[TheWriterTX]

Medical bills hit my family hard years ago, and kept us struggling for nearly a decade.

Frugality became the name of the game in my house.

I love pawn shops.

When the price of gold drove up even the most basic jewelry, pawn shops were the place to go.

Found a fabulous necklace for my neice (opal, diamond, and ruby) for her birthday. Was thrilled to find an opal ring for Christmas!

Gorgeous pieces for a fraction of what you would pay at the mall.

Also snagged a gorgeous full-length racoon coat at the consignment shop for Christmas at a tenth of what I would have paid for it new.

Folks are having a hard time adjusting to the "new" normal. It's old hat to me and mine.

[onona]

Hmmmm,

Could be a thread or even a category.

I have absolutely no idea how pawn shops work.

[LukeL]

I have found coin shops are a great place to find cheap jewelry,that way you aren’t paying for huge advertising budgets, brightly lit showrooms, huge number of employees and other such expenses. Just remember there is no such thing as a “new” diamond.

[kearnyirish2]

“Folks are having a hard time adjusting to the “new” normal.”

Many still think they don’t have to, that this is just temporary; if everyone knew how grave this was Obama would have been impeached. As the realization sets in (and will more so with every day, as the younger generation realize how much different thier lives will be than that of their 50 year-old parents), there will be a massive swelling of TEA Party-mentality in this country (and probably minefields laid along the southern border).

[Free in Texas]

Pawn shops are also an excellent source of musical instruments , guitar amps, reasonably priced firearms, etc. The prices are also negotiable. I love pawn shops, too!