Happy Friday: Frugal Shopping With Mom

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Sent from reader, Mary:

I wanted to share a story with you that taught me (and maybe will teach your readers) a little lesson.

My 86 year-old mother needed a new pair of shoes; she wanted to go to Kohl’s, so off we went. She has trouble walking, so she found a seat in the shoe department, and I went to see if I could find something comfortable and appropriate for a woman her age. I picked out a couple of pairs in her size and showed them to her. She liked the white sandals, but looked at the box and saw that they were marked $59. (I forgot to mention earlier that my mom also has hearing difficulty, and her hearing aid is not working).

So when she griped about the price, I said (very loudly, so she could hear me), “IT’S OKAY!!! THEY’RE ON SALE AND I HAVE A COUPON!!!” A senior citizen in the aisle came up to us and commented that my mother has “personality” and wondered about my coupon. The department manager behind us chuckled at the scene. After feeling frustrated all morning because I felt like I was yelling at my mom, I realized the value of patience, and humor, and coupons 🙂 We not only bought the shoes, but I shared my coupon with the senior in the aisle. It’s the little things in life that count.

HAPPY FRIDAY! 😀


Do you have a funny, “Hip”, or unique photo to share?! Email us at happyfriday@hip2save(dot)com. Every Friday, I will post one photo, submitted by you and/or another Hip2Save reader, that gives us a glimpse into your frugal lifestyle or simply makes us smile. If your photo is published on Hip2Save, we’ll email you a $10 Amazon e-card!

** Check out all of the previous Happy Friday pictures here.

Join The Discussion

Comments 31

  1. Em

    I totally have senior citizen taste (I could very easily live “back in the day”) so I LOVE those shoes!!!

  2. Good Guy

    Truely said…We tend to lose patience on our loved ones but do not react the same way to our superiors at work who are actually irritating…we need to learn to keep loving our loved ones as they are getting old….

  3. Sandy

    What a nice story. I can remember taking my mom shopping. She was my coupon helper, holding onto any coupons I’d planned on using. Oh, how I wish she were here to buy her a pair of shoes.

    • Sandy

      Tell your mom I like her new shoes and her hair looks beautiful too!

    • Rebe

      God bless you Sandy!

    • shellytay

      Sandy, I wish the same thing. I was going to comment as such after reading such a sweet story.

  4. neha

    The shoes are amazing and suits her very well. She herself is adorable, everything would look good on her 🙂
    You are a wonderful person, Mary…such acts of kindness are highly appreciated:-)
    God bless!!

  5. Carol

    Lovely lady! Makes me miss my dear grandma so much.

    • txhrc4

      Ditto for me too!

  6. nel

    I love this post!

  7. Kat

    Mary, I would not have guessed that your mom is 86 – she looks younger, and fabulous, in her spring outfit. Happy Mother’s Day to her and all the Hip moms out there! 🙂

  8. Heidi

    Love the story and the shoes look great on her!

  9. Cindy C

    The shoes look lovely on her. 🙂

  10. ellen

    aw, great story and the shoes look fab!

  11. jhnicole

    That is awesome ,too funny when you yelled its ok and i have a coupon.Thanks for sharing.

  12. Michelle M

    Warmed my heart- thanks for passing sweetness along.

  13. Tracy

    Your mom looks great in her new shoes. If someday you are shopping with your mom and you don’t have a coupon, Wednesdays are usually senior citizen discount day at Kohls. You can double check with your local Kohls.

  14. jamie

    cute story! haha

  15. Sasha

    You both are precious…
    cherish every minute with her. Life is so short.

  16. Rach

    Your Mom is beautiful. I’m so grateful for people who serve the elderly! Thank you Mary and all who do. Cherish your time with them, because it is precious and short. I miss my grandma every day.

  17. Katrina

    Love this story 🙂

  18. Ann

    She looks just beautiful! I wish my mom was still with me…cherish her 🙂

  19. Emily

    Great story. Makes me think of my mom. We loved to go shopping together and we always had our coupons in hand! I miss her every day. Cherish every moment. Happy Mother’s Day to everyone.

  20. maflies1

    Loved your pic and your story. What a hip looking Mom, and as others have said, reminded me so much of days with my mother. We too, loved to spend time together, go out to eat, and shop. In my late teens I worked with a young man who had a passion for elderly people, and always treated them with the most respect, patience, and kindnesses I had ever seen. He was a very good model for me, to this day! Moments and memories are so special…Yes, A Very Happy Mother’s Day to All!

  21. maggie mason

    So sweet! Love this story, thank you for sharing and taking such good care of your Mom.

  22. tia

    She is quite pulled together for 86! I hope I still have it together like her when I get there.

  23. Emily

    Very nice! My grandfather’s hearing aid was on the fritz and then he lost it. My mom called the company to order another one and they told her that we could just rent it for a few dollars a month. It was a new one and when he died, my mom called to see how to return it and she was told to donate it. If your mom needs a new one and you don’t want the upfront cost, call the company and ask. 🙂

    • Mary B.

      Great idea…thanks so much for your suggestion!

  24. Joy

    Good for you Mary.. your mother looks awesome at the young age of 86. I shop and run errands with and for 3 elderly ladies as my job for many years now. I can tell you it’s not always easy to do. But it’s very rewarding and it does take a lot of patience and understanding, along with deep breaths.. You are not alone.. It’s unfortunate about her hearing aids. I think it would be so much better with them. That way you wouldn’t feel you have to yell and then frustrated afterwards. Also, the entire department doesn’t have to hear your personal conversations. Great for you to take her out shopping to pick out what she wanted instead of doing it for her keeps her very independent. Just an FYI.. Dillards, Nordstrams and other department stores offer ‘personal shoppers’ …mind you, we are very frugal folks that coupon, but for some out there that don’t have the time or patience to do the shopping …sometimes it helps the senior pay a few extra $$ and get a much needed service. That way if you needed to be with your loved one at all times(which I do with my clients), it’s always nice to have someone to ask what your parent, grandparent or friend needs or likes and go out on the sales floor and get it for them.. It’s really nice. I don’t know the cost, because my clients or their family members take care of the cost..

    Your mom looks adorable.. I like her style..kudos to you Mary.. I hope she gets the hearing aids going soon.

    • Joy

      BTW..Mary does your mom’s cane have the handle that is custom made to shape her palm? I think those are fantastic. Just looks like it from the pic.. 🙂

      • Mary B.

        Her cane is formed to the shape of a palm…but it was a hand-me-down (we ARE frugal!). Thanks for your comments.

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