Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Works-For-Me Wednesday: Thrift Stores

Here I go talking thrifty again (thrifty slowcooker recipes last week), but I did tell you that thriftiness is the new black!

I just love thrift stores. In fact, I limit how often I go because I would end up spending too much money! Maybe you are already a fan and take advantage of their great deals - good for you! But if you are somebody like I was just a few years ago, you don't really see the need as you find plenty of deals on the Target clearance rack and at the mall sales.

Well, some of my thrift store finds convinced me to change my ways. Things like: name brand clothing with the price tag still on, nicer brands of gently used clothing than I would ever buy brand new, super cheap prices, the thrill of the hunt, unopened Lego sets, beautiful teapots and teacups, cookbooks, an aluminum ladder, and much much more!

Mostly, I buy my son's clothes in thrift stores. If you have boys, you know how fast they wear out pants and jeans - they are brutal! I learned my lesson one day when I put a brand new pair of pants on my son and he fell on the sidewalk that day and tore a huge hole in one knee - bye-bye $20. My son now wears pants from the thrift stores - then I don't mind when he ruins them. And instead of discount store brands (which I still buy occasionally) he gets to wear Izod, Van Heusen, Polo, Gap, etc. I don't have to pay more than $3 for a pair of pants. And the lowest price I paid during a half-off sale was 18 cents for one pair!!

I also find lots of shirts and athletic clothes for my son. He likes to go with me so he can check for Lego and K'nex sets, science kits, board games, and books. If you have girls - you can find some modest clothing, and you can still afford to buy all kinds of things to use for dress-up.

Check out the thrift stores in your area. Good Will stores are always good, though each one is different and seems to have better selections of different categories at some. There are also many local thrift stores - my favorite is called Ecothrift. It's huge and offers half-off on certain items daily. Once you get used to shopping in them, you may find yourself in the middle of one questioning whether or not this shirt is really worth $4 ('cause you have paid as low as $1). It's quite amusing...

I do not have time to run around my house taking pics of all my great thrift store finds, but here are a few examples that were already stored in my computer:
Ralph Lauren Sweater........and........Rose Teapot



Pajamas........and........Bowl, Vase, Cake Stand, Leaf Candles


Teapot, Cups, Crate........and........K'Nex Roller Coaster

Have I tempted you to try out thrift stores? If you are already a thrift store shopper, what are your favorite finds?

Thrift store shopping works for me! Stop by Rocks In My Dryer for more great Works-For-Me-Wednesday tips!


17 comments:

  1. Wow..you have some great stuff! I will have to check my thrift store out!
    Works for me!
    -sandy toes

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  2. Girl I love our thrift store. I buy all my husbands work shirts there. I've gotten tons and tons of stuff. I love them. Thanks for spreading the word.
    Hugs.

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  3. Hi Lisa, I am a fellow thrift store junkie!!! LOVE them! I buy a lot of David's clothes from thrift stores too. He ripped the seat out of a pair of jeans Saturday, the first time he had worn them. But they were only 50 cents, so I didn't fret too much! My kids love going to thrift stores as much as I do too! LOL! You have found some great stuff! ~Rhonda :)

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  4. i love a good thrift store shopping spree! One mans junk is anothers treasure!

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  5. one man's junk IS another's treasure!

    Neat items!

    I thirft too, that way I get to shop more often..tee hee!

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  6. I am a thrift store junky too! I love them. My Mom and Dad taught us the value of a thrift store, so I have always enjoyed shopping at them. I feel the same way about boys clothing!!! :)

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  7. I love thrift stores, too. And my favorite thing is to find clothing with the original tags. What fun it is to see how much it "would have cost" when I got it for such a deal!
    Yep, thrift stores are my first stop, and if we just can't find what we need - then we go to the "new" stores.
    P.S. I love your blog name!!!

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  8. I love thrift stores! There are some great finds. Love the ones that you found! :D

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  9. LOVE LOVE LOVE thrift stores! I never did (or rather, never ventured into one) until I was married and not a spoiled little chica!

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  10. I can not bring myself to go:-(

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  11. I, too, love thrift stores and buy almost all of my clothes there. It's funny, ten years ago, I would never have been caught dead in a thrift store. (Pride is a horrible thing!). But then my husband spent 25 months unemployed (we are a single income homeschooling family). Times were very lean, as he did some odd jobs to bring in a bit of money. I quickly put aside my pride and entered into the thrift stores and was blessed in the process when I found all sorts of great items there. Now that he's working again, I still love thrift stores.

    Blessings on your day,
    Patti

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  12. Lisa,
    My mom has found some of the BEST things for my kids at thrift stores! Too fun.

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  13. I didn't realize that thrift stores carry things other than clothing. I'll have to check them out!

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  14. I am going to start checking thrift stores for props for my pictures. I want certain things and really don't want them new. And I don't want to pay a lot of money either!!! Love your finds.

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  15. I hope we can make a day to go out thrift store shopping again soon! Would be fun! I love saving money $$$$$$$$$$$.

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