Because I don't write about money enough

For YaYa's birthday, I knit her a little purple dready hat--my first hat ever. I was really happy with the way it turned out, but neglected to sew the brim up and the ends in, because my life is not stressful enough without a little bit of compulsive procrastination thrown in. The other day I finally picked the thing up and finished it. When I did, I felt a weight like a barrel of bricks lift off of my back and disappear into the blue. Not really, but that's a nice thought isn't it? I spent about $5 on the yarn, borrowed the needles, and got the pattern free online. I loved making her a birthday present.

The other day I was in the little town to the north, and I ducked into the thrift shop for a second, because this thrift shop is the tiny golden egg of all thrift shops, and I pillage whenever I can. Bottom line is that people have some nice clothes around here, and then they drop them off in perfect condition, just waiting for you to go and pick them up for a few cents. I found YaYa a very cute summer shirt for $1.50 and a pair of pants for the same amount.

I guess I'm writing about this because people often tell me that they love the way I dress YaYa, and I think it's so great that I can usually point to what she's wearing and say that it cost only a few dollars. My boys have always been easy. You find a few striped shirts and some oversized shorts and voila! But girls seem to notice their clothes from birth, and even though YaYa is not particularly fashion conscious (like myself), she likes to "look pretty". Thrift shopping is time-consuming, but it is a bit like the hunt, without the blood (hopefully). You return to your spot, again and again, you hold your breath, you stalk your prey, then you make your kill. It is also like a treasure hunt. It's fun, exhilarating, even. Although it is time-consuming, it's possible to consume less, materially, by re-using things, and in my budget, it's not even an option to buy new. Honestly, though, I don't ever waste time wishing I could, I try to commit myself to living frugally and simply.

(Okay, maybe it's a little much to say that I NEVER waste time wishing I could buy things new. But not much beyond the occasional yearn, or a brief sigh.)

So there you have it! The thrill of the hunt, recycling, low-cost, and the cutest little hippie girl... in the world: