Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Sign Of The Times - Shopping Resale

This post is not about sharks. It's about the clothes I'm wearing while acting silly at Universal Studios.

One of my favorite pastimes is teasure hunting in thrift stores. This is something I've always loved to do, not just when the economy is declining. I love it when a search through racks of clothing produces an expensive designer blouse in perfect shape. I find satisfaction in paying five dollars for it instead of the fifty plus required at the mall.

There are compelling reasons to shop resale. The average family is hurting and must find ways to conserve. It's the perfect time to recycle, reuse, and repurpose. Did you know that every year the average American throw away 68 pounds of clothing. Then we go to discount retailers and buy another 68 pounds of new, cheaply made stuff. Silly behavior on our part - hurtful to the environment and to our pocketbooks.

This brings me back to almost being eaten by Jaws... the outfit I'm wearing in the photo was 100% used, purchased at my favorite local thrift store, Savers.

I love shopping at Savers because unlike some stores of this type it's clean, the items are in excellent shape, they do not over charge, and best of all they donate a portion of my purchase price to nearby charities.

The Savers in Las Vegas, NV where I shop donates to Safe Nest which provides emergency shelter, counseling, advocacy, crisis hotlines, and other services for domestic violence victims.
Since the chain stores inception in the 1950's, Savers Inc. has paid out over a billion dollars to its non-profit allies. And on the environmental front, last year Savers reclaimed 262 million pounds of clothing, saving them from going to the landfill. It seems like a win/win situation to me.

Here's that win/win cycle in a nutshell:

I bring my clothing and used items to Savers and get a receipt to be used as a tax deduction, plus the store throws in a 20% off coupon on my next in store purchase.

They put the best items on the rack. I go back and shop there with my coupon, getting great deals and beautiful, gently used clothing at a reasonable price.

They donate a portion to a charity that benefits families in need and help conserve resources by rescuing perfectly good clothing and other household items from the landfill. I can't think of a more perfect way to shop! Try it and share your experiences with me, here on LifePrints.

Here is a list of Savers store locations around the world.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kevin and I LOVE shopping in second-hand stores. When you live in a big city, there are lots of them scattered around. We shop at Value Village quite a bit but our favorite is Good Will. I love getting a pair of jeans for $7. Kevin buys his work clothes there too. But our favorite items to buy are books. Living in Canada, the cost of books is outrageous. I can get children's paperbacks for $0.99 and hardbacks for $1.99. I also buy my novels there for $2.49 each. I love thrift stores!

Lisa McGlaun said...

Lynn,

Thanks so much for the comment! Did you know that Value Village is the Canadian arm of Savers? My local Goodwill isn't that great..kind of unorganized and I like the way that Savers seems to be pickier about the clothes they put out.

Todd and I love to buy used books too. I get them from my library bookstore for 50 cents or a dollar at the most. We have way too many books!

So good to hear from you!

Peace,
Lisa

Quill and Greyson said...

I like thrift stores too, but mostly for non-clothes things like books. I go to the library too.

I usually donate straight to Safe Nest - they are a great charity.

Meg

Vegas Linda Lou said...

I went into Savers looking for a Halloween costume and came out with a skirt, which I wore to work the next day. You really can find some decent things in there. I think the skirt cost $3.00!

Lisa McGlaun said...

Meg and Fin,

I've bought great items besides clothing. I found a student desk in perfect condition for my son and bought it for $30. It was an IKEA piece that would have cost close to $200 out of their catalog. I was very happy about that one!

Thank for the comment,
Lisa

Lisa McGlaun said...

Linda,

That's why I love to go. I buy jeans for less than $10 buck and they are brand name jeans that would cost $50 or more retail. I love that!

Talk to you soon!
Lisa

Michael J. Kannengieser said...

Hi Lisa,
That's a great idea about shopping at a place like Savers. Myself, I am a garage sale hound. Here in NY I am anxiously awaiting the beginning of "garage sale season." Last year, I scored a new leather jacket and two fleece jackets, all almost new, for a whopping $20 for all three items.

Everyone thinks I bought them new, and who am I to tell them the truth? Being thrifty does not mean being cheap. I'd rather save the money I'd spend on fancy clothes in my children's college fund than to buy new leather jackets and fleece (I love fleece, by the way).

Very informative article, I enjoyed it. -Mike.

Anonymous said...

We don't have a Savers in GA but I haunt the local thrift store which supports a local "safe house" for battered and abused women. I find some great thing there.

Mom Mc

Lisa McGlaun said...

Mike,

So good to hear from you. I'm not a garage sale person..unless I'm driving by one. Then I have to stop! I don't like to haggle over price. That's my hang up.

Peace,
Lisa

Lisa McGlaun said...

Margaret,

Didn't you go to Savers once with me when you were here? I go in spurts. I might shop there several times in a month and then not go back for a long while.

It does feel good to know that I'm supporting a charity.

Love ya,
Lisa

Unknown said...

I love shopping at the second hand stores as well. I try to go Goodwill in Buford (it is organized and clean)and some of the local thrift stores as well. It is always fun to find a deal and it makes it more fun if you take a friend with you!!!

Lisa McGlaun said...

Mowen

Do you live near Buford, GA? That's very close to my home town.

Thanks for your comment. I love to go thrift store shopping with a friend or my step daughter. She always finds the coolest clothes.

Peace,
Lisa