Useless Poll

[lunabee34]

Okay, here's the thing.

I'm a thrifty gal. I grew up in the one of the cheapest families known to man and while I don't think I've carried that tendency as far as some of my relatives, I know how to pinch a penny. I cut my dryer sheets in half because those fragrance free ones that Josh and Emma have to use are expensive and half works just as well as a full sheet. I don't waste and I look for sales and I almost never shop for myself. I usually wait until it's a necessity, like I've grown so fat I have no pants that will fit me or all my underwear is full of holes. We will not speculate on the reasons for that. *g*

However, I'm not stingy. I like to spend money on experiences--travel, food, drink, comfort (I run the AC higher than I should in the summer because I'm not sweating in my own house). I know that sometimes you just can't be cheap because whatever you're buying is worth the money.

But this? This crosses the line. I love my fashion mags, but I am continually flabbergasted at what many of the items featured cost. I get expensives dresses and coats and jewelry, but the 200$ T-shirt is a thing I will never understand. So, poll!

[Poll #1314337]

Comments

[shannon730.livejournal.com]

She was in Weight Watcher's and had lost 60 pounds and planned to lose 30 more...I get she needed new clothes but wouldn't you spend as little as possible until you were done? Or at least close to your goal?

They're cut very weird...At first I thought it was just because they are low-rider jeans (Marisa has no waist or hips at all) but all the jeans Marisa gave me are low-rider and this was the only pair that was this bad. They cut is way too low, the thighs are oddly wide, they say petite but are very clearly not...all reasons apparently she kept putting off wearing them, btw...so one would have to wonder why she purchased them...

[trobadora]

I think my most expensive item is a coat for something just under 300 Euros. I've no idea what that was in dollars at the time - I've had it for years -, so I guesstimated on the generous side. *g*

I do buy all my clothes new, but I have them and wear them for ages. (Fifteen years isn't bad for a summer dress, is it? *g*) Quality definitely matters to me, and I'm willing to pay a little more for that, but I still generally stay well under 100 Euros even for the more expensive items.

[spikedluv]

Maybe if I tried it on and it gave me Teyla's figure.

Hahaha! Yes, I'd buy it then! Sort of like a trick with mirrors and shit. *g*

I almost never shop for myself. I usually wait until it's a necessity, like I've grown so fat I have no pants that will fit me or all my underwear is full of holes.

That is so me! But I think it's more becuase I'm lazy (and fat, and really, shopping for us fat gals is not the same fun experience as shopping for skinny chicks) than thrifty. *g*

[yin-again.livejournal.com]

I once spent $75 on a pair of boots. That's it. I'd say wedding dress/really nice winter coat/something extravagant, but I've never purchased those things for myself. I have spender's guilt. Even when I was deep into retail therapy I never bought expensive things...just lots of inexpensive things - and really, really awesome deals. I had discount retail therapy.

Now that I'm a teacher, a major splurge is fresh produce and a six-pack of ramen.

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

Wedding dresses are exempt from my extravagance ire. Something for a special occasion, even if you're only gonna wear it once, is understandable to me.

With my dress, I knew that no one could pay for an expensive one should I want it (we didn't even have credit cards at the time) so fortunately a bridal shop was going out of business and trying to move some merchandise. My dress is worth far more than I paid for it.

Perhaps your daughters-in-law would be interested. Stranger things have happened.

Also, you could sell the blessed thing. I would.

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

Oh, man. That sucks that you lost the coat.

You have to spend money on coats because materials that keep you warm are expensive and heavy and if you think of how long you wear a coat, it's not expensive averaged out over the years that use it.

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

What kind of jeans are they?

*is curious*

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

You cannot skimp on rain gear. If it keeps you dry and lasts for years, it's worth the investment.

*nods decisively*

:)

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

Yeah.

Who am I kidding? I would too. If the magic was real, I would be all up on that jazz.

I am with you on shopping. Shopping is hard for me. I also start out excited and optimistic and then grow more and more disgusted and depressed when nothing fits or the things that do fit are not my style at all. Lately, I've been having a lot of success with shopping which I attribute more to my current mental health state of happiness than anything else. LOL

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

I have much guilt. About much. But not spending. Sometimes I get anxious over money but I don't really guilt over spending it. We should shop sometime though because while I love the bargains, not so great at sniffing them out.

I hear you about the teacher salary. LOL We've moved one tier up in pay now that I have a tenure-track job, but Josh is only adjuncting because GA has a hiring freeze on right now. As soon as his position turns fulltime (which it looks like a kinda long wait now boohisss) we'll be in the gravy. I hope. LOL

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

I also wear my clothes for ages. I think of them as investment pieces and if they cost a little more but I'm going to wear them for years, that evens out.

But shirts to wear everyday are not investment pieces for me. All that stuff in the poll? That's stuff I routinely do to my clothes. I am such a klutz. LOL


You sound like a very sensible shopper. :)

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

Oh cool!

I've never visited India. Were you living there at the time or just visitin?

*is incurably nosy*

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

I cannot abide low rise jeans.

I don't want the ones that come up over your bellybutton either, mind, but I cannot stand the constant worry that my underwear is showing, or *gasp* the ass stretch marks that Emma gave me. *g*

[trobadora]

What I really don't understand is people who buy clothes, wear them one summer and then throw them out. That just baffles me. I hang on to things forever.

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

YES!

Or the, I can't possibly wear that dress again because someone else in the world might also wear it in a three mile radius of me.

WTF?

[trobadora]

*gasp* The horrror!

You know, I have a blouse I really like. My boss has the same one, although she wears it differently. And oh shock, I still wear it! And it hasn't killed me yet! I still really like it, and no way am I giving it up just because someone else also has it.

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

You, you, you

REBEL!

[trobadora]

Ha, I never realised how subversive I am! *is proud*

[shannon730.livejournal.com]

Seriously, when I lost weight and could wear the jeans Marisa gave (it was like 10 pairs) I had to go buy all new underwear because they were all so low. Sadly, though with no waist or hips she needs low rise jeans and she just refuses to shop according to what I like...


But no, normally I can't stand low rise jeans either. But I get much less picky when I get them for free.

[ana-grrl.livejournal.com]

But some non-special COTTON (OMG COTTON COTTON COTTON) shirt that costs 200#$?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lorraine is nonplussed.

Word! It's ridiculous.

Dryer balls: you won't regret them!

[mofic.livejournal.com]

Just visiting. My spouse (at the time, now ex) and I spent a month there. We stayed with friends in Delhi and traveled to Bombay, Maharashtra, Agra, Rajasthan. We did a lot of stuff in and around Delhi, too. The tours we went on were ones for Indian tourists and we were staying with an Indian family (friends who had been in grad school at McGill when we were undergrads), so I feel like we got a good taste of the culture. I'd love to go back but have never had the time and the money at the same time.

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

Well darn her for not taking your needs into account when shopping for her own clothes.

*g*

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

I bought a package of two yesterday! I'm going to try one out today when I do laundry.

You're influencing the world for good, Ana!

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

When I was an undergrad, we had several very good friends who were Indian (and also, incidentally, from Delhi) and there was much bandying about the idea of taking a trip to India with them, but Josh and I never did. A couple of our guy friends did end up going home with A.C. one summer adn we are all incurably jealous but none of the rest of us could afford the airfare.

:)

[ana-grrl.livejournal.com]

You're influencing the world for good, Ana!

While also preparing for the apocalypse! Is this...multi-tasking??

I use both of the balls in the dryer together (that's what my package said to do). I like them very much - I hope you do too.

(Wow, we are so domestic!).