Our women’s group at church kicked off the fall with a Goodwill fashion show and lunch last week. A few of the young women modeled their thrifty and fashionable finds from Goodwill. Since 2/3 of our family’s wardrobe comes from Goodwill and other thrift store, this was a function I felt I must attend. Since Mark was working, the girls came along wearing a couple of their cute dresses from Goodwill.
Our numbers for the event were small, but everyone enjoyed sharing info about their finds . . . As I talked about which Goodwill stores I shop in and mentioned other thrift stores in St Louis that I like to frequent, I realized what a blessing it is to live in a country where the cast offs of some are perfectly usable and worth hunting down. It is great to glean from the waste of others. I can’t pretend that I don’t also send my own cast-offs to Goodwill and other charity shops. I am also blessed to have somewhere to take things we can no longer use that still have some wear in them so they can be passed on to others. It was also good for my girls to see that other women in the church whom they respect shop at second-hand stores. They were able to see that we are not the only family that chooses to buy gently used clothes and household items whenever it is feasible. I hope that as they mature, they will remember this and conclude that buying from second hand stores is not something to be ashamed of, but it is something that makes us better stewards of all that we have been given.
(P.S. Did you know you can shop at Goodwill on-line? I have never tried it, but I like the concept. They also have a merchant site on Amazon for books.)
So true! Why pay full price? This sounds like it was really fun Jennifer. And, it is a good thing for young girls to see :0)
Remember the skirt & top I bought when we did thrift store shopping in August (can’t remember if it was Goodwill or Value Village)? Also, the necklace I got the same morning at your church garage sale? I wore them this Sunday and was complimented on my beautiful outfit — all for less than $5! Your women’s group had a wonderful idea!
Hey Brandy, thanks for stopping by.
Mom, getting compliments on thrift store finds is probably one of the most satisfying things about shopping second hand!
I bought a pair of shoes at Value Village for $5 (and I had a coupon so something else was free with purchase) when Joey was a baby (12 years ago) and I still have them and I have had them resoled twice! I tried replacing them before I had them resoled and I couldn’t find anything better. And they are classic so having them for 12 years is OK. Joe, my Nordstrom hubby, has also discovered he likes to shop at Value Village and has started an obscure t-shirt collection, certainly cooler than having the same shirt as everyone else.
Thanks for coming and sharing your secrets!
I agree that receiving compliments on an outfit for which I only paid $6 is a great feeling! Especially when it comes from one of the young, hip gals at church! Glad your girls got to see that being thrifty is “normal” and nothing to be ashamed of.
Lindy,
That’s a great second-hand store story. It is also fun to hear that Joe’s Nordstrom dna still allows him to shop at thrift stores!