It's hard for me to admit, but I'm addicted, a habitual offender, hooked. No, NO, not on drugs - on clothes. I'm a shopaholic.

I never thought it would come to this. I seldom went shopping at all. In fact, I despised malls, only went when I was threadbare. It took too much time to shop and everything seemed so expensive.

My downfall started a month ago when I was on vacation; there was a thrift shop right next door to the motel. Hard to believe, but I'd never been inside a Goodwill store before. So, I decided to go over and check it out.

It was downhill from there. When I first walked in I thought, "I don't like this stuff. It's old and used." But I decided to look around -- just to try it to see what it was like.

Then I found something I really liked. I found a skirt that looked like new and the already low cost was discounted to
a mere $2. The next thing you know I had a whole shopping basket of stuff to try on. All was nearly new and all cost nearly nothing. I found a black leather jacket for $8. Can you believe it?

I didn't know it, but I had thrift-store fever. I made several more trips back to the store before we left, and when we came home, I found that I could not kick the thrift store habit. I located a local Goodwill store and continued to shop. I couldn't help myself. Everything was so cheap, a dress for $3.50 -- if you were there on the right day.

I began to run out of clothes hangers at home. Soon I had shopped the thrift store so often that I had bought all the good stuff. Of course, they put out new merchandise all the time, but it was hard to wait.

Then I realized that Goodwill has other stores too.

Guess what?

The deals are just as good. I've just come home from one of my little bargain-shopping sprees. I shopped for three hours and blew an entire $24. There is one thing good about being addicted to thrift shopping; it's hard to shop long enough to spend very much money.

My closet doesn't know what hit it. It's stuffed. I have nowhere else to put anything. Next thing you know, I'll be donating the leftovers to Goodwill and buying back my own stuff.

The deals, the sales, the bargains! It's more than I can stand!

You can always find a bargain at Goodwill if you are willing to dig for it. It isn't their fault that I can't resist a bargain. Not only that, but the money spent all goes for a worthwhile cause, helping people with disabilities to have jobs. It's pretty hard to work up much guilt about spending.

I've decided to try to kick the thrift-store habit, though. I'll wait until I actually need something. No matter how many half-price sales they have, I am not going to shop for a while.

I will have to pass up a few of those bargains and let someone else have them. I know it won't be easy.

Regardless, I'll be the best-dressed person in the office for a month or so. I'll be in a different outfit every day. I wonder if I should confess that my red blouse was a bargain and that I got it for 99 cents, or if I should just keep that to myself?

The word to use, should I decide to reveal my secret, is "vintage" clothing, not "used."

Just do me one small favor. Please don't buy up all the good vintage stuff before I've recovered enough to trust myself again.