Hip, Trendy, Fabulous, Broke.

The Bargain Hunter
Continued

Deal of the Century
Continued

“A couple of days later I got a call from the place. I was like, 'here we go, they're going to tell me I have to pay.' But they didn't. They just wanted to make sure I wanted all the items because everything came up as $4.99 even if it cost $2 or something. I had ordered 18 things and I knew none of them was less that $4.99. So I was like, 'I want everything.' I figured out later I got $540 worth of stuff for $80.

“That was the best bargain ever. That was beautiful.”

This directive extends to the whole family. “If my husband goes to Old Navy or something to get some clothes, but I have a coupon for online, I won't let him buy it. He'll be like, 'what the heck?'”

Elvia didn't always heed the call of the almighty bargain, however. It seems her saving passion developed as a part of family life.

“Before I had kids, I would spend maybe $150 on a single outfit. Because I wanted to look good. But now that I know it's not all about me, I won't spend that much.”

It seems seems there is a dark side to all of this coupon clipping and bargain hunting. It can become such an obsession that Elvia freely admits she sometimes loses track of the savings.

“You buy things you don't even need,” she says. “If I'm out at Target, I always wind up spending more than I want.

“It's all going to change now, though. I know that I'm hooked up for the winter, so I told myself I'm not shopping again until Christmas.

“But I love to shop. If I didn't love to shop, I would have no problem staying home and doing nothing.

“It's an obsession, I'll tell you.”