The Free Finds

I’ve been a thrifty person since my second year of college. Why did it suddenly start my second year of college? 

Well, I recall being a shopaholic as a teen and into my early college years. I found tremendous pleasure in browsing the aisles in stores like Ross dress for less, Kohls, and TJMaxx. I would hang out for hours on Saturday evenings just picking out random stuff I didn’t need and buying another pair of classic black pumps when I already had 4. I also loved EBay and constantly was buying new used cameras and bling bling high heels because they were my obsession. 

I recall when I went to Santa Clara California for my freshman year of college, I continued these habits, except for now I was shopping needlessly at Trader Joe’s and Savers whenever I could find another person to drive me there. I wasn’t just a completely selfish and ungenerous person though. I also loaned enormous amounts of money to my then boyfriend (not wise) and gave large amounts to my bus captain leader for him to pay for the many promotions they’d do. I also bought very extravagant gifts for people I barely knew (another thing that was unwise).

I remember receiving my first overdrawn notice from my bank and being horrified that I had negative 23 cents to my name. 

I remember crying because I had to stop giving away large sums of cash to my bus leader.

I also remember going through my closet and feeling sick as I added up how much money I’d spent on clothes I never wore because it wasn’t comfortable. 

I went scorched earth on changing my ways. I looked for a job and found none…I stopped going to stores and if my friends would ask, I’d make excuses. I made myself so busy studying and going running that I would never have a reason to do fun things because fun things cost money. 

I went so far as to not go on college activities because of the pittance they would have cost me. 

In my second year of school and at a new college, I recall seeing my book list of required books and being SHOCKED that I would have to buy a book that cost $189 and another sight reading book that was $139! 

“I refuse.” I said to myself. 

I scoured the online rental prices and found the $189 book for $30 for a semester rental. I refused to buy the $139 book and (I’m embarrassed to say) never once studied for a single quiz, assignment or lesson in my four semesters of that class. 

I searched through the dormitory free boxes and did my “free shopping”. The exhilaration was still there, but without the pain of the negative bank account. 

I’m a very different person now from my 19 year old self. But I’m also that same person. 

Now I scour the bargain “fill-a shopping basket for $2” section of the Vermont discount store for deals. I browse on Facebook marketplace for free finds.

My thriftiness is intense… but I still have the urge sometimes to buy something I don’t need. I have to remind myself often that things are meaningless in the grand scheme of things. 

If I have things, it will be because they were free. 

I found myself last week, browsing the community Facebook page when I saw this photo. 

 

There were two chairs, with pillows included for free alongside the road just 2 miles from me. I’ve been wanting to get living room furniture EXACTLY like this. I’ve been looking and searching for my deal furniture for over 4 years. Everytime, the price is way too high. 

I got so excited. Like a little kid going to pick up their Christmas presents! 

I loaded all  the kids in Dan’s truck, rushed down the road, and found that the chairs had already been taken by another thrifter like myself. 

I can’t express the disappointment I had that evening, coming back home with the girls, who were just as excited as I was….(did you know that excitement is contagious?) 

I had to preach a mini sermon to myself later that night. Contentment is not found in a new set of living room chairs, or black pumps, or EVEN in scoring an amazing deal on Facebook marketplace. Contentment comes from thankfulness: Being thankful that I have a couch already!

Simple lesson. Easy lesson. But one I need every day. Being thrifty isn’t bad. But being a miser is. Getting excited about little things isn’t bad, but being discontent with the little things I already have is. 

There has to be a balance in all of these things. It’s a balance I’m still learning.

The end