The other day, I popped into my local Goodwill, which is the biggest and cheapest resale shop near me. Almost all of my husband and my clothes come second hand. Which made me ponder why so many homesteaders by clothes second hand. And I thought you would want to hear my musings on the subject.
The reasons we shop second are:
#1) The money: I paid $29 for the clothes in the picture. That comes out to $5.8 per piece. This haul included an H & H sweater with the tag still on, Time and True Cargo pants which run about $25, a Walmart dress, and a top from my favorite company, Loft. This, truly, is our biggest reason.
#2) The Environment: Did you know the average American throws away about 81.5 pounds of clothing a year? And even if you donate it to a thrift store, 84% of THAT ends up in landfills. And that most of it does NOT decompose because it’s made of plastic and lives forever. So, for those of us that cannot afford organic 100% cotton clothes, we can somewhat help by going with used.
Some other lesser reason I, myself, thrift:
#1) The Thrill of The Hunt!: Maybe it’s because I’m cheap, maybe it’s because I’m broke, but the thrill of finding something I wanted at a portion of the cost gets me off like a prom queen on prom night! For example, those Time and Tru pants above, I saw at Walmart and thought about buying for $24.98.
#2) I Can Afford Better Quality: Don’t get me wrong, if I didn’t get it used it probably came from Wal-Mart. But getting used pieces allows me to buy higher quality than I could normally afford. For example, a short sleeve Loft shirt runs about $50 – $60. Today, they were running a sale for 30% off. That still makes them about roughly $35 – $42. May I say again, $5.80!!!
#3) Trying New Things: When I am paying a regular price for a piece of clothing I’m not going to try a style, color, or anything else that I am not completely sure about. But, when you pay $5 for a piece, you’re much more willing to venture out of your comfort zone. And if you don’t like it, then you can send it on it’s way to the thrift store to try again.
#4) Tips!: “You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find a prince.” in other words, go often, dig, give it a chance, and try new places.
You have to go often. You don’t have to spend a lot of time – a quick walk through will do, especially if you’re looking for specific things. Which brings me to another tip – a lot of people will tell you to go with a list and stick with that list. If money is especially tight, I agree with that. But for most of us, we have a few extra dollars. So, look for out-of-season items, and go for sizes that are a few larger than what your kids currently need. Also, keep in mind clothes for things you normally don’t wear or need. Even if you never dress up and have no special events on the horizon, you need an outfit or two for those times. Funerals generally happen out of nowhere and why add stress to that time in your life by needing to get dress clothes. Because, at that point you will HAVE to go to a first hand store and get whatever they have at whatever price they want. Think ahead!
#5) Digging: Sometimes the good stuff is sitting front and center, yelling, “ME, I’M HERE! BUY ME, QUICK!” But most of the time the good stuff is hidden deep. Only those fortuitous souls will mine it from the recesses. I always think of the Mines of Moria – there could be Mithrail silver down there or flesh hungry orcs.
#6) Try New Places: There is a Goodwill near me that regularly has Loft clothes in my size and style. To that person who drops their clothes off there, I love you. But if you go several times and never find anything, try a different place. People are creatures of habit. We drop our clothes off at the same place, time and again. Maybe what you like is being dropped off down the road.
One of my favorite things to do when I travel is to stop in second hand shops (as well as libraries, but that’s a different post.) How about you? Any tips on on thrift shopping?
