On the cheap

A guide to frugal living in Worcester

by Mike and Lisa Koykka

Chances are if you attend college, you're broke. It's okay, everyone around you is too. You eat only the "food" at the school cafeteria; you recycle the same three sweatshirts all semester and call it the "college experience."

You may think you have to forgo small luxuries (like food, shelter, clothing), but you're wrong. You just need to know where to look. Worcester is a very cheapskate-friendly town once you dig a little, and we've unearthed some of the area's best out-of-the-way places. It's a strange subculture where have-nots shop right next to have-alots, where new CDs share shelf space with duct tape, where clothing celebrates long-forgotten eras. It's a strange journey, but incredibly interesting -- and profitable.

So keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle, folks. We're about to enter the Cheap Zone.

`You bought that where?'

Our parsimonious tour begins with clothing. Sally's Boutique, an upscale Salvation Army on Cambridge Street, Worcester, has a bright, clean, retail feel to it. The clothes are arranged with more care than you'd expect, and the prices approach the ridiculous. With daily discounts of 50 percent to 75 percent off, prices of most items are just a few dollars. A woman's black evening jacket with rhinestone-encrusted bows (it looks better than it sounds) can be had for next to nothing. A polo shirt with a Combos logo (for the label-conscious) was $3.49. We purchased a pair of black combat boots for $5. They fit, eventually.

Your first reaction when entering Dollars Worth, 4 Quinsigamond Avenue, Worcester, might be to turn and run. If you do, you'll miss out on quite an experience. The clothes are priced per pound and arranged by body part (shirts, pants, hats). You are left to literally dig for what you want. We uncovered a Victoria's Secret bra, brand-new thermal underwear, a waffle-weave Eddie Bauer henley, and some exotic pants from India -- all for $2 per pound. New towels go for $1.50 per pound. Winter coats are $5 to $10 each. Blankets, sheets, and fabric, some new, line the shelves.

Right next door to Dollars Worth, but light years away in attitude, is Easy Pieces. The house music was pumpin' when we arrived, and we found ourselves surrounded by Dr. Martens, flannel, and flapper dresses. Jeans (used and VERY used) are $10 to $20 each, T-shirts are just a few dollars, and the ambiance is as cool as this mill town gets.

Highland Street (Worcester's best answer to Newbury Street in Boston) has quite a few stops for the hopelessly frugal. Pastiche specializes in jeans and mint-condition retro clothes (some were never sold or worn, and still have the original tags attached). You'll find shirts that will haunt your nightmares, tons of leather jackets and cool vintage jewelry. Look for the "Royal Family Collectible Thimbles," $7 each -- collect them all.

Just a few doors down is Treasures Unlimited, a haven for the label-conscious. This store is jam-packed with new and barely used clothing, like the 100 percent lamb's wool sweater from L.L. Bean we saw for $13.50, or the J. Crew dress for $26. Perfect for those family gatherings.

If you insist on buying new, there's still no reason to pay retail. J Riggings at the Auburn Mall has tasteful men's fashions, and its sales are incredible -- shirts get marked down to $4.99 and pants $9.99. Cherry & Webb has frequent sales up to 70 percent off women's attire. Don't forget TJ Maxx in Auburn, Marshall's in the Greendale Mall, Worcester, and of course the stores at the Worcester Common Outlets. When you hit the sales right (mid-to-end of the season) you can walk out with below-wholesale deals.

Part 2