DRESSING FRUGALLY

I love to find bargains and be able to use them too…

This outfit was put together relatively inexpensively…

The earrings were reasonably priced. Though not thrift-store cost, I think I only paid around $3.00 for them.

I purchased the necklace on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona last year. I don’t recall the cost right off. It would have been a bit more than I would normally spend, as it was our anniversary trip, and I allowed myself to splurge a little.

My lipstick was only $0.20 new at a second-hand store; it’s Avon brand. If you look closely, sometimes up at the counter there will be goodies like new and unused makeup for a little of nothing.



My bracelet is actually a lanyard for glasses that I paid $1.00 for on close-out. I just wrapped it around my wrist and tucked one end through the loop on the other end, and voila!



My peach skirt was acquired at a nice seconds/vintage store, and I had bought the brown belt some time ago brand new for $3.99. I was just waiting for a chance to wear it.

Best of all, is the deal I got on this light-weight cotton blouse. I purchased it for $0.25 a couple of weeks ago at a garage sale.

A pair of brown, low-heeled, open-toed sandals completed my outfit.



I really dislike to clothes shop so never generally go out specifically for that reason. I think that my mom wore us all out on that growing up! We still talk about it from time to time. ;) So, unlike her, I don’t do big shopping trips but do hit the garage sales and thrift shops for anything that might be a good bargain. If it happens to be clothes, that I find, that’s great!

I also have my clothes for years. I’m not into name brands, and I don’t have to have each year’s styles right when they hit the stores, so I can get away with an extended-wear wardrobe. I mix and match what I have quite a bit—coming up with different outfits each time. So, for not being a shopper, I do alright. :)

When I went grocery shopping the other day, I wanted to wear something cool and light. I put on a light cotton print skirt that Mom had given me (again…several years ago), a nicer stretchy t-shirt top that I bought probably two or three summers ago for $7.00, Gramma’s faux pearls and her clip-on earrings that I acquired. I added some lattice-topped, open-toed sandals, which I bought around three years ago, and it made for a nice quick outfit that was dressy casual…

And…inexpensive! My total cost:

Earrings Gifted
Necklace Gifted
Shirt $7.00
Skirt Gifted
Shoes $7.00

Total $14.00

I didn’t get a good picture of the skirt, but here is the top…



The added bonus is that a person of course wears their outfits many many times (at least I do). In fact, I will wear things that I have had for a decade and still get compliments. I don’t necessarily wear them the same way as I did when I purchased them. Maybe I’ll add a belt or throw a sweater over the dress or put it with another piece of clothing, etc.

So…taking that into account…If you divide the total cost of the outfit by the number of times you wear it or a particular garment in the ensemble, you can have a very inexpensive wardrobe! And, frugality is the name of the game, isn’t it?!