I'm a cheapo and I'm damned proud of it!!!

The economy sucks, no one has jobs and the cost of basic daily necessities have risen in the past ten years.

I just went shopping at Target… and this confirms my belief.

FIFTEEN DOLLARS  for a freakin’ little dress for a kid!! A BABY! The little tykes that grow all the time and out of their clothes in a matter of weeks. This is just Target too… imagine what the prices are at retail outlets… twenty… thirty…

I’m known for cheap but I’ve  not always been this money savvy. My favorite clothes store was Lane Bryant (high-end plus size store), I loved Starbucks coffee and had it whenever I went someplace with my high school boyfriend. I had even once spent 90 dollars on a purse.

Que after baby…

I’m wearing the same clothes that I’ve accumulated for the past three years. The newest addition is a shirt from Target on clearance, for three bucks.

My shoes I’ve been wearing for 2 years. Same ballet style black shoes, classic and worn.

I buy makeup once a year, if even, and I love the cheapos from the dollar store. Who will know if your eyeliner only cost 50 cents on clearance?

My purse… now this is the kicker. Anyone who knows me from my marriage days knows that I love purses. I bought them on a wim because they look adorable. Where are they now? In a storage bin in storage, I haven’t looked at them since November.  The one that I carry now is a small purple (yes, purple) 15 dollar clearance item from Walmart.

Why am I belting out the fact that I’m cheap? Sometimes crazy cheap? To the point where I look at each and every price at the grocery/retail store cheap.

Because I’m trying to make a point that people can live on less. Less money, less stuff, less everything. As soon as something gets a little worn out, people throw it out. Why not get the needle & thread and fix the torn? Dig in your closet for stuff that you haven’t worn in years and try it on again.

Even with food, our family lives on 70 dollars a week on groceries. This is a static dollar amount that never changes week to week. We cut down on snacks and microwaveable items. (We don’t even own a microwave). This saves our bellies and our wallets huge amounts of money each month. Fresh food isn’t always cheap, but it goes a long way. One head of lettuce can be two meals with three boneless chicken breasts and whatever you can find in the pantry.

With utilities, we have shut off the heat. Unless it’s below 50 degrees outside, we live in an upstairs apartment. The heat from our lower neighbors travels to ours. And if it gets a little nippy, blankets are our friends.

We own only 1 cell phone and that’s our main form of communication, other than the computer. This is nice because we’re not in constant communication with people. I miss the days where when you call someone, and they’re out, they’re out. Leave a voice mail and they’ll call you back when they can.

Lights are off in the daytime. When it’s hits dusk, one in the kitchen with a energy efficient bulb and then whichever room we’re in at the time.

I would love to know how everyone saves.  When it comes to utilities, clothes, basic necessities, etc. Let everyone know that you’re cheap and proud of it!!!