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What if…

One day you’re flipping through the want ads and see an opening for the job you’ve been dreaming about your entire life. "Multibillion dollar company looking for part-time video game testers. A professional attitude and video game experience a must. Starting salary: $50,000." After running around the house screaming like you’ve lost your mind, you settle down and decide to call.

Believe it or not, you actually get an interview. But now what? The article said "professional attitude." You definitely have the phone skills, but the closest things to professional in your closet are the Tommy Jeans and FUBU shirt you bought last summer. You whip your head around to the one place you know is filled with money, your piggy bank. You squint your eyes, determined that Old Porkbelly must die. An hour later, you’re surrounded by $30 in wrapped pennies, nickels, and dimes. But is $30 enough to buy an outfit that’ll land you that dream job?

Yep, it sure is. But the key is to shop carefully. The first thing you can do is hit every factory outlet around. Because they do their own manufacturing, the prices are usually cheaper than other retailers. Most of these places have great deals, but sometimes you have to really dig for them. In other words, don’t be ashamed to rummage through the clearance racks. You might find the coolest outfit nestled between last year’s rejects. Also, make it a rule not to buy the first thing you see. You may find a better deal somewhere else.

Now, if you’re looking to buy an entire outfit and have money left over to treat your friend to lunch at the end of the day, then your local second-hand shop may be calling your name. Some people cringe to think that they’ll be wearing clothes worn by someone else, but if you really think about it, clothes at the local mall have been tried on by twenty people and never washed!

But for those who still shudder at the idea of second-hand shops, there is another alternative. Borrow the clothes from a friend you trust. That way, you know where they’ve been. The most important thing about borrowing an outfit from a friend is to wash it before you give it back. Nobody wants to be late for their dream interview and look down to find what you had for lunch after yours.

So get up and get to the bank before you go out to shop. Why? Because there aren’t many stores that’ll like the idea of being paid in $30 worth of change!