My new jeans, and what they mean to me.

Can you pick the designer pair?

It's been all about Target lately. There is so much stuff on clearance! I love it. In a recent trip I picked up a pair of jeans for $4.98 - great price - until Monday when Target released a $3 off Denim coupon. I took the jeans back and picked up 2 pairs for $1.98 each! They are really comfortable and cute. 

As I was hanging them in my closet next to a pair of designer jeans I giggled at the symbolism of the new, inexpensive jeans. You see, there was once a time in my life when the embellishments on jeans mattered to me. I'd spend the amount of a car payment on one item of clothing. This was before kids, before the statement "just wipe your hands on my pants" ever came out of my mouth, before spit up and slobber, before a mortgage, before I appreciated money, before I knew I would want more than anything to be a stay-at-home-mom.

I started using coupons after Noelle was born when we became a one-income family. Even with the coupons I failed at keeping to a budget for the first year and blew through a good amount of our savings. Oh to turn back the clock! When I realized that I was facing going back to work and not spending each day with my baby, I adjusted my spending. It was going great until I accidentally ran my car into a light pole got in an accident. We got a new-to-us car and I tightened my budget and upped my couponing skills. No more expensive jeans. 

Since then, by God's grace, we've paid off our credit cards and are now in the process of tackling our mortgage. The new jeans are an example of how my priorities have changed over the years. At the end of the day the label on my jeans doesn't matter. To me what matters is being able to stay home with my kids. Because I love being the mom with peanut butter finger prints on her pants. 

If you guessed #3, you're right! 

The first two are my new $1.98 Target jeans.

The third are Joes Jeans, $162.