Frugally attired. . . .

This past weekend, I purchased two outfits, and spent a total of $19.99!! I made an effort to go to several local thrift stores, to check them out for future reference. Since my goal this year is to purchase used whenever possible, I felt that I needed to get a better sense of the locations and conditions of some of the local stores. That way, when I need something in a rush or I'm looking for something specific, I'll have a better idea of which stores will have what I want.

About a year ago, I read about a thrift store called 'The Dig', which has two locations in the Portland area---one in Oregon City, and one in Milwaukie. I have also heard good things about a huge Goodwill store in the Lloyd Center area, but which I've never been able to locate before.

So, early Saturday morning, I looked up addresses and mapped my route on GoogleMaps. I decided to swing by the Oregon City location first, then head through Milwaukie before continuing back into Portland---this seemed to make the most sense as far as efficiency and saving time.

I'm happy to report that I scored!

At 'The Dig', I purchased:

• A suede skirt by J.Jill for $3

• A sheer, soft turtleneck sweater by Frenchi (a brand sold at Nordstroms) for $3

• A denim skirt that fits perfectly (by Bass), also for $3

• A tank top (to go under the sheer sweater) for $1

At Goodwill, I purchased:

• An almost new black turtleneck from Banana Republic, my most expensive item at $9.99.

I wanted a pair of designer jeans, which were selling for $39.99 ($75 to $85 new). However, the bottoms of the legs were frayed in the back, so I asked for a discount. Since they'd been put out on the floor within the week, I wasn't able to discount them, and therefore didn't buy them---$40 is pretty expensive even for NEW jeans, in my world.

What did I learn? I was surprised to see that there were clean, contemporary items that I liked, that I know I'll wear, for less than $5!!! I'll definitely be visiting The Dig again, as well as stopping by Goodwill from time to time(there's also a 'high end' Goodwill in downtown Portland, which is nice but more expensive).

When I made my mind up to follow a modified 'Compact' this year, I was a little anxious---I haven't thrift shopped regularly since high school (and at that time, we were all trying to look as if we were wearing used clothing!) I think I'll enjoy this endeavor more than I anticipated, if last weekend's foray is any indication.

Of note: I did purchase a used coffee carafe to replace my broken one several weeks ago, which, when jerry-rigged with another lid, can be used in my coffee maker. At the Goodwill, I found a Cuisinart coffee carafe that was PERFECT---except for a worrisome crack at the bottom. I left it there, but will keep looking.