Shopping Smarts for People on a Budget

For anyone who has shopped with me, they know my indecisive and sometimes frugal ways can make a trip to the mall hell.

But today, I think I'd make my shopping mentors (you know who you are) very proud. I indulged a little without abandoning my frugal tendencies entirely.

The day started with a bargain pedicure -- bargain by downtown Washington standards at $28 -- until I pitched in an extra $5 per big toe for a sparkly design. I also stormed the mall, but I won't itemize here what came home with me.

It ended with garbage diving. OK, not really. I was dumping my trash when I saw a few fashion magazines stacked near the shoot. I couldn't pass them up. And Ben, who has a few more dollars to spend than I do, said he'd probably do the same thing. My apartment is next to the garbage, so no one saw.

In the laundry room this evening, I saw a moving-out flier. Someone on the ninth floor was selling all of her books for $2 each. I normally don't give fliers a second look. This time, I got three books for $5.

The month is almost over, and I'm comfortably within my budget.

Thank God for people who move out and throw perfectly intact magazines away.