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Of course, I immediately start brainstorming 101 Options for Replacing the Button ("Why don't you call the manufacturer in China and see if they can send you another one? Or here, take this in the dressing room and rip off the other buttons and shove them in your coat. Or wait! I know! We'll start a social networking site dedicated to people like you who are looking for lost buttons ... "), when Jennie calmly went up to the front counter and asked the woman working there if she had a spare button. I felt like my entire world had been rocked. What a simple solution (not always my strongest suit) ...

And, funnily enough, the woman looked into her stash and pulled out the missing button. The actual button that was missing from the coat. Then as if all of this wasn't magical enough, Jennie proceeded to ask for a discount on the coat because of the missing button and the lady gave it to her. 15% off. I felt like the first time I found a concealer that actually covered up my acne, as if the whole world had opened up and was suddenly filled with previously unseen possibilities.

Which in a way, it is. The possibilities are there; you just have to ask. Stores, big and small, are feeling the credit crunch and are more willing than ever to work with you. Now, I know it can be a bit embarrassing and you don't want to seem rude or cheap, so an easy way I've found is asking if a particular item will be going on sale anytime soon. It shows your interested, gives them an opportunity to offer a discount and the really, the worst they can say is no. And, as I learned from Jennie, more often than not, they're going to answer yes.