Thrift Store Convert

by Kelli
(Covina,CA USA)

Honestly I had never stepped foot into a thrift store until my husband and I got married.

My husband is a thrift store fanatic.

I could never understand how he could spend over an hour at a thrift store; that is until I stepped foot into our local thrift store.

We are lucky to have a very large thrift store in the area. They have everything from books to electric cords,pots and pans and even wigs!

Since that first trip to the thrift store I have been going a minimum of twice a month! You can save a ton of money purchasing items there rather than new at a store.

I have two young children and as any parent knows they grow out of their clothes quickly. With my first child we bought all her clothes from retail stores and spent $100's of dollars on clothes that she at times only wore once!

Now with my 2nd child, I purchase clothes at the thrift store...and opt to save a ton of money rather than spend a ton. I have found that most donated clothes for children are in very good condition because of the simple fact that they are outgrown quickly.

Baby clothes are frequently almost brand new ..only worn once. My son's clothes are all infant clothes from the thrift shop. They are all Osh Kosh, Baby Gap, Disney, Carters, Childrens place...all names I would have purchased at full price.

What's even greater is that if you time it right and go on a day when all the clothes are half off...you can get these clothes for as little as .50 to 1.00 on average!

Our family has found so many items that would have otherwise hurt our budget had we bought them new. When we needed a vaporizer we checked the thrift store first and lo and behold we found a brand name brand new in the box vaporizer for $7 vs. what the $30 we would have spent on the same one at a retail store.

We have found $70, gently used, baby swings for only $15, brand new store expensive shiatsu electric chair pad for only $10.

We've even bought very fancy, well made, and popular Halloween costumes for only a couple of dollars.

By far one of my best finds relates to dishware.

I love Villeroy and Boch dishes, cups, platters, anything at all. I don't love the price tag though, so my collection is quite small.

I almost fell over when I happened to find, hidden on a bottom shelf, a small box that I recognized as the Villeroy and Boch packaging.

I held my breath, opened the box, and found the loveliest sugar bowl from their more vintage collection. It was as if it had never been opened; it had all the packaging , tissue, and certificate of authenticity. It was even gold trimmed.

So that Villeroy and Boch sugar bowl sitting in my curio cabinet is a very expensive piece but it's my little secret that I only paid ...get ready for this...$2.50!

So all and all, check out your local thrift stores, not only will you find great deals and finds, but you'll most likely be helping out your community since most thrift stores are associated with outreach companies.

So go! Happy Hunting!

HOME to Cheap Living