The Truth about Thrift Stores
by Rachel Muller
Could a thrift store be dangerous to your financial health?
When it comes to flea markets, thrift stores, and garage
sales, are you a shrewd shopper or a junk collector? The
answer may impact more than your finances, as I realized when
I examined my own behavior in this area.
Don't get me wrong; I'm a big fan of secondhand purchases.
Enter any room in my house, and most of what you'll find was
pre-owned. I dress well, but I pay only a fraction of what my
mall-shopping friends pay for their wardrobes. My home is both
comfortably and attractively furnished, and I didn't have to
go into debt to do it. Besides saving a significant amount of
money, I have the satisfaction of knowing that I benefit the
environment when I re-use perfectly good items and help keep
other people's cast-offs out of the landfill. When I shop at
thrift stores in my area, I'm also supporting worthwhile
charities.
This sounds like a win-win-win proposition, but there is a
potential downside. Garage sales and thrift stores can be as
addictive as malls. I'm more likely to get into financial
trouble if I'm buying new items recreationally, but even
thrift store purchases can add up. If I'm really going to wear
the three skirts and four blouses I picked up for a song, then
I can be proud of my bargain hunting abilities. If I'm going
to use the cast-iron apple peeler, or the battered mandolin is
going to add to the decor in my living room, then I have every
reason to be pleased with my purchases. But if the clothes are
just going to take up space in an already-crowded closet, and
the apple peeler is going to gather dust in a cupboard, then
not only have I wasted money on things I didn't need, but I've
also cluttered up my home. Whole books have been written on
how clutter costs time, money, and peace of mind.
I've recently taken stock of my secondhand purchasing
patterns. More than half of what I bring home can genuinely be
classified as useful. However, many of my "bargains" duplicate
things I already have, and some of them are downright useless.
In an attempt to become a wiser secondhand shopper, I've come
up with the following strategies:
1. Inventory what you own. If you have a weakness for kitchen
gadgets, then inventory what you already have, and what you
actually use, in your kitchen. If, like me, your weakness is
clothes, then check what you have in your closet. I tend to be
drawn to the same things over and over again, like black t-
shirts and denim skirts. Counting how many I already had was
an eye opener and will prevent me from making further
duplicate purchases.
2. Make a list of what you want or need. Keep track of the
items in your home that need to be replaced so that you
remember to check for them each time you're at a garage sale
or in a secondhand store. With your inventory in mind, keep
track of your children's present and future clothing needs.
Plan for upcoming events, such as occasions that call for
dressing up, holidays and celebrations that require
decorations or gifts.
3. Set spending limits. Plan how much you're willing to spend
on your "shopping spree" before you set out for the flea
market or enter a thrift store. Take cash with you instead of
a debit or credit card. If you find something you absolutely
must have that exceeds your spending limit, you can always ask
to make a deposit on it while you run to the bank machine.
Instead of seeing this as an inconvenience, see it as a gift
of additional "reflection" time.
4. Recognize your own second-hand shopping patterns. I am much
more likely to buy things I don't need at the cheapest thrift
store in my area than anywhere else. If an item is only a
dollar or two, I'll buy it without thinking. On the other
hand, I give a lot of thought to the items I buy at more
expensive consignment shops. Cheaper items aren't a bargain if
I don't use or wear them. I'm learning to be a more conscious
shopper wherever I am.
5. Eliminate clutter at its source. Check over your purchases
as soon as you bring them home, and you may see them in a
different light. Return unwanted items for a refund if you
can, donate them for a tax credit, sell them, or pass them on.
Just don't let them take up valuable space in your home!
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