Thrifty Nickel

You may or may not know that I love getting things second hand. Like the vintage Africa map I have from the 1950's that isn't even accurate anymore. Or the antique crank pencil sharpeners. The school desks I got at Goodwill that we painted and my girls still play school with. My grandfathers old fiddle he got at a pawn shop in 1926. I love knowing these thing had a history before I came along and that somehow I've become part of that.

Not only is this a great way to recycle, but living like this, is also a whole hell of a lot cheaper. Not to mention, funkier. Exhibit A: In the below picture everything I'm wearing, I bought at a thrift store. (Ok, besides the hat. I crocheted that myself. Ok, no I didn't. I actually bought it new several years ago.)

EXHIBIT A:

Jacket in cool eggplant color $10
Green sweater $ 3
Levis jeans $ 5
Old lady purse $ 2
Old lady shoes complete with left shoe that squeaks when I walk $ 4

The feeling I get when I wear this outfit? Priceless.
The feeling I get after having just used that lame outdated overused phrase? Suicidal.

So last week, someone who doesn't know me that well, knows someone else who has something they want to get off their hands. And she thought of me. Now, I didn't even think I was in the market for one. I'd just never thought about owning one of my very own before. But, when she said it, immediately, I knew I had to have it. That I must be the one to bring it's past and my future together to create a revolutionary present.

EXHIBIT B:

My kids think I bought this fitness pole (as we refer to it, in front of the kids) as a present for them. They spin around like monkeys on it. And my husband, well, he'd like to think I got it for him. Me? I know the truth. It's an investment in my future. Because in the near future I may be working the pole to help pay the bills to fix up my jacked up house that's sinking into the Colorado soil. But what a great 2 for 1 bargain that would be, getting paid to work out!