I spent $105 on clothes

That may seem like a weird thing for a PF blogger to brag about. But for that $105, I got:

• 1 workout tank
• 4 t-shirts
• 2 pairs of shorts
• 3 jeans

How is that possible, you ask? Well, thanks to my friends over at Engineer a Debt Free Life, I found out that Old Navy has a special page with "hidden" coupons. For example, if you clicked on the boy mannequin's floatation devices, you would have found a coupon for 20% off. These coupons are currently out. But they reload randomly, as I understand it, so be sure to check in every day or so! I was lucky enough to nab 25% off for my own email address, and $45 off of $100 for Tim's. (You can only print one coupon a week, so be sure you have the best deal in your cart, before hitting "Make A Coupon.")

Those two, plus some careful clearance-section shopping, allowed me to get significant bang for my buck. That's pretty handy, since I'm struggling with some weight gain. Now I actually have pants that I can breathe in. And that don't give me that unsightly, embarrassing muffin-top that I'm so self-conscious about. The shirts are good, too, because they're not as tight as my other ones. So, once again, I won't constantly be worrying about my tummy.

My usual MO is to just put my nose to the grindstone and start losing weight. Which I am doing. But I am also trying to be more realistic. (Or, to be more exact, Tim is making me be more realistic.) Since my body weight tends to fluctuate, it makes sense to have a couple sets of items. Chances are, I will eventually end up close to this weight again, what with my stress levels and sweet tooth (and being easily fatigued).

Do any of you have separate sets of wardrobes? What would you do right now if you found that you couldn't fit into your current clothes? Is it more important in a situation like this to be frugal or kind to yourself?

Rewards Programs

Volition.com:

If you only take away one resource from my site, make it this one. This is a huge site with tons of information -- all free -- about various money-making and money-saving processes.

• It has lists of mystery shopping companies, any category the companies specialize in, and links to sign up.
  
• It has a forum where open jobs are posted, along with location.
• It has a coupon section
• It has information on making money online -- from points programs to pay for reading email and surfing the net

MyPoints:

• This is a fabulous program. I've cashed in points for hundreds of dollars of gift cards over the past eight or nine years. Mom and I saved up for Sam's Club cards and used them to buy food for the wedding buffet
  
• You get 5 points for reading an email and clicking; 10 points if you try to take a survey and you don't qualify
  
• In addition, if you do online shopping, you can use MyPoints as a portal and earn points for each dollar you spend
  
• Or you can sign up for trial memberships (but be sure to write down the cancel-by date on a calendar)
• You can redeem for as little as $10 (1500 points), if a birthday or holiday is approaching.
  
• Just for signing up, you get 250 points
• If you refer a friend, you get 250 points
• If you do decide to sign up, I would love it if you'd use me as a referral: seattlegirluw@yahoo.com
  

MySearchBonus

• Like MyPoints, you earn points. Like MyPoints, you redeem points for gift cards -- including gas cards. But unlike MyPoints, you don't have to read anything.
  
• MySearchBonus gives you one point for every search you do, up to 50 per day.
  
• You get 50 points for signing up.
• You can refer people and earn one point for each search they do, up to 100 points.