I had 3 children ages 5 and under by the age of 23... we were young and dumb at the time. I worked nights off and on between babies and my husband was a carpenter. I used to take the kids to the thrift stores for clothes and I discovered that there can be some really nice fabrics if you look for them. When I was on the hunt for fabric I didn't care what the clothing was, the style or anythiing, I just looked at what it was made of.

Like a long floral skirt that no one would actually wear anymore but the cotton fabric is in great shape. Could buy the skirt for a dollar, cut the seams and cut off the waist, wash it... and you have a nice amount of fabric. Formal dresses that were worn once and donated, etc.

Every little bit helped and I sure couldn't afford to be spending money on unnecessary things.

(still poor but not so young anymore :wink: )

When I was young and poor, I split my can of beans with my dog. I heated my house with the burners on my stove. I used an electric blanket because we couldn't afford oil for the house.
My Dad offered me "relief" and I was too proud to take cash help but sure apprecieated the box of groceries of "extras" he had for me...
I learned or vowed never to be in those straights again and haven't been...god bless...but have helped many who have been.
K

I've done a lot of that throughout the years, mostly for rug making. Just today I went into the thrift store, and was shocked at the prices! I could not find a pair of jeans (ladies) for under $15! So, I'm thinking thrift stores aren't such a good deal, but garage sales might be!

M

I do this! Every Sunday our Goodwill has one color tag on sale for 99 cents and I go every week and scour the store. I have gotten some really cute fabric this way, and I just started a button jar. I wash it right away and then cut it up sometime during the week and put the buttons in the jar.
I also look through the special occasion clothes because I like to embellish and it's a good way to get cheap, nice beads or sequins.

I got can food and other food items from the dollar general.
I used candles to read at night instead of watching tv.
I set my heat on 60 and covered up in blankets. I had older blankets as window curtains to keep the cold air from seeping in through the windows and around the doors. I only cooked with electric or did laundry with electric. I also used fans during the summer unless it was above 90 and then I would run the air conditioner just during the hottest part of the day and then turn it back off when the temp fell back to around 75-80 and ran the fans again.

I did this from 1995 to 2000. Ages 19-23 because I couldn't get help from my parents(they said sink or swim) and I wasn't going to take charity or food stamps. Too much pride and I didn't want my parents to think I was a failure.

Were getting older and we still live like we did in the earlier years. Had we not watched every dime over the years we would not have what we have now. Like some of the others here I could not accept help from my family or from the system, I did try to get food stamps one time and I was denied, I was so frustrated that I have made sure that I have never had to be in the position to have to apply again.

Even when things got better financially and hubby and I both had really good jobs people knew what we were making, because they were making the same kind of money. They would ask us why we shopped second hand, and why we shopped in bulk, why we used coupons. Financially we did not need to, but every dime that we saved helped us to get ahead. We did then and still do now figure up what we saved and put the saved amount towards our house payment. A lot of people do not realize that even a few extra dollars a month towards the principal will shorten the loan and knock a lot off the interest.

I get coupons in the mail, online and in the newspaper and magazines. We only get what we have coupons for or what is on sale. Becuase I do not work outside the home anymore I only leave my house once a week and that is to go to a meeting at the church, the day I have to go to it I do whatever else needs done like banking, dollar store grabs, post office, whatever it may be, so I only have one trip out a week.

We do not buy very many meats at all in the stores unless I want to make something with a specialty meat. We buy a half a beef or half a hog from the local butcher at a time, and he delivers it to me so I do not evn have to leave to get the meats. We grow, can and freeze a lot of veggies in the gardening months. It is an hour to the nearest Wal Mart or Sam's so we only go once a month and we make a day of it and get everything we need for a month at a time.

When I buy online I look for free shipping, coupon codes, and places that will match someone elses prices if they are lower.

My husband drives a truck and he loads a lot of things like potato's and onions and beans, when he is at a produce shed he has the opportunity to buy things by the case or sack and does so at a much lower price than the stores charge. Sometimes they even give him the stuff for free.

I had my son when I was young and poor, I hand washed our clothing at night, I couldn't afford the laundry mat. I still wash my nice blouses by hand, they last and look nicer. I cooked macaroni a lot, you can make a lot of food stretch with it. I raised my kids on garage sale clothes, and still love going to them. now I look for material, and such.

I've been known to do the same thing. You can find a lot of nice clothes at thrift stores, especially for the price you can't beat them. I had to stop doing that, since I have enough fabric that I haven't cut up and sewn and was running out of room.LOL

I was divorced with two babies and applied for food stamps and was so embarrassed to use them I didn't go back to re register for more after the first month. :oops: I love thrift stores and find many nice things there.

I did without! Walked instead of drove, and that was back when gas was really cheap $0.35 a gallon!
I re discovered thrift stores after I retired! And libraries! And cooking! and walking again! Life is good! I am fortunate that I live near everything I need, except the fabric stores and LQS are not within walking distance! I am glad for that because I don't go JUST for that, I make a circuit and live more fugally than I need to, but I am happy with the extra at the end of the month for "good stuff"! :lol: