About me - Confessions of a frugal mom.

It's a funny thing I'm such a thrift-er now, because about 10 years ago you wouldn't find me anywhere near a thrift store...like never ever. My first thoughts about thrift stores were "ew, somebody else wore that" or "it would be so embarrassing if my friends saw me there". That largely had to do with being in high school and what is the "most important thing" in high school? Your identity. Now, this didn't necessarily mean who you actually were as a person, but who people thought you were. In school it was all about two things - the people you were friends with and the clothes you wore. If you had cool, name brand clothes you probably hung out with cool people...which got you that identity that everyone so desperately wanted. Well let me tell you - I was never THIS girl or THAT girl. I was a struggling to fit in to any one particular group, had a handful of friends, had an alright car, had alright clothes, hair, make-up, etc. kind of girl. I hated high school - HATED it. I wanted to be those girls...the ones with well put together outfits that had perfect hair and a swarm of barbie look alike friends to match. I always felt so out of place & almost weird in a way. I was that girl that liked jersey dresses and air forces, so I wore it. I was also that girl that thought studded belts and vans were the coolest, so I wore that too. Do you see what I'm getting at with the whole out of place feeling? I was constantly being called a "poser" or "wanna-be" because I never conformed to one certain type of style, like most typical teenagers do. So of course, I wouldn't risk going to a second-hand store and being seen because that would have just been awful - then I would have been the  poor poser, HA! It's a shame that 10 years ago I didn't realize that I wasn't out of place or lost in any way, I was actually expressing my individuality. I was kind of weird, but in that cool, unique, I wear whatever the fuck I think looks awesome kind of way. It took me a long time to not care about what other people thought about me, or to have any self confidence for that matter. I'm 25 now & I'm proud to say I love myself. Sure, I don't wake up everyday and not have the typical insecurities about myself, I'm pretty sure that goes for everybody. I am finally in a place where I embrace my individuality - every fucking part of it. My flaws, my quirks, my ever changing style - I love it all because that's who I am, who I've always been & I'm now old enough to know I am enough. I'm pretty sure this is what led me to become such a thrift addict. The only thing consistent in the world of fashion is change, a lot of it. Something can come into style and then right back out in a span of 6 months. Thrifting allows me to express my individuality without breaking the bank. I can take risks & not have the fear of a $40 shirt sitting in my closet being a dust magnet after I've worn it 3 or 4 times. Not that I really care what is considered "in style" anymore, but I am always looking for inspiration everywhere. After all as a mom of two I consider life too short to go to a mall, search for a parking spot, find a store that suits my taste in fashion, find something in that store, pay full price for it, take it home, wear it & then have my almost one year old blow chunks all over it because he ate too many banana puffs again. See my point? I think I'll file that under "ain't nobody got time for that!" & seal it shut, thanks. I'm not saying I don't EVER go to a mall...everyone deserves to treat themselves to that "I don't care how much it is I have to have it" thing from time to time. In a nut shell, thrifting works for me. I love the thrill of never knowing what I'll come across and being able to change up my wardrobe for cheap. Plus the less money I spend on clothes, the more I can spend on wine! Kidding - kind of. There you have it, my very first blog post & confessions of a frugal mom.