Why this locavore likes thrift stores
I just returned from the Red, White & Blue Thrift Store in Berlin. It was my first trip there, and I was quite impressed with the store. I never used to shop at thrift stores, but since I’m trying to lessen my family’s environmental impact and I’m trying to save money, thrift stores have become a common place for me to shop.
I’ve got a whole list of reasons why I’ve come to appreciate thrift store shopping:
- I can get kitchen gadgets for cooking for amazing prices. Today, I picked up a hand immersion blender with all it’s attachments, still in the box, for $5.95. Now I’ll be able to puree soups right in the pot.
- When I save large amounts of money on everything from kitchen gadgets to clothes (both my boys got jeans today in great condition for under $5 a piece), I can afford to spend more money on local and organic foods.
- When I buy used, I prevent something new from being created and prevent new resources from being used up.
- Buying from thrift stores usually helps support a good cause. The Red, White & Blue Thrift Stores partner with the Vietnam Veterans of America.
- Expensive items that get rarely used can be found inexpensively at thrift stores. I got my son a pair of LL Bean snow pants today for $$4.95. They look like they’ve never been worn. They may have been worn once or twice, but since kids grow out of things so quickly, things like snow pants rarely get the chance to wear out.
I really liked the Red, White & Blue store. Unlike the Goodwill stores where boys and girls clothing is put together on the same racks, RW&B separates them and sorts by color and item. Even the plus size woman’s clothing is separated from the misses sizes – something that many thrift stores don’t do. The place was clean and didn’t have any overwhelming smells. The one big problem, and this actually is a problem, is that there are no fitting rooms and items can’t be returned. I didn’t buy any clothing for myself because I couldn’t try anything on.
