Okay, I think I have divulged this information before, but anyway I lost my contract about a month ago due to some political stuff that I am not involved in.  Anyway, that means my family is currently making $50,000 less a year, plus the amount my husband has gone done a month due to being deployed.  So we are talking about $65,000 a year.

We were just starting to get everything paid off and save money to start building a house.  However; times they are a changing.  I am now struggling to make ends meet, and plus getting used to a different pay schedule.  Once we figure out when we are going to start getting paid.

My youngest son is in desperate need of new jeans.  You would think it was flooding here, and the waters have risen at least a good six inches.  Knowing that I do not have the money to go buy jeans, even at Wal-mart, I visited the local Salvation Army.

I have always thought of the Salvation Army as an extremely second hand, out of style, junk store.  Well what I found tonight validates that, but it also gave me an eye opening into second hand clothing.  I have always tried to avoid it with my children, because I grew up getting clothes handed down from my sister and from second hand stores.  It was always embarrasing to wear the clothes that my mom gave me.

But necessity pushed me towards the door.  I was happily surprised to find four pairs of pants for my son, that did not look outdated, stained, or torn.  The crazy thing is the price tag on the jeans said 99 cents each.  The best thing was that it was family night so I got all four jeans for a total of $2.13.  How amazing is that??????

So, I have decided this is the way to go.  Even after my husband gets home from deployment and I have a job.  As long as I am not embarrassing my children by the clothes I pick out, then it shouldn't make me feel like a failure.

So gone is the stigma of second hand shopping, and here comes Super Mom's Survival!!!!