I’ve mentioned in the past that I’m “thrifty”. I don’t mind when my name and the word thrifty are used in the same sentence, nor do I mind frugal, careful with money, economical, or penny-wise. I would be a little more sensitive should someone use the words tight, chintzy, cheapskate, or miserly in reference to the decisions we make for our family. In my mind, the words communicate a different heart and approach to life. The former synonyms I embrace, but the later do not accurately communicate our values.
While I’m clearly setting the boundaries here I might add that if you ever compare me to a featured character on TLC’s Extreme Cheapskates, we’ll have to sit down and visit. Have you ever covered your eyes because you were embarrassed for a character on a TV show or in a movie? I felt that way for the 1st man in the 1st season’s episode and had to stop watching. That was my 1 and only attempt at watching that series.
We enjoyed Thanksgiving this past week with our “others”. My last blog entry recounts the general organization of our annual holiday with my mom, my siblings, and their families. This year we were blessed to share 3 nights at Jacob’s Ladder, a church retreat between Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The adults shared a large cabin while Grammars and Bailey (our soon to be 18 year old) bunked with most of the kids in 2 bunkhouses. We moms spent most of our time preparing meals, keeping up with laundry, and doling out water and snacks as pairs of cousins came in for short rests throughout their days of exploration and adventure.
I also mentioned that “coffee” with my sisters was a top-priority. We don’t often solve the problems of the world, but we do catch up on life. One of the things we regularly share is our experiences with new products and services we’ve tried throughout the year. I benefit from their experience and often make decisions about purchases based on their input.
I’m not sure how my mind connected these two ideas (my spend-thrift ways and the joy I find in discussing new products with my sisters) into an idea for my blog but I thought I’d share a bit about some of my purchases this year. My humble list below is certainly not Oprah Winfrey or Good Morning America worthy and I make no guarantees with my “Thumbs Up!” or “Thumbs Down!”, but my experience with the following random list of products might be helpful.
“Thumbs Up!” – L.A. Colors liquid eyeliner (Family Dollar), L.A. Colors lash building mascara (Family Dollar), and Maybelline Modern Metallics eyeshadow (Wal-Mart) – Don’t ask me whether or not these contain bat guano because I honestly have no clue about the ingredients. I do know that I’ve had more compliments on my eyes this Fall than ever in the past and at a savings of more than $40 for these 3 products alone (when compared to the price of “quality” products I’ve purchased for several years from a very good friend of mine), I’ll be purchasing them again.
“Thumbs Down!” – White Rain body wash (Family Dollar) – Nothing beats a nice lather in the shower. If lather makes you happy, White Rain body wash will not. Resist the 97ȼ price tag. You’ll be disappointed.
“Thumbs Up!” – Kendale Farm broth (Dollar Tree) – I mentioned this at Thanksgiving and thought my sisters might vomit; however, I’m sold and I’ll tell you why. A product of the USA (that was their most obvious concern) this broth is yummy, is gluten free with no added MSG (does contain yeast extract with naturally occurring glutamates) and is $1.00. Score!
“Thumbs Down!” – A 2nd hand purse – I like having a new purse every year (and to clarify, when I say “new purse” we’re talking the $40 variety). I don’t mind buying gently used clothes for myself or our children so I generalized that buying a “gently used” purse would be the equivalent. I was wrong, and my reasons might be very uniquely mine, but I’ve decided that “newness” of a purse really does matter. Cute jeans are cute jeans, even when they’ve been worn and washed 10 times, but a soft leather purse that no longer smells of leather is really not the same. It might as well be my typical $40 purse of questionable material. The purse in question is bigger than I would normally buy for myself and, unlike a new “gently used” shirt that you might wear once every 2-3 weeks, a purse is a daily accessory. It’s hard to ignore the fact that it isn’t quite what you’d like. I’ll be back to hunting for a great deal on a nice new purse that I really love!
“The jury is still out” – Zulily – I love the idea behind Zulily and I REALLY want to love it. My issue is that I have had to return 2 of my 3 purchases, and even though I can get Zulily credit for the purchase price, I have to spend $10. in shipping to return an item. Because they handle products from so many vendors, their sizing charts are not consistent. I typically wear an 8 but lean toward a 10 rather than a 6 as I prefer “loose” to “tight”. Not 1 of the 4 items I purchased in my first Zulily experience fit. Even though I had used the sizing chart and opted for the 8-10, it hung on me as though it were a 14. There was no hope and the entire purchase had to be returned. My second fail happened this past month when Clark’s were a featured product. I love Clark’s. More specifically, my feet and my high arches love Clark’s. When I received the 2 pairs of Clark’s I was disappointed to find that 1 was actually “Privo” by Clark’s. They’re not the same. The sole was paper thin with no support. I assume that Zulily passed on the product description as they received it from Clark’s, but I need the complete specifics.
“Thumbs Up!” – Zulily’s customer service – I love dealing with customer service agents who are helpful and understanding. On the other hand, I dislike customer service departments that seem to have a policy of arguing or accusing the customer of somehow being responsible for the issue. Bravo, Zulily!
“Thumbs Down!” – Privo by Clark’s – I think I’ve sufficiently covered this one.
“Thumbs Down!” – Target online – And while we’re on the topic of poor customer service, these guys probably have my name and number in a “customers we’d rather not deal with” databank. For the reasons mentioned above (my dislike for customer service departments that seem to have a policy of arguing or accusing the customer of somehow being responsible for the issue) and for making the customer jump through multiple silly hoops like a circus dog I won’t be shopping online with Target any more. By the way, I really dislike the question,”Can I help you with anything else today?” when to that point in the conversation they have not been helpful in the least.
“Thumbs Up!” – doTerra essential oils – I’ve been interested in essential oils for several years but wanted quality, and certified quality in essential oils is pricey. I could rave for several paragraphs about doTerra’s Family Physician Kit. Suffice it to say, I love the idea that I have something in my medicine cabinet to try as a first line of prevention and proactive defense that is natural and safe for my family. No long list of “possible side effects”, they smell amazing and have worked well on the ailments we’ve tried them on at this point.
“Thumbs Up!” – coconut oil – If you haven’t purchased a jar of coconut oil yet, what exactly are you waiting for? Obviously, we substitute coconut oil for vegetable oils in our cooking and baking, but that’s only the beginning of its many uses. I use it as a base for essential oil treatments (i.e. a fantastic “vapor rub”) and it can be used as a lotion and sugar scrub base for the whole family. Its antifungal properties make it the perfect choice for eczema and an alternative to daily athlete’s foot spray. For a more complete picture of the many uses for coconut oil check out these fascinating 100 (yes 100) at http://wellnessmama.com/5734/101-uses-for-coconut-oil/.
I wonder if, in your family’s attempts to balance health, wellness, convenience, and finances, you’ve stumbled onto products and services you would strongly recommend or avoid like the plague. I’d love to read your suggestions!
PS – The roll out for our collection of faith-based leveled readers is right around the corner. Our final anthologies go to press in mid-December. Check out more about Me and Thee Studios, our original praise and worship music, and our faith-based Early Reader Collection at http://www.meandtheestudios.com/. Don’t miss the “Store” where you will want to reserve your “early bird” collection(s) and receive our 10% discount (available only until 12/31/13).