I was raised to be proud of waiting, searching and finding bargains. My father had to start a business from scratch. We were never hungry or lacked essentials. But, like everyone in Milwaukee, we were always looking for good deals and outright bargains. When I was 4 and 5, it was a big adventure to take the bus with my mother into the city a few times a year. . The main Gimbels department store had a basement that was filled with wonderful bargains. Our family had a very tight budget and did not own a car until I was about 9 and my mother (later I) sewed all of my clothes, including coats, until I was in high school. . BUT, we had percale sheets and pillow cases, bought at closeout prices for less than muslin; very fluffy, plush towels and wash clothes (with no sense of "color match" or "sets"
in a rainbow of colors; and a garden that produced fruits and vegetables that we canned for glorious winter meals. We knew when the local pharmacy had 100s of items on 1 cent sale (buy one, get a second for 1 cent).
AND, we were not alone; just about everyone in my semi-rural neighborhood swapped news about how and where to get the best for a LOT less. Our boyfriends were proud of finding bargain things to do for dates and no one thought the less of them. (Think "Buck Night" at the local drive-in. Double or triple date and the whole bunch piled into one car and saw a double feature for $1.)
No, I do not long for the "good old days" before polio and flu vaccines, Brown vs Board, energy efficiency consciousness, and all of the many civil rights movements! What I DO treasure are the things that I learned then that I did not need to "unlearn".
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.