Well, that is certainly a question as both consignment home décor
and clothing stores have become so mainstream that they make the previously
disdained thrift store seekers look more like vintage experts than their
previously tolerated, but not emulated, bunch once was. The new consumer of today is one who isn't afraid
to pack a survival kit of daily rations (snacks and water), a smart phone for
quick internet searches when questions of worth arise, and comfortable shoes
for an exercise in trekking through the many alternative shopping venues that
now exist. It is a sign of the times and
like all new trends, new questions arise when new opportunities are
presented.
Now that you can buy a J. Crew silk top for $6. on a normal
day (I’ll show you the one I just bought last week) the question becomes not
can you, but should you “haul”?
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| Check out the lovely detail that compliments this fabric choice. I envision pairing this with slacks for a dinner out or a cropped denim jacket and pencil pants for a stylized look. | I tried this on in the store and just love everything about this blouse: the fit, the detail, the updated take on the front pleating with frayed edges, and the arms that are nice and long - a real treasure and totally unlike anything else in my wardrobe. |
I can recall hearing the stories of the amazing couponers
who shoved the word “haul” into our common shopping vernacular with their
intense and productive coupon organizing, cutting, and pairing with sales and
doubling opportunities for the sole purpose of stock piling pantries full of
things like boxed food mixes, mustard, and toiletries. Some of these grocery store divas proved that
with dedication, time, and ingenuity they could create stashes that could last
their families several years. One felt
triumphant for them as they empowered themselves into an atypical breadwinner
role since most of them were either unemployed or underemployed and driven out
of sheer necessity to get creative for their families in challenging economic
times.
I, too wanted to beat the system and prove that I could shop
for a ton on very little using just my smarts.
Dreams of several shopping carts full of items that I could happily give
away worth thousands and earned with dedication to the task captivated my thoughts as I bought
an organizer, got familiar with all the rules of couponing in my local grocery
stores, and planned on what charities would receive the excess bounty I dreamed
of passing on. I wanted to HAUL! ….That was before the world of couponing took
a turn for the worst with the assumption that all consumers possessed the ability and dedication to do what a few were unusually successful at. Nonetheless, we all ultimately paid a price
when the expiration dates on coupons suddenly became so short-lived that taking
time to cut them out became a cost/ benefit analysis erring on the side of cost, as I pondered whether or not I would
be willing to buy three shampoos before the coupon expired in the next two
weeks. Suddenly, the haul and even the
thought of couponing at all seemed like a giant waste of time (and more like potential landfill-occupying waste). In
fact, if I could stop all coupon flyers and filler garbage with their
incredibly, ridiculously, rigid terms of use from coming to my door, much less from
being printed at all, I would be a happy, happy person. I grumble a lot when carrying them from
mailbox to recycle bin and dragging them out to the curb.
Alas, little did I know that the thrift-store haul was on
its way to reinventing my dreams! I got
drunk on cheap items and how easily and wantonly I could consume them,
especially on half-off days and holidays.
I bought clothes for everyone I knew: husband, child, parents,
sister-in-law, brother, and their kids and occasionally with no one in
particular in mind. I got great deals
and not-so-great deals because the only relevant
question became what does it cost? It
seemed reasonable to buy something with a small hole, a missing button, or a
repair I thought I could easily make and failed to recognize that I probably
never would. Filling up my minivan with
bags and bags made me feel like I could finally make my money go further than
it had before and like I could be free to experiment with lots of different
styles. I really felt great about being able to provide nice things for my growing, changing family even though I didn't earn a lot of money personally.
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| Ten minutes, one purchase, well worth it! |
Nowadays, after three or four years of learning what works
and what doesn't work for me and where some of the pitfalls are, I feel like I
have reinvented my meaning of the word haul to mean a successful day of
treasure hunting where my money is wisely spent on one or several items whose
actual value (versus perceived value…more on that later) far exceeds both the time I
spent searching for it and the amount of actual money I spent acquiring
it. I walked out of a Goodwill yesterday
narrowing my selections down to one item: a Coldwater Creek sweater in perfect,
unworn condition for $6. I spent only
ten or so minutes perusing the store while my husband sought out a thermostat
for our powerful, but aging, water heater at the Home Depot in the same
shopping center. ...Not a ton of time, not
a ton of money, a wise and useful purchase – my version of what a “haul” should
be….
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| I love the large, one-button closure for an updated look on a sweater and wearing a long sleeve top under a short-sleeved sweater looks so chic! (Notice the incorrect sizing tag on the merchandise...always check the actual label sewn in and better yet, try it on!) |
Don’t get me wrong, my definition still includes those big
sale days when I have a plan of attack in place, family members ready to help
in the process, and an open mind as to what I might see that I cannot live without,
or merely think I might someday in the near future wish I had, it’s just that
the definition has expanded for me to include less about the volume of merchandise found, and more
about the actual wisdom of the process as I experience it. A haul can be a little or a lot but is always worth the effort that went into it.
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| Two handbags, two long sleeve cotton shirts, a funky tee, a bohemian summer skirt, pair of earrings, a stylish necklace, a silk blouse, and two pashmina scarves in bright, happy colors! Craving a little color, anyone? |
Here is one of my recent “hauls” (a.k.a….smart
choices). I’d love to hear from you
about how the word “haul” has evolved in your shopping vocabulary and what you
find successful and that works for you personally. I expect that like for me, the word has
evolved for you over time, also. Am I
right? Love to hear what a "haul" is to you!...
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| With the exception of the Vera Bradley bag I bought to give my mom when she visits next month, I paid approximately $4-$5 for each item, though the original cost of each must have been at least triple, quadruple, or vastly higher - each of these things was clearly brand new! | I paid only $5 for this Ralph Lauren top and the colors and pattern are really fun. I tried on this top and since it ran a bit small it fit me great despite what the tag says! |
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| The earrings and one of the pashminas, after the coupon (30%) reduction in price, these earrings were just under $3, and though the pashmina is new, it too was only $3! | This skirt will fit no matter what because of the easy, elastic waist and paired with a white top and flip flops is sure to be one of my go-to casual outfits on vacation this summer, price was about $5. |
Cheers, Elizabeth
