carted it home.
Meanwhile, my clothing rack (which I bought for 45 percent off) is stuffed with dresses and slacks, my under-bed organizers are chock full of casual tops and jeans, and my closet is filled to the brim with out-of-season coats and sweaters.
Because so many of my clothes, shoes, and purses were pre-owned, I don't feel guilty about having so many, especially because I use them until they wear out and sell or donate anything I don't use.
Anything in my wardrobe that cost more than $20 was probably a gift or a hand-me-down.
Many thanks to my similarly-fashion-focused mom, who wears the same size as me in clothes and shoes, and whose shopping prowess makes me look like an amateur.
I also buy a lot of clothes from discount stores, like TJ Maxx or Burlington Coat Factory, and liquidation outlets that sell Amazon returns and last-chance wholesale leftovers.
The five outfits featured in this article cost a total of $36.50. I get compliments every time I wear them, and even more praise when I reveal how little I spent.
This maxi dress isn't just one of my favorites. When I wear it, people stop me on the street to say how much they love it.
The last time I wore it, a woman even rolled down her window at a stoplight to tell me how much she loved my outlet!
I found the super-comfy jersey dress at a store that sells returned, lost, and refused Amazon packages.
Unlike some similar stores, the one I visited had the packages open and clothing on hangers, so I could determine if the items were my style and size.
The copper heels were $2 and in perfect condition, a great find at a thrift store near my Missouri hometown. I went with my mom, who's also a bargain-hunter.
Thrift stores in the area offer special deals on specific tag colors, depending on the day you visit. When we found these copper shoes, they were priced at $4, but their "tag" indicated an extra 50 percent off.
Total outfit cost: $3.00
Speaking of lucky thrift finds, the most expensive item in this story is the pair of shoes I'm wearing in the above photo.
I paid a whopping $8 for the heeled loafers, which I'd normally consider excessive.
They're a designer brand, though. The Coach heels are genuine, and based on my research, they originally retailed for just under $200.
Life is all about balance, so I paired my real Coach shoes with a very, very fake Chanel bag that I found in the garbage.
Okay,I found it near the garbage. My apartment lobby has a "free table" where residents put out items they don't need, in case anyone wants to rehome unused kitchen gloves or cat toys before trash day.
The bag was brand-new, still covered in plastic and tissue paper, when I spotted it among old sweaters and worn-out canvas totes.
I used these accessories, and a pair of sunglasses from a dollar store, to style a lacy black jumpsuit, which cost me $2.
Total outfit cost: $11
Buying items off-season is another way to save big at thrift stores.
Shopping at a thrift store over Christmas, I noticed a lot of flowy, lightweight skirts on the racks.
Because my life is one long Practical Magic phase, I grabbed a few of the skirts, including this red floral number. It was $6, a small price to pay to feel like Sandra Bullock in 1998.
At TJ Maxx, I paid $4 for this thin, daisy-print tank top. Then, I waited. Six months later, it was finally warm enough to expose my arms.
I wore the tank top and skirt with white heels, another free table find.
Total outfit cost: $10
This outfit is proof that it never hurts to ask. While the heels were $4 at Nordstrom Rack thanks to a sneaky double-couponing hack, both the dress and purse were sourced with unconventional methods.
One of my friends, a former coworker, frequently wore this red gingham dress to the office on a regular basis, and I always thought it was adorable.
I asked her where the dress was from, and when she revealed it was from Zara, I started looking for it on eBay and Poshmark.
But it was listed $50 or more on resale websites, and I wasn't willing to part with that much money. I waited, adding a few of the dresses to my "watch" list on eBay and hoping to find it at a bargain price.
Two years into knowing her, I saw my friend's Instagram post about her upcoming yard sale – and I spotted a familiar gingham fabric among her offerings.
I sent her a direct message right away and learned she was only asking $5 for the dress, which I gladly sent via Venmo, and picked it up later that week.
My cow-print Baggu purse is also something I wanted for a long time. The Baggu duck bags are my all-time favorite tote – I own four of them, in different patterns.
But, of course, I've never paid full price, winning one in an auction and finding another at Buffalo Exchange.
Despite months of searching, I couldn't find the cow-print bag online for less than the retail price of $34, so I resolved to wait it out.
Then, on my birthday, I was sitting at a bar with my friends when a woman sat down next to me, carrying the cow-print tote.
I told her how much I loved her purse, and to my surprise, she sighed.
"I really like the pattern, but it's just not convenient for me," she said. "There's too much room and not enough pockets, so I can never find what I'm looking for."
I held up the purse I was carrying, a cute vintage kiss-lock purse that I'd owned for years. That bag was gifted to me by a friend who owned a vintage store and would often give me first pick at her cast-offs and overstock before they were donated.
"Do you want to trade?" I asked the stranger at the bar. "This bag is in great condition and it's got plenty of room without being overwhelming."
The woman enthusiastically agreed, and we swapped bags right there, emptying our purses and transferring them while our friends looked on in confusion. As far as birthday gifts go, I'd say that stroke of luck was a pretty great one!
Total outfit cost: $9
My final outfit includes one of my best-ever thrift store finds.
This floral coat, with its beautiful watercolor pattern and pretty blue buttons, came from a literal bargain basement.
During a vacation in Washington DC, I couldn't resist the siren call of a thrift store near my family's bed and breakfast.
Beneath the main shop floor, where prices were already reasonable, there was a room full of items with extra markdowns.
The prices in the basement were slashed to last-chance status. I saw this coat on the rack, gasped, and reached for it immediately.
When I looked at the price, I couldn't believe my eyes: it was on sale for only fifty cents. Bright florals are exactly my style, and I'm always cold. Talk about a practical souvenir!
One problem presented itself. It was the middle of July, and my already-overstuffed suitcase didn't have a lick of space to spare.
If I wanted this coat, I'd need to carry it on the plane with me, despite the triple-digit temperatures outside.
Luckily, I'm always cold (see above). I diligently carted the coat to the airport with me, clutching it against my chest and trying not to drip sweat on it.
But once I got settled into my airplane seat, I pulled my treasure over me like a blanket and drifted off to sleep.
I probably dreamed about pairing the coat with the perfect outfit, like this dress, which was $2 and came from my go-to liquidation outlet.
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The peep-toe heels were just $1. I didn't have any green shoes appropriate for spring, so these were a thrilling find, and I even brought them home in May, when they were actually in season!
Total outfit cost: $3.50, and a lot of sweat!
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