It’s cool to be cheap

Let’s face it: There’s a certain laid-back coolness to being cheap. Although I don’t claim to be cool, I am definitely cheap. Really cheap. Last week, I waltzed into the local Goodwill and bought a dress, two shirts, and a skirt for a grand total of $8.63. And I was proud of it. I specifically remember telling my dad when I was little that he couldn’t dress me in someone else’s old clothes, but after working two jobs for four years, I’ve come to recognize the real value of a dollar.

I went through a short phase where I regularly bought $50 jeans with heaps of tip money (once I even sprang for a bottle of Juicy Couture perfume), but I’ve since adjusted to dressing myself in bargain-bin jeans and t-shirts and so-called “man sweaters”. It’s easier, and apparently that’s what’s “in” right now. A like-minded friend provided insight. “The hippest of our generation strive to dress like hobos and grandparents,” he explained.

It’s a surprisingly practical trend. Students’ favorite stores are the cheapest, and the formerly embarrassing aisles of Goodwill have sprung to the top of the list, replacing more expensive stores like American Eagle and Abercrombie and Fitch.

For the first time in entirely too long, popular clothing is cheapskate-friendly. Fine by me. I’ll keep pinching my pennies for as long as possible.
This column can be viewed in the original context in the Sept. 22 issue of Current in Noblesville.