I love to shop! I love to buy clothes! I especially love Ricki's! Oh, that store has so many beautiful clothes, it makes me so happy just to enter it! Happier still when I walk out with bags of trendy, fashionable clothes just for me! However, there is a downfall to all this - the price! The price of fashion is not cheap. Well, I guess it could be a lot more expensive if I shopped high end stores. Which I obviously do not. I have a little bit of common sense! However, buying new clothes at a store such as Ricki's, as lovely as they are, is still spendy. A few months ago, I ran across a Facebook comment from a friend and she mentioned her year of thrifting was almost up. Or something to that effect. That got my attention. A year of thrifting? What exactly did that mean? She also has a blog so if you want to read what she was intending to do and why, you can check it out here: http://briacolleen.blogspot.com/2008/06/still-undone-and-still-ranting.html
So, since reading that blog this past June (it was written a year ago), the idea of thrifting was mulling around in my head. I couldn't get away from the idea. The notion that I was cluttering my life with all things "Ricki" was a true one. Like I couldn't feel good about myself until I went and bought new clothes. Then the feelings slowly faded and back to the store I would go. Now, thankfully, I live about 35 minutes away from the nearest store and I usually have the kids with me (trying on clothes with kids in the change room is not fun! It will kill any desire to shop instantly!). Maybe that was the Lord's way of restricting me. Of trying to tell me that something in me needed to change. So, I decided to take the plunge and make a decision - One Year of Thrifting. I made this decision sometime in June so let's say I officially started July 1. So, what exactly does that look like? Well, it means I will not buy any new clothes for me for one year (exceptions being undergarments and swim wear, which I need as all the stuff I wore while pregnant is severely stretched!). I will also only thrift for the kids clothes. And, surprisingly, since being on this journey, I have come to appreciate our local MCC thrift store, about a 5 minute drive from my house. The selection and price is fantastic. And the treasures I have found? Just as great! My hope in this journey is that my bank account will show a marked difference after this year. More importantly, I hope that the Lord talks to me through this journey, reminding me of his love for me, his acceptance of me, his desire for me JUST AS I AM! New clothes or not!
So, since reading that blog this past June (it was written a year ago), the idea of thrifting was mulling around in my head. I couldn't get away from the idea. The notion that I was cluttering my life with all things "Ricki" was a true one. Like I couldn't feel good about myself until I went and bought new clothes. Then the feelings slowly faded and back to the store I would go. Now, thankfully, I live about 35 minutes away from the nearest store and I usually have the kids with me (trying on clothes with kids in the change room is not fun! It will kill any desire to shop instantly!). Maybe that was the Lord's way of restricting me. Of trying to tell me that something in me needed to change. So, I decided to take the plunge and make a decision - One Year of Thrifting. I made this decision sometime in June so let's say I officially started July 1. So, what exactly does that look like? Well, it means I will not buy any new clothes for me for one year (exceptions being undergarments and swim wear, which I need as all the stuff I wore while pregnant is severely stretched!). I will also only thrift for the kids clothes. And, surprisingly, since being on this journey, I have come to appreciate our local MCC thrift store, about a 5 minute drive from my house. The selection and price is fantastic. And the treasures I have found? Just as great! My hope in this journey is that my bank account will show a marked difference after this year. More importantly, I hope that the Lord talks to me through this journey, reminding me of his love for me, his acceptance of me, his desire for me JUST AS I AM! New clothes or not!
Ooooh la la :). One of the things I enjoy about thrift-shopping is that I can buy all sorts of styles and colors I'd NEVER had paid full (or even sale!!) price for, wear them for a while, and see how they "fit." I've found all sorts of colors this way that I'd never have chosen off the shelf. I look forward to seeing what treasures you pick up!!
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