Way of life becomes research
November 15, 2011
Senior Lauren Hodson took her hobby of frugality and transformed it
into a lifestyle that’s apparent in her everyday clothing,
decisions, and even in her academics.
In
2010 Hodson made a New Year’s resolution to incorporate at least
one item from Goodwill into her wardrobe, also known as the
“Goodwill Challenge.” For the almost two years, she has kept this
commitment and even shares her trendy outfits on her blog The Java
Journal that reaches viewers in more than 20 countries at
“text-decoration: underline;”>http://enjoyjavajournal.blogspot.com/
“My
blog has more viewers in Russia and Slovenia than in America,”
Hodson said. “It’s like a memoir. It’s something I’m doing in my
life that can affect others and that others can relate to.”
Hodson was raised in a frugal home. Her mother was a Goodwill
shopper, not out of necessity, but as a lifestyle choice which
Hodson maintains and is proud of today.
“Shopping at Goodwill is not something I’m ashamed of,” Hodson
said. “It’s a hobby I don’t hide. It’s an interest I’m not afraid
to share. When people say, ‘that’s cute where’d you get that?’ I
always say Goodwill.”
Hodson said that some people are shocked when she reveals she shops
at Goodwill and tell her she doesn’t have to reveal this seemingly
private information. Being frugal isn’t something Hodson does
because she has to; she does it because she enjoys it.
“I
get a form of a high and satisfaction from shopping at Goodwill and
saving money without having to sacrifice the everyday luxury of
fashion,” Hodson said.
Lauren’s passion for Goodwill shopping has inspired some of her
fellow Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority sisters and defied common
stereotypes many Americans believe about Goodwill and Goodwill
shoppers.
“Like
many other people, I had associated Goodwill as a cheaper clothing
option,” senior Emily Van Roekel said. “[Goodwill is a place] in
which people can find their uUgly Christmas sweater or a routine
shopping spot for people with a lower economic status which has
become especially common in the current economy.”
After
noticing Hodson’s fashionable outfits and discovering the majority
of them were purchased at Goodwill, Van Roekel’s view, along with
the views of many other sorority sisters changed.
“I
think everyone can attest to Lauren’s awesome style and I, for one,
would never have guessed that her primary shopping store was
Goodwill,” Van Roekel said. “[Goodwill] is now a routine stop
included in my shopping excursions. The [Kappa] girls will plan
Goodwill shopping trips together and ask Lauren to help them
‘Goodwill shop’ because her trained eye is able to find things that
some of us, myself included, cannot see. It’s a talent.”
This
trained eye for great deals has allowed Hodson to make unbelievable
purchases, such as a Givenchy purse priced up to $1000 for $3.38 or
normally $70 patent leather snake skin Nine West heels for $4.38,
all of which she documents on her personal blog.
“First thing I do when I walk into Goodwill is look at what tags
are half off,” Hodson said. “Then I look at color, texture and
quality, not just style. Clothing items can have a name brand and
look horrible, and then when you try on the knockoff it looks
phenomenal.”
Hodson has recently focused her frugal thinking into her academics.
For her senior project, Hodson has begun studying how frugality is
demonstrated in Mildred Kalish’s novel “Little Heathens.”
“My
main goal was to research something that interests me and that I
can learn something from,” Hodson said. “It’s something enjoyable.
My project focuses on country life with an interest in frugal
living; frugality and rural poverty.”
Assistant English Professor, Lauren LaFauci, aids Hodson in her
senior project. LaFauci watched Hodson’s project develop from her
personal love of frugality into a structured academic research
paper.
“Lauren’s project initially stemmed from her own interest in
frugality, but it has since evolved,” LaFauci said. “She is
developing as a scholar because she is moving from thinking about
the topic on a personal, and perhaps political level to thinking
about the topic critically, from a more detached subject position,
and to thinking about how to shape her writing to convincingly
argue one claim about a text.”
Along
with noticing academic growth in Hodson, LaFauci additionally notes
Hodson’s project may have larger, societal implications, and that
her “Goodwill Challenge” is something others should pay attention
to.
“Lauren’s stylish incorporation of Goodwill items into her wardrobe
demonstrates concretely to her fellow students that reducing,
reusing, and recycling can be exciting, fun, and trendy,” LaFauci
said. “I believe that her decision to reduce, reuse, and recycle is
not solely about saving money but is also about conserving
resources.”
Hodson plans to continue her participation in the “Goodwill
Challenge” after the research for her senior project is complete
and continue to blog her finds to the world. The Java Journal
allows her to network her ideas with professionals and enable her
to create a brand for herself across the world.
“My
ultimate goal is to write a book or editorial on frugality from a
modern perspective,” Hodson said. “It would be ideal if I could
apply this hobby towards my future profession.”