My husband and I have faced many lay-offs in the past twenty years; each time we hoped to learn something new so that we could help others in the future. Now is that time. As my we worked to “stay afloat” (the opposite of “going under”!) during lean times, I read every money-saving book and magazine on our library’s shelf--some things I’ve worked out for myself. Now that my husband has a steady job, we’ve continued many of these practices as a part of responsible living. In my posts, I’ll include ideas for different levels of need—stretching dollars when you still have some income and stretching even further (when you think you can’t) when the income is gone in hope of helping you hang on until you get some income. I’ll also address things we learned about attitudes—ours and those around us.

I invite you to comment with your money-saving ideas and accounts of what has worked for you, since community is one of our greatest resources. While I’m writing as an American in the framework of the American economy, I also invite those of you from other nations/peoples to share what you’ve learned about stretching resources since many things can be applied anywhere. (Do know that I will delete any comment that’s derogatory or has foul language.) Please share this blog with others who are stretching and help them keep from “breaking”.


Thursday, April 15, 2010

Thrift Shops


Thrift shops operated by organizations such as the Salvation Army and Goodwill can be a great place to find clothing at very low prices. Don’t let pride interfere, many of the clothes are in very good condition—some are even new with the tags still on and you’ll be helping out those who are possibly worse off than even you! Some thrift shops have better quality than others overall while the others have good things that just need to be discovered. Most price their items in the $3-$5 range with dresses, suits and coats somewhat higher. High-end shops such as those run by Junior League (a service organization for young women—called Junior League Wearhouse in our area) have very nice clothes but you will pay a very nice price for them. Still, if you have a daughter who is prom-bound, you can likely find a beautiful dress for her there (or even at one of the lesser priced thrift shops) since they’ve only been worn once--wedding dresses too. Just in case I need to say it, always wash it before you wear it. In addition, double-check all zippers, buttons, seams, etc. since they often don’t take returns. My husband once bought a beautiful shirt at a higher end shop only to discover at home that there were no buttons! (I once had a friend who cut all the buttons off the clothes she donated! Please don’t do that!) Consignment shops are another possibility but the prices are much higher.
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3 comments:

  1. Carol GrubbsApril 24, 2010 at 9:32 AM

    Remember those over 55 get a 25% discount on Tuesdays...get their early though!

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  2. AngieOctober 21, 2011 at 2:17 PM

    Some places have half praice Wednesdays and family days. The Matthews help center has an excellent thrift store at super reasonable prices and really nice stuff!

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  3. jcOctober 21, 2011 at 2:34 PM

    Matthews Help Center's Backporch Treasures is one of my favorite thrift stores because of the level of quality. The grapevine says that they're extending Saturday hours, which is a win-win. Thanks Carol & Angie!

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