My Mother's Daughter

I grew up with a mother who had an amazing ability to sniff out great deals. Deals on bread machines, deals on shoes, deals on baby clothes...you name it. It's not like she went shopping all the time. She just always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. One Christmas all of us kids got softball gloves and mitts because Mom found them for 99% off or some ridiculous price. It didn't matter that we only played softball once in a blue moon. It was a fantastic deal, so we started playing softball a lot more.

Although my Mom usually made my formal dresses, I decided to borrow one from a friend for Homecoming my junior year. It was bright blue satin (welcome to the 90s). Not an easy color to match. But that didn't stop my Mom from finding a pair of bright blue satin shoes that were just my size...at a yard sale for $1. What are the odds?!

Even after most of us were married, we'd get a call from Mom on a Saturday morning asking us if we wanted her to buy a chair or some shelves she found at a fantastic price. They had to load up the trailer and van every time they came out to visit just to fit in Mom's amazing deals. I don't want to sound ungrateful. I loved that about my Mom. Plus, she found me 5 brand new oak chairs that perfectly matched the kitchen table my Dad made. No complaints here.

So, with genes like these, I have to be excited about a great deal, right? I am. I admit it. I get really excited about finding things for 80% off. And all my friends know it. My sisters are both the same. It's not uncommon to hear some variation of the following conversation:

"Cute shoes!"
"Thanks! I got them for $4."
"Really? Where? I want to get some for ______. Is the sale still going on?"

Or this conversation:
"Hey, I'm at the store and I found some bins like the ones you were looking at. They're only $2. Do you want me to get you some?"

We have a running tally to keep track of the money we spend for each other.

So, I decided to blog about my latest deal. I was searching for a good price on "The Little Mermaid." After all, it's going back into that blasted Disney vault today, right? But while I was searching, I came across a cute corduroy bedspread. There were only two, and they were both the right size for my bed. It must be fate.
Original price: $89.99.
Andrea's final price: $8.99.
Yep, I found the perfect bedspread for 90% off. I must be my mother's daughter.