While others turn up their noses at thrift and second-hand stores, I am not one of those people. I am not a snob. I have no issues with shopping there. I know you can get name-brand clothing there at a fraction of the price. And with a family of six, we need to save money wherever we can. We don’t have access to a money tree that we can shake whenever we need moola. I wish we did, but we don’t. So we have to be savvy when possible.
The other day my husband and I were talking about summer clothes and how our girls still need a few things because they’ve outgrown most of their shorts and capris. (Both girls have long legs, unlike me.) I mentioned stopping by Goodwill to see what we could find. Maybe we would get lucky. And we did!
I spent $70 and what I purchased is shown in the pictures below.
About 90% of what I purchased the girls was name brand clothing from Ralph Lauren, Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale, Rue 21, Banana Republic, American Eagle, Justice, etc.
I even found my son a brand new Rocawear backpack for $14 and some change. It still had the tags on it.
I also purchased my daughter an expanding file folder for school.
I know that had I gone out and purchased each of these items at their respective stores, I’d have spent far more. If you’ve been debating with yourself over whether or not you should check out a local thrift store, give it a shot. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying it and saving you and your family some money. It doesn’t make you cheap, trashy or stupid. It makes you smart and frugal.
Goodwill, Salvation Army and a host of others are places that we definitely frequent. My kids plain old like clothes. Period. And the options that are available in the thrift stores are so much greater than what we can find in local retail establishments. Plus these thrift stores even have discount programs to further discount items. And a short distance away from me there is even a Goodwill Outlet store – yes there is such a thing but it is as close to going into combat to shop as you can come. But the prices are amazing.
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When I went this last time I added everything up based on the tag prices, and the total should have been over $100 but the cashier rang me up and gave me even better deals. I was thrilled.
Goodwill and all those other places that support people in need are wonderful places to shop. And depending on the neighborhood you can get some pretty amazing steals!! A frined of mine just bought a gorgeous Hermes purse, a not a tiny purse at that, for $9.99!!! I was floored when I saw it. She’s a super savvy thrift store shopper and I want her to take me on her next shopping adventure. No I’m not a snob either. If I can save on clothing and accessories I am happy to do so!!! Great finds by the way!
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I completely agree with you about location. We went to a Goodwill in Portsmouth, NH, and they sell gorgeous furniture there. Because they are near ritzier areas, they get gorgeous pieces at rock bottom prices. I have even gotten some amazing deals on purses there, as well.
I make a point to go to Goodwill and look for clothes at least once a month. Unfortunately, I can never find anything that fits and/or that I like. 😐
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I’m in the same boat because of my size, Sara. I have a hard time with clothing for my size that is cute because I’m plus size and I find that a lot of plus size clothing isn’t designed to make women like me feel good about myself. Instead, the clothes are oftentimes frumpy and designed to look like a tent. I hate it! I’m curvy and I don’t mind showing off those curves. I obviously want clothes that are tasteful, but I want to feel pretty too. I’m hoping as I lose weight I find more clothes that I like the looks of.
My parents used to bring me to secondhand stores when I was young and I never “got” it… but now I definitely do! I LOVE the great bargains and will never grow tired of getting brand name and new things at thrift store prices!
With the cost of all of our bills, in addition to groceries and gas, we just can’t afford to spend full price on clothing. I know others look down on us for it, but our kids are still well taken care of, and they know it. I’m glad they understand why we have to be careful and appreciate what we do.
Nice haul! Not only does it save you money, the purchases also benefit others in need.
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Yep, which is what my husband and I love. We try to help out others when possible. We may not have a lot but we still have more than some.
When I was growing up, my Mom and Aunt taught me how to thrift shop. My eldest sister stepped up my game when I was a teenager. I never thought I would put all of that to use, I actually dreaded going with them. Now, I go frequently and teach a class to the kids at my church on thrift shopping.
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I think it’s a valuable lesson to teach children. And when they get into college, they will be better prepared to get by. We’ve told our kids that we will not support their spending habits and that they will need to know how to budget and be frugal about their money. Yes, we will help out if something happens that’s out of their control, but if they are spending willy nilly and not giving any thought to being responsible, we won’t help. We feel they need to learn how to survive without us bailing them out all the time.
Oh my goodness, nothing wrong with shopping there! You save SO much money and you can actually get really nice stuff. I started going to Platos Closet for my teen girls AND myself! People just giveaway clothing that’s practically new! Good for you!
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Never heard of that place. Must be local? We have a few other thrift stores around here that my husband and I love shopping at. Before me he never went into those places and now he loves to. He’s as nuts as me when it comes to saving money. He sees the benefit of it. Even when he has to run to the store for me before he comes home at night, he asks if he can go to CVS to get it to save money. And then he always remembers to use his card.
I’m definitely not one to turn my nose up on Goodwill or Salvation Army! I love going to these stores, as well as any thrift store or yard sale. I have always been a bargain shopper, even as a kid. I have found a lot of nice stuff that way. I bought a $400 A.B.S. wedding dress for just $15, and it was just like new! I also found a Rachel Pally dress for $3, a Betsey Johnson cocktail dress for $10, Black Halo dress for $5, and some Jessica Simpson ankle booties for $5.
You can’t beat deals like that. I have a harder time finding clothes in my size that I think are cute. There just aren’t as many cute options for plus size women but I’m hoping that as I lose weight, I find more to wear. Heck, it won’t be long and my stepdaughter and I will be able to share shirts.
Kids grow out of clothes so quickly, you’ve got to save money on their stuff. I’ve donated some really cute things, so I’m sure others have too!
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We have donated a lot of cute clothes too. Most of which are barely worn. My daughter isn’t a big girly girl so when my ex-MIL buys her clothes, they are usually too girly for my daughter and she only wears them once. I’m sure there are some girls that walk in and find Justice clothing and get excited.
I LOVE shopping at the Goodwill. It’s a great place to find not only clothes but other household items too. It’s just fun never knowing what treasure you might find.
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I used to think I wouldn’t buy secondhand — but then I had kids! They go through clothing so quickly that it get expensive buying everything brand new! We don’t have a Goodwill close, but I like hitting the consignment sales when they come to our area.
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I love shopping at Goodwill. Not just for clothes, but random household items, too. Which reminds me, it’s been awhile since I’ve checked out the one around here.
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I adore donating and SHOPPING at goodwill! You can find some really great stuff there!
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I grew up on second hand clothing, toys, etc. Garage sales, thrift stores, flea markets…I love it all. My girls love to go shopping at the thrift stores…they love the hunt just like their mama!
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I donate to the Salvation Army and Goodwill all the time. But to tell you the truth, I have never been inside. I’ll have to check it out.