I’m part pirate.
I love the search for treasure. The hunt is what spurs me on and gives me the greatest joy.
I’m also a mom.
So how do you merge the two?
Growing up my mom instilled within me the value of money and how to use what you have in the most effective and generous way.
I remember one time, my mom took me school shopping and gave me a budget of $100 to buy what I needed to start back in the fall. I was entering middle school and wanted to have the best clothes for 6th grade; my mom warned me to spend wisely. I found an amazing yellow Esprit top and matching yellow striped pants that I HAD to have. My mom watched quietly as I paid the cashier and used all but $10 of my allowance for clothes. My mom never said a word, but when I went to buy another outfit and I did not have enough money, I learned my lesson. I wore my new, bright yellow outfit the first day, and that day and anytime I wore it after, Tommy Hall exclaimed to everyone that I was “desprit!” I was mortified.
That experience combined with my smart momma made me a pirate in search of treasure.
Some people look at pirates and can’t understand their need for the hunt. Perhaps some of you reading won’t get it, and that is good with me. You be you, but I’m going to find the treasure.
It started with garage sales with my mom. As a child and then as an adult, I would take every Thursday off and we would start early in the morning and garage sale until we dropped, finding treasures we needed and even those we didn’t know we needed. We were quite the duo; people would call my mom and tell her what they were on the search for and to grab it for them if she saw it. We even deemed one treasure each year as that year’s garage sale find of the year.
In the winter, garage sales are hard to come by in the Midwest, so we fed our pirate need with Goodwill and thrift stores.
Mom affectionately called Goodwill the GW boutique, because if someone asked where we got something, that sounded fancier and wouldn’t offend those who don’t know the fun and frugalness of pirating and hunting.
Insert kids onto my pirate ship and the need for treasure increased. Kids have so many needs and I love finding a bargain that someone else has loved but now is done with. If they need clothes, check out Goodwill or garage sales and you never know what you will find at a fraction of the cost.
This pirate momma likes name-brand clothes, too, and you would be surprised at what you find. Recently, we were at a preschool playground night at my son’s school and a Dad made the comment that my kids are always dressed so nicely… I didn’t tell him but they are dressed 95% in clothes from Goodwill.
ARGHHHHHH!
Maybe you are part pirate or a full pirate, or never even entertained the thought of searching for treasure, but this momma loves the hunt. I’ve scored $160 shoes for my husband, countless pairs of Under Armor pants and shirts for my 2nd grader, brand new Ryka shoes for me and so many things over the years that make my list of treasures endless.
Just recently, I told my husband that with summer coming, the boys could use some shorts and tees, so off to Goodwill I went and found the things they need. We’ve got the money to go to a “real” store and get them what they need. However, the hunt is so much more fun and then we like to think about how generous we can be with what we have if we aren’t spending it on clothes and other needs.
Not all pirates plunder; some seek the treasure and love the hunt. This momma loves the hunt and can’t wait for the next garage sale sign or Goodwill store to see what treasures await.
