Since we’re already going to be paying a big chunk of money for my husband’s outfit at his cousin’s wedding, I wanted to keep my clothing costs to a minimum while still looking good enough to walk around with my tuxedoed man. We went to a couple of my favorite thrift stores over the weekend, and I hit the jackpot. I got a dress for the rehearsal dinner for $13. It still has it’s original Express pricetag on it ($58), and it fits me perfectly. It’s got spaghetti straps, so I needed a strapless bra to go with it. Since I didn’t have a strapless bra, and I tend to wear a lot of tank-tops, I decided that I might aswell splurge on anew underwear staple. So off to TJMaxx I went, where I found a great strapless bra for $10. Next I headed to another thrift store where I got a Banana Republic top, an Express skirt, and Nine West strappy sandals – grand total: $18. The whole outfit is very simple and very comfortable (well, as comfortable as strappy sandals can ever be on a girl who tends to wear running shoes, biking shoes, or Merrells everywhere she goes). The top I got for the wedding needs a strapless bra too, so my $10 bra will get me a lot of mileage that weekend.
Now we just need to find a gift. I’m not sure what we’re going to do there. We could just go to Bed Bath & Beyond and get something off the gift registry. But I really really don’t like gift registries. I think that the whole concept is tacky as hell. We eloped, so we bypassed thewhole wedding gift thing. We’re planning to try for a baby later this year, and there will be no baby showers and no gift registries. If we can’t afford the basics that our baby would need, we have no business getting pregnant. I hate the idea of going through a store and making a list of all the things I want and then telling my friends and family to go buy it for me. By the time my husband and I got married, we had been out of college for 5 years, we were both working, and we had been living together for two years – we didn’t need a bunch of stuff. We still eat off of mismatched dinnerware of forgotten origin, and that’s fine with us. But I understand that people want to give wedding gifts. I want to give wedding gifts. It wouldn’t feel right to show up at a wedding without a gift. But I don’t really like being told exactly what to go buy and where to get it. So I’m thinking of bucking the whole registry thing and doing something else for them. We’ll see what I come up with. I admit it’s a lot easier to just get something off the registry. I wonder if there are other people out there who don’t like registries but who just go along with it (like I sometimes do) because it’s easy and it’s what everyone expects. Anyway, we still have a month until the wedding, so I have plenty of time to get a gift taken care of. And at least the outfit is done!
Peggy says
I often choose to buy a gift off the registry, particularly for weddings. I figure that it is there as a courtesy if I don’t know what to get but if I have another idea, I go with it. I mostly give Christmas items for wedding gifts, particularly family weddings. Usually some sort of dinnerware or glassware. I lucked out on the most recent wedding. She had chosen some dinnerware that had coordinating Christmas dessert/salad plates and I got those for her. She seemed thrilled and didn’t even know they made them. They weren’t as frugal but the her other 2 sibs, I knew far enough in advance that I was able to get items in after Christmas clearance. Are you a crafty one? Most of the craft stores have started putting out their Christmas kits. Have fun at the wedding!
basil says
Registeries ARE tacky as hell. “Let’s take all the fun out of giftgiving!” It seems almost mechanical. I take a lot of pleasure in picking a gift out for someone…being told exactly what to get is offputting to me.
Nice going on the outfit! I still love going to a thrift store in L.A. called It’s A Wrap – barely used stuff from movies and television shows, and man do those wardrobe people have taste! My one and only suit I bought in a church thrift store in Chicago for $13. I still check pockets while shopping – there’s cash in them there jeans!
PiggyBank Raider says
Sounds like you got a great deal on clothes! One of my favorite wedding gifts was a clock that had our last name painted on it and the words “Est 2002.” It was so cute! It was handmade and it was the first thing I owned with my new last name on it, so it’s very special to me. In fact, all my favorite wedding gifts did not come from our registry. I know you’ll think of something awesome!
Bellen says
I like gift registries for couples who have been living together and already own ‘the basics’. That way I know that I won’t be giving the 2nd or 6th immersion blender. For true newlyweds – I opt for practical gifts: 4 down bed pillows, oversized towels, that kind of thing. For those remarrying, I lke personalized gifts, like the already mentioned clock. Great deal on the wedding clothes – I shop a true outlet of a local chain and got a 2pc lace shirt with silky tank top for $9.99 by White Stag, black pants for $6.99 and Coldwater Creek black wedge shoes for $5.99. All these are wearable year round and coupled with another interchangalbe 2 piece top costing $5.00 at a thrift will suffice for all my dressy affairs for the next few years -no, I don’t get out much :).
April says
Wow, I wish I could find a $10 bra, but I’m such an odd size (32F in regular bras, 32G in strapless) that I have to pay a lot for something that really fits me well. Sigh. What I pay for a sports bra would horrify you, but it’s the only way I can run comfortably.
I like gift registries, though, mostly just because I would rather give something to a couple that they really, truly want, not something they might already have or something they’ll have to figure out what to do with. I see that as wasting my money if they don’t have a need for it. Just my 2 cents.
scantee says
Do live anywhere near a Penzey’s spices? They have an amazing, high-quality spice selection and offer many different gift boxes. We received the spicy wedding one for our marriage-we too skipped the ceremony and the registry and all that, so it was an impromptu gift-and I thought it was the best gift, especially if either of the wedded like cooking. We’re buying one for a friends’ wedding coming up in a few weeks.
im4peace says
We eloped as well, and had a small reception at a local restaurant to please the family. We spent very little on a cake and the mexican dinner. We asked for no gifts as we had lived together and had everything. We did receive gifts and boy did we wish we had a registry then. We received 6 wedding themed photo frames. And a clock. We really didn’t have any wedding photos, so we ended up donating them. {loved the clock, though}
As far as registries, what do you think of a gift registry for kids birthdays? My friend has had one for years for her child. Snce I bargain shop for bdays months in advance, and don’t want to spend a fortune on the gifts requested, I am usually the only one without something on the list!!!
Kudos on your bargain shopping.
April says
I think registries for birthdays are tacky. And no one should expect you to get anything from a registry anyway. I guess I see them (for weddings and babies) just as suggestions, but nothing that I am bound to. LOVE the spice idea above…I’m checking out their online store.
Erin says
You can get Penzey’s mail order too–I agree, they’re awesome. Here’s their site: http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/shophome.html
As for buying gifts on/off the registry, I like to buy something from the registry and then something else that goes with it–like when I bought a friend a pasta maker and then some heirloom tomato sauce.
Good luck!
Erin
FrugalBabe says
There are people who have birthday registries for their kids? Are you freakin kidding me? And I thought baby and bridal registries were bad.
Thanks for all the good ideas everyone. I love the spices idea – and the bride in this wedding does love to cook… The idea of something with their last name on it is nice aswell (maybe a spicerack?). We were given a clock after we got married that has our last name on it and then our first names carved into the wood below it. I love it, and I loved seeing my new last name on it. Although I haven’t confirmed with the wedding couple whether anyone will be changing names, so I supposed I should find that out for sure before I get all crafty :)
udandi says
Don’t get me started on registries! My friend is getting married in the fall and has a $400 ladder on hers, sure it is more practical than a $300 vase, but seriously who are you asking for that stuff?!
I tend to do theme-oriented gifts that speak to the couple’s interest or personality.
Debbie says
I like registries for when I don’t know what to get, but I usually just use them to get an idea of what kinds of things they like.
My favorite thing was when I gave the kitchen towels they wanted plus an extra one to turn into matching potholders. They were cream, maroon, and hunter green. So I edged the potholders with a cream bias tape embroidered with their first names in green separated by hearts in maroon.
Often you can just get something else nice at a thrift shop that goes with the style and colors they have chosen.