Familiar Faces

I stopped by the Hyattsville Value Village on my way home from work today and a found a couple interesting items, including some gift ideas for the holidays. But it really gets interesting at the cash register. As I was being rung up, a woman approached me with a friendly "Hello!" I racked my brain, thinking I must know her from somewhere.

"What would you call this hat," she said, holding out a Coach bucket hat. "I can't find it in the computer, what should I search for?"

Then I realized: she recognized me. She works at the store and sees me all too often. I told her a few ways she could search for the type of hat, and left wondering what price would end up on the tag. It was Coach, after all. I was a little bit proud that she recognized me and thought to ask me for help.

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In other news: DC Goodwill Fashions (on Twitter @dcgf) pointed me to a Washington Post article on spending. According to reporter Annie Gowen, it sounds like people are tired of scrimping and saving and want to buy some stuff. If the economy might be on the way back up, is it safe to open our wallets again? I identified with the following passage in particular:

The recession "made everyone sort of take a pause and think about how they spend their money, needs versus wants," Shirazi said. "However, I work all the time. . . . And if you work hard, you like to reward yourself in some capacity."

I'll always find an excuse to shop, from a rough day to celebration of some dollars saved elsewhere. But shopping at thrift stores allows me to get my material fix without feeling guilty about it later. If you're worried about buyer's remorse if you pick up your shopping pace, think about checking out the thrift store to test your financial waters.

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