About Me

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Portland, Oregon, United States
I am on a quest, like everyone to spend less money. Our family has tightened the belt on our spending but it seems we break even each month. My quest is to put a significant amount of money away every month in savings and still have money to indulge every once in a while.I feel that every experience is a learning experience and I hope that you take the ride with me in this journey to saving money and gaining financial freedom. I'm sure the ride will be bumpy, have it's setbacks, it's embarrassments, but hopefully the end result will be rewarding and insightful.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Buffalo Exchange

Huge mistake.

I actually thought that I could walkaway from Buffalo Exchange with 20-40 dollars. Ha!

I took the time to sort out my best clothes. (My body has shifted since I had my son. I kept thinking it would bounce back but... well, it hasn't.) My most hip clothes. My favorite clothes. The clothes that I WISH I could still wear. These clothes are hard for me to part with.

I pack the car up, find parking and somehow manage to carry my son and a huge box of clothes into the store. Oh, did I mention that it's poring.

I walk in the store and of course I immediately feel like a mommy drone. I have forsaken my hip, cool clothes for jeans, sneakers (gasp, horror of horrors) and solid black shirts (they are slimming). There in the front is the clothes drop off counter. This means that I have to walk through the store and pass all the head to foot styled Portlanders. I had felt good when I left the house because I actually brushed my hair!

I approach the counter and who is running it but an uber hip pregnant woman. I will admit that I was not a glowey, happy pregnant woman. Hormones and me don't mix well. So when I see these happy pregnant people, I always think that they are faking it. They have to be... what's so fun about being fat, having an achy back, restless legs, labored breathing and indigestion? Obviously the end result was worth it. I would have gone through 30 years of pregnancy to have my son but I would not have enjoyed it.

The woman, Claire, rushes through the box of my beloved clothes. Occasionally she would study one of the articles of clothing only to sigh and through it in the one big pile she had created. She finished and asked:

"is this all?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Well, we pay for clothes that are in fashion and with little signs of wear. So I can't give you any money for any of this." She said with a grin that stretched from ear to ear.

"Well, thanks for your time," I said trying to return the smile which probably looked more like a smirk.

I gathered up my clothes, my son, and the rest of my dignity. I somehow managed to make it out of the store and to my car (still raining) without crying. I got Jack strapped in, the clothes loaded up, and thought what a gigantic waste of time and energy that was. Well, lesson learned, I'm not hip and I guess I never was.

I drove to the Goodwill drop off center and got a donation receipt for fifty dollars, ha, take that Buffalo Exchange.

MONEY SAVED FOR THIS MONTH: NONE

MONEY SPENT SINCE TUESDAY: 0

2 comments:

  1. I avoid Buffalo Exchange like the plague. They are really useless for getting anything worthwhile for your time, effort and clothes. I often do Goodwill or Big Brothers Big Sisters just to avoid the hassle of being "turned down" for perfectly good clothes.

    Good luck in your quest!

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  2. Love it! This is so something I would do, and now you've confirmed I shouldn't go either (our place like that is Rag-o-rama). You're not alone in this boat...

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