You may or may not know that thrift shopping has many benefits for yourself, your community, and the environment. An obvious advantage of thrift shopping is sometimes you can find really great items for a low price. I always loved the idea that many items in a thrift shop are items that someone once saw in a store, bought, enjoyed, and passed on for someone else to enjoy. Why should I go to some big chain store and try to find a suitable item when I could go to a thrift shop full of items that someone already claimed has style?
Thrift shopping not only saves you money but is also beneficial for the environment. Passing clothes and items to others will save resources that would be used to make more of those items. For example, by buying a second-hand desk, not only did I save a tree but the factory that makes desks is putting out a little less pollution because I decided to buy a desk that had already been made. My desk purchase also stopped it from being thrown into a landfill which we all know is overflowing enough as it is.
Thrift shopping can also help your community. Many thrift shops have benefits like the Salvation Army who gives money to rehabilitation programs. My favorite thrift store is Goodwill, a nonprofit store that hires adults with disabilities and offers many locals jobs. Anyone can work there and receive experience and training that will benefit them in future careers. They also have community-based group homes to help those with chronic mental illnesses and Goodwill also provides income tax assistance to low-income individuals.
Thrift shopping is also just extremely fun. You can find items from stores that are not even open anymore and other vintage finds. You can switch out your entire wardrobe! At the beginning of the semester, I decided I wanted to completely change my style. I left Goodwill with a shopping cart full of clothes for only around 100 dollars. Whenever I decide to change my style again, I can donate those clothes back to Goodwill and buy new ones! I’m saving tons of money by not going to chain stores where a t-shirt is thirty dollars.
Help yourself, your community, and your environment by shopping, donating, and supporting your local thrift stores!