Little to spend on clothes? No problem.

Ever since I quit my job to stay home with Samuel, Jeremy and I have had to watch our spending. This was hard to get used to at first because I am a typical woman; although, the Lord quickly showed me that the happiness that comes from being a helpmeet to Jeremy and a Mom to Samuel is way better than material possessions I could have if I worked outside the home. Not to mention that I feel so blessed that the Lord led me to a husband that wanted (and still wants) me to stay home. The plan was always for me to stay home with children, but before I was pregnant with Samuel, it became more than just a desire. It became a conviction for me and Jeremy.

So, what's daily life like with that wonderful husband? Jeremy is really good about not spending money (unless you take him to a restaurant). I admire how selfless he is. Jeremy had an easy work wardrobe for the past 4 1/2 years as a trim carpenter, but now he is transitioning into a job with less manual labor. (Starting a new business is another reason that we don't have much to spend...) A few weeks ago Jeremy told me that he needed to get some work shirts that look a little more professional. I knew he was serious since he never mentions buying clothes. He looked at some shirts at Steinmart on Friday night, and they were at least $20 each. That might sound cheap, but it's not when you buy more than a couple. He walked away empty handed because he's thrifty like me.

The good news is that today I was able to add 5 shirts to Jeremy's wardrobe for less than the price of one shirt at Steinmart. I was never a Goodwill fan until I decided to spend a little time looking there. I thrive on a good bargain, but Goodwill was a place I had never considered. I started out just buying books, and then I realized that Target sends a lot of new stuff to our Goodwill. Even better... Target is one of my favorite stores. Then, I got the gumption to look at the clothes. (Some of those being new Target clothes.) I have to admit that it was a process, and it was humbling. I have always loved clothes and shoes,but Goodwill was never a stop on my shopping trips. Hopefully I don't offend any of you. I'm just being honest... So, I'm still not abandoning other stores, but I definitely love finding cute clothes for $3.79 each.

I'm a Goodwill snob though. I search for name brands, and I stay away from knits since they normally look worn. Today at the Goodwill I hit the jackpot. I got Jeremy shirts from J Crew, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Target. The Target shirt was new with tags marked $21.99. The others looked like new. Only one tiny bleach stain on the J Crew shirt. Just to prove how nice they were, I will tell you that Jeremy was excited, and clothes don't really excite him. He feels like he has a whole new wardrobe and he told me that now he won't have to worry if he snags a shirt or stains one. I even asked him if it was ok for me to post about his "new " shirts, and he said he's proud of them.

I forgot to mention that I also added a pair of new Target Liz Lange pants to my maternity wardrobe. I was thrilled to spend $3.97 on $19.99 pants.

Lastly, I got a nice new Target drying rack, books for Samuel, and a video for Samuel. I was pleased!

The next time you have some free time, you might want to consider checking out the Goodwill. If you don't have a Goodwill, other thrift stores are great too. Happy shopping!!!