A trendsetter at last! It’s chic to be cheap

By Penny Stine
Friday, July 16, 2010

I had Lasik surgery back when my youngest son was in kindergarten, but before that I wore glasses from the time I was in second grade. My first pair had cat-eye frames, then I graduated to some incredibly huge plastic frames that made me look like a fly. I’m sure I had some John Denver style granny glasses at some point in my teenage years. Sad to say, but my glasses made a significant contribution to my overall look, which was that of a slightly awkward, somewhat dorky kid.

Although Johnny Depp may look incredibly sexy and mysterious in glasses, I’ve concluded that very few real people do. And sad, but true, I’m back to wearing glasses for distance vision, so I include myself in the group of people whose looks aren’t enhanced by eyeglasses.

It’s OK, though. Like Huey Lewis proclaimed a few decades ago, I believe it’s hip to be square, so I wear my glasses proudly. Well, as proudly as you can when you’re constantly taking them on and off because, as everyone else in their late 40s or early 50s has discovered, when the distance vision is 20/20, it’s impossible to read a book without growing longer arms.

So when I need to see something in front of my nose, I can’t wear my glasses. When I need to see something across the street, I’m constantly reaching for them. Regardless, I don’t look as sexy as Johnny Depp or as stylish as Meryl Streep when I’m wearing specs. But I’m neither sexy nor stylish to begin with, so that’s not too big of a surprise or disappointment.

In addition to being neither sexy nor stylish, I’m rarely cool or a trendsetter. I’m usually hopelessly out of touch with what’s in fashion, whether it’s a fashion to wear on my feet or a hot new interior design trend. My living room is pretty much decorated the way it’s always been decorated, with the same furniture, pillows, photos and paintings that have been hanging on the walls for years. I’m perfectly fine with that.  I wouldn’t know the hot new color for the fall of 2010 unless you painted a large stripe of it down my driveway, and even then, I’d assume the city was doing an unusual road construction project.

Which is why it’s such a weird feeling to be on the cutting edge of a movement right now. Me, the woman who still owns clothing that’s older than my kids (who are all out of high school), is riding the wave of chic.

OK, maybe I’m getting carried away, but I’ve discovered that in today’s economy, it’s very cool to be cheap. Shopping at Goodwill? Everybody does it! Visiting consignment stores? Of course. Waiting to buy something new until it’s on the 70 percent markdown, beyond clearance table? Duh.

Everybody is concerned with saving money, getting deals and hanging onto their hard-earned cash right now. It’s so chic to be cheap that I just can’t stand it. It feels so weird to be such an expert at the trend that I’m tempted to go out and blow a paycheck or two on a really expensive pair of shoes and a bottle of wine.

Well, not really. I might blow a portion of a paycheck on a new pair of hiking boots, but only when my old ones fall apart at the seams. And the only way I’d ever buy a bottle of wine that costs more than 25 bucks would be if I included the costs of airfare, meals and hotel to Italy in the overall cost of the wine.

I’ve also discovered that I can’t embrace everything about being cheap. Sure, I’ll buy generic on most things, but I won’t give up my Charmin. And I’ll happily buy used clothing, used cars, used sporting equipment or a used outdoor smoker for outdoor cooking (anyone out there got one?) but I refuse to buy previously owned underwear. After all, I have my standards.

Likewise, I’ll grow a garden, but I have no interest in raising a pig or chickens, even though my family loves a little bacon and eggs. I may be cheap, but I’m not ready to have a hog in the garage or chicken poop all over the lawn.

I don’t know how long it will remain chic to be cheap for the rest of the world, but I’m afraid I may be this way for life. Some habits are hard to break. When everybody else has forgotten the Great Recession and is back to going out to dinner several times a week and going shopping as a recreational hobby, I’ll be cooking dinner while wearing something old and tacky.

Oh well. At least for one brief, shining moment in history, I’m doing what the cool kids do. And no cat-eye glasses involved.

Penny Stine is a staff writer for the Special Sections department at the Daily Sentinel. When she’s not writing about houses, she tries to find some humor in life and share it. Send your comments to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).