Who Shops at Big Lots: Me and Philip Starck

As a break from grading exams (soon to be done!), I accompanied Mr FS when he went to the drugstore to pick up a prescription. I had him drop me off at Big Lots, which had sent me a coveted $5 off $15 coupon. The prices are cheap enough as is (at least on some things: know your prices) but at a further discount! A thrilling experience for a frugal type like myself,

With my coupon, I got some graham crackers, lots of canned diced tomatoes, an Ahh Bra. Two more exciting things: I got some Mario Batali pasta, the exact same kind as is sold at Eataly, only at Big Lots it was $1 instead of $3.20. Mr FS got a dvd of Mean Streets, one of his fave films. Total spent: around $11.

OK. That was about as much excitement as I can take. However, when I got home, I did an internet search for something about Big Lots and came upon an LA Times article from 2008, the depths of the Great Recession, when frugality was all the rage. the only thing I miss about the Great Recession: all the frugality articles that fed my frugal soul. This particular article featured the great designer Philip Starck as he filled a basket at Big Lots. Maybe I can buy one of his famous Ghost chairs if I keep shopping at Big Lots. Love those chairs.

My favorite part of the article consisted of this pithy saying, with timeless wisdom that goes beyond the panic of the economic downturn: "We have been sticking our money into the fan," he says, miming a stack of bills being shredded by the blades of a ceiling fan. "We must be more intelligent now."