Would I Buy This for $30? Does it Matter?

Actually, it doesn't in this case. I love this sweater. It's made from thick Cotton Tots, and it feels like wearing a sweatshirt. I can fasten the button and pair it with trousers and it looks nice, or just throw it on with jeans, which is how I'll wear it most often.

But, really - I ask myself, if I saw this in a store would I say, "Oh, I really like that..." and shell out $30 for it?

I have to admit - I'm notoriously cheap, and yes that's probably the best word for it. I rarely shop for myself, and usually buy items only if they're on sale. I rarely buy trendy.

Since the kids were little enough to leave my eyesight in the grocery store, I'd send them off to bring things back to the cart, to keep them busy. They were good kids, knew not to run in the store, etc., and they loved to help. Easy stuff. Kaity - go pick out two boxes of cereal. Bud, go buy cookies everyone will eat... and they'd head off down the aisle, yelling "we know... on sale or Von's Club." However, I will shell out $8.99 every week or so for Starbucks ground coffee for our morning coffee. So I'm cheap - but I have my splurges, which I can totally justify to myself. Scott toilet paper, 1000 sheets a roll, so it lasts more than a day, but I buy boxed mashed potatoes for convenience instead of "real" potatoes. I'll pay whatever it costs to buy boneless-skinless chicken so I don't have to mess with a real whole chicken. I remember when my son was a toddler we were at my Mom's and she had a whole roasted chicken on the counter, and he asked "why is there a big cricket on Grandma's counter? Poor kid.

Cheap on my terms. but on my terms. But really - I knit cheap too. I find my pattern then shop around, on line, at my not-so-local yarn store, and figure out Karabella would be beautiful for this sweater - but I'm not spending $80 on yarn, with no guarantee it's gonna fit in the end, or if I'm even gonna like it. So I settle. Maybe I'll get there someday - but I'm not there yet.

Yep - I really love this sweater, but if I play the game, I don't know if I would have ever bought it ready-made. Does it matter?

Yep - I'll shlep off to dreaded K-Mart of all places for Hanes socks on sale - and buy bundles for the family - cheap, boring tube socks and footies..... all so I can spend $9 on sock yarn for me, for one pair of socks.... duh! I mean, anyone can understand that one!


P.S. Here's a closeup of the chosen button, and my nearly non-existent eyelet detailing. I thought the little flower was gonna be my first choice, too, but it just didn't look right. So I went for simple - go figure.