Sometimes you just want to spend some money. Sometimes, you have to.
Sometimes your kid comes to you and says “mom, I need a white, collared shirt for the school play” or “mom, I can’t button my jeans anymore.” Sometimes you get an invitation to an evening outdoor wedding in the springtime (what to wear?). Some of you are likely even dealing with prom expenses or upcoming graduation events.
Of all of the many frugal things I’ve done to get this far along in our debt freedom journey, embracing second-hand shopping has been the hardest part. It’s so much work, and well, sometimes kind of dingy.
But now, I’m in love.
Yes, in LOVE with thrift store shopping.
Normally a debit-card shopper, but for thrift stores, I load up my wallet with $20 bills and hit the chain thrift stores (like Goodwill) in the nicest neighborhoods. Bellevue, WA with a per-capita income similar to Hong Kong—one of the richest places in the world is just a 30 minute jaunt from my house. I can’t even count the number of high-quality kid outfits I’ve purchased for less than $2, many with store tags still on them. It’s also a great place for work clothes for yours truly. I kid you not, I recently found a pair of Apple Bottom baby jeans in size 2T for $2.50 at Goodwill. Original price $51. (For baby jeans!) I didn’t buy the baby jeans, but I had a pretty hearty laugh at their expense.
(When I buy second-hand, I like to buy big brands as I tend to know what to expect from the quality of the items).
A few weeks ago my daughters had simultaneous growth spurts (they gang up on me, I swear). Both woke up and could no longer button their pants. I withdrew $60 in cash and hit the local thrift shop. Two hours later, I had five pairs of pants for each kid and several cute tops for my oldest. I carried my bags up into the house almost shamefully and counted out my change. Lo and behold, I had only spend $25.68.
Here’s a few tips for getting used to thrift store shopping.
Shop with a list. Know what you need and what sizes and favorite brands.
Shop on a weekday during business hours if you can. Fewer crowds, greater selection and best staffing at the store. Wednesdays are great—by this time they should have weekend donations tagged and on the shelf.
Watch for “green tag day” or “half price day” or other promotions.
Some stores specialize in certain items. I know that the downtown Seattle Goodwill store does an annual event of special occasion clothes (great for proms, etc), other stores have especially large selections of kids’ clothes or business attire. Some stores are even kids-only or “tweens/teens” only. A friend of mine fosters children and buys children’s clothes on the “pound sale” days, when she can buy kid clothes for thirty cents per pound. She’s not particular on sizes as she never knows which child will come next or how long they’ll be in her care, so she buys $8 worth of clothes and washes and sorts them by size and pulls them out when she needs them.
When I’m shopping for myself, I shop at the Children’s Hospital Thrift Store near my house which has a great selection of womens clothing, especially business wear, but no kids’ clothes. I’ve found the best selection of kids’ clothes at Goodwill and St. Vincent De Paul. For my tween, she’s a fan of Plato’s Closet, and while slightly more expensive than Goodwill, she’s usually willing to fork out the difference for slightly-more-fashionable items and better selection. (Plato’s closet is perfect for her sizing too, she wears “slim” sized jeans which can be hard to find even at retail).
Also, aside from just clothing, thrift shops can be excellent places for kitchen items, especially if you shop just after wedding season when many households are merging (and thus, purging). We’ve found many outstanding pots and pans for under $1. It’s also a great place to find high-end kitchen appliances like stand mixers, juicers and bread-makers that many people can’t live without and then later admit that they seldom use.
Ultimately, plan to take your time. If you have kids, consider going without them. Thrifting in a rush is no fun. Its something that has to be done in the right frame of mind. Also, don’t forget to wash everything before wearing. Different stores have different policies about the washing and acceptance of used items, and some leave items on the shelf for a very long time. Finally, check return policies. Sometimes items are in the thrift stores because the sizing was off. Most stores will accept returns within a few days, some will only accept returns for store credit, others don’t do returns at all, but generally, I’ve found thrift stores to be very generous and their shoppers quite loyal.
Tagged as: frugal, kids, thrift
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