More Than One Way to Thrift

Thrifting on a Budget

Over the past five years or so, buying clothes from thrift shops has become a fad. Thrifted clothing is almost it's own selective style now. And while this is a great thing for the environment and for saving some money, it is not as budget friendly as it used to be.

Some thrift stores try to overprice a lot of their clothing and products. These stores are able to do this because thrifting and being environmentally friendly is now "trendy." But besides second hand stores and thrift shops that sell vintage clothing, there are so many ways you can recycle clothing and grow your wardrobe while being environmentally friendly and still staying within your budget!

Thrifting Parties

One of my favorite ways to recycle clothes is throwing a party! Trust me on this one. I used to do parties like this all the time with my friends and they were always a big success. Host the party at someone's house where there is lots of room for lots of people and lots of clothes. Invite as many friends as you can, and tell them to invite their friends!  Then ask that they clean out their closets. Have them bring all the clothes they don't wear anymore, don't fit right, or that they want to get rid of.
Then, at the party everyone lays out their clothes and trades what they brought for things other people have brought. I can't even begin to tell you how many good articles of clothing I have gotten from doing this. Some of my absolute favorite pieces were second hand from one of my friends.

Not only do you get to spend time with lots of friends and have fun, you get new clothes without spending a single penny! One of my friends that hosted parties liked this always liked to call them the Naked Ladies Parties because everyone would just share clothes and try them all on in the living room! After the party is over, if there is any leftover clothing, you can donate it to your local GoodWill or Salvation Army.

Don't Rule Out The Stores...

Chain second hand stores should not be ruled out as promising ways to buy thrifted clothing. These tend to be pretty cheap especially if you can find outlet stores like the GoodWill Outlet. While it definitely takes more time and more rummaging through junk to find good things at these stores, the prices can't be beat (I'm talking as much as you can fit in a bag for about $2 which is definitely within my budget) and sometimes you can really find some gems.

While the locally owned thrift stores are assuredly more spendy, I encourage you to support smaller business if you are able.  You are always sure to find a nice piece of clothing at these kinds of thrift stores. Overall, just get creative with the way you find and buy your clothes! There are so many things you can do to find clothes that are new to you while staying within your budget. Always remember... one man's trash is another man's treasure!