Before I begin, let me pat my own back for successfully resisting the headline “Phrugal Phoenix Phashion.” You’re welcome.
The thrift stores down here are much better than the ones in Anchorage. No surprises there, since more than a million people live in the Phoenix metro area. This means a lot of donations.
Specifically, a lot of donations of warm-weather clothing, the kind that doesn’t exactly crowd the racks in Anchorage thrift stores.
Since I’m due to attend (and speak at) the in Orlando, one of my goals was to find a couple of new shirts and maybe a pair of pants. My daughter and I spent some pleasant times treasure-seeking in Savers (called Value Village in Anchorage) and Goodwill.
I scored four shirts and a pair of cotton-linen slacks for less than $22. Abby found a bunch of tops for even less – and in the process triggered her thrift-store FOMO. That’s one of the down sides of thrifting. Fortunately my trying-on tolerance is fairly low, so I tended to find a couple of things and then just wait with the cart while she test-drove shirt after shirt.
The best part about Savers: the 50-percent-off sale that takes place every Monday. This allowed me to get good prices on clothes and also a hat to keep the punishing summer sun off the top of my head.
The second-best part: If we’d happened to miss a Monday, there was always the option of Senior Tuesday: 30 percent off for anyone over age 55. #heythatsme
The third-best part: Savers participates in something called “Swagbucks Local,” a way to earn points from the Swagbucks rewards program. It was a nice surprise to receive 80 SB to add to my ongoing tally. Those free gift cards aren’t going to redeem themselves.
(If you aren’t a Swagbucks member, consider using my referral link to join and then to check out Swagbucks Local. If you’re already a member, be sure to see which local businesses participate in Swagbucks Local in your area.)
Frugal fashion – if I must
Normally I’m not much for shopping. As I’ve noted before, I’m built for comfort, not for speed. I can – and do! – go a year or more without buying anything because it all seems like too much work. Instead, I manage just fine with my current “good” clothes for the symphony or some other fancy evening out, and mostly wear sweatpants around the house.
When my jeans wear out I’ll get another new-to-me pair from Value Village. My “good” black pants, purchased in 2004 for a divorce court hearing, are starting to look a little frayed around the cuffs. Fortunately I have another pair of black pants, which came along with the shirt I wore to my daughter’s wedding; I anticipate these slacks will see me through at least another few years of dressy occasions.
Understand: I’m not against dressing up, or even against buying clothes. After all, I waited with the cart while Abby tried on a couple of dozen items. It makes her happy to have nice-looking things (and happier still to get them at bargain-basement prices). It’s more about personal preference. If I never had to dress up again, I’d be happy. I no longer own any dresses, or even any skirts.
But that’s me. Other people can do what they want – and thrift stores make it easier to find not just unique items, but to be able to get more for the same money you would have spent elsewhere.
Thinking outside the thrift store
One thing I couldn’t find at the secondhand shops was a pair of light slacks for FinCon. The cotton-linen ones mentioned above are more like capri pants, and I prefer a cover-the-ankle style.
Abby suggested we hit Old Navy, where she’d bought a pair of super-comfortable (but nice-looking) linen slacks a while back. My first thought was, “Isn’t Old Navy for teenagers?” My second: “I bet I won’t get out of there without spending $40.”
But lo, a miracle occurred. I found a pair of linen pants with pockets (so rare among so many designers!) and a drawstring waist (no buttons to lose!). They draped nicely and the color – not white, not cream, not tan – meshed nicely with all the shirts I’d previously bought.
Best of all: They were on the clearance rack for $9.99.
After turning this way and that in front of the mirror, and bending, and sitting, I came out and told Abby, “I’m buying two pairs.”
“I was about to suggest that,” she said.
So I got out for a little over $20, rather than $40, and if I spill something on the slacks at the conference’s opening night meet-and-greet, I’ve got an emergency backup pair in the hotel room. While I’d hoped to get an even better deal than $9.99, it helped me to keep in mind that some of the pants at Savers cost close to that price, or slightly more. Sometimes it pays to think outside the thrift shop.
Readers: Do you shop at local thrift stores? Why or why not?
Yes! I have a Savers nearby and it is great, especially when buying clothes for my five year old who can only fit in clothes for about six months or so before he has another growth spurt.
Agreed. Why spend a ton on stuff that will be run into the ground as kids play?
Donna….thank you for that first paragraph. Lol……
Nope. No matter how nice and how clean the store is, they smelling dirty laundry. And I need tall/long pants which are rarely found there. Also,I just don’t have the patience to wade through it all. I’d rather walk in, find it and get out. I have better ways to spend my time.
They don’t all smell like dirty laundry. At least the ones I go to don’t.
Many of the stores they are located in are old. This is how they maximize profits. I think that is the source of a slightly musty smell. It does not bother me at all.
Doesn’t bother me, either. Washing the item has always taken care of things.
Linda G., I, too, have long legs and have the tendency to just bend over and look for the pants that hang low! I have scored several Lands End and other pants at The Goodwill that way. Unfortunately, I have gained quite a bit of weight and locally there are not of Queen Sized offerings. Maybe I can offer some more in the futurel We just moved and I donated a ton to Salvation Army – where they will remain locally (unlike Goodwill donations).
I like to go to thrift stores occasionally. Like your daughter I really have to fight my fear of missing out and limit these trips. I’m a bit plump so I decided to shop online with plus sized retailers who allow free exchanges. Since I moved somewhere colder I spent a bit of money this year replacing my southern California wardrobe. I can safely say I have enough clothes to wear in all seasons. Since I shop mostly clearance and outlet, it wasn’t that expensive. I like trying on clothes at home and sending them back if they are not perfect.
More and more, that’s becoming a thing: Try them on at home and send it back if you don’t love it.
I love thrift store fashion, and I’ve found some real gems over the years. I’m only really looking for a few specific items right now–a pair of just-right jeans, a pink tank top, and a white blouse–but I’m not averse to browsing whenever I can find someone to take me.
MrH and I did hit the Hem of His Garment, a huge nearby thrift store, a couple weekends ago. We didn’t find anything for me, but he scored a nice long-sleeved shirt to wear to the office this winter. We also snagged a cotton sheet, which will go either on the bed or into the fabric stash potentially to be used for clothing. MrH sews, and I hope to relearn. As my taste in clothes becomes more eclectic, the idea of making my own appeals more and more. (Have you ever noticed that it’s easy to find top sheets secondhand, but almost impossible to find bottom sheets? I suspect they get more wear and then people just give away the top sheet and buy a new set.)
My bottom sheets ALWAYS rip way earlier than top sheets. I use the ripped bottom sheet to cover my box springs, and the top sheets for furniture covers, sleeping bag liners, plant covers or tarps.
For those looking for higher end gently used clothing in Phoenix, there are several “My Sisters Closet” stores. Their stock is mostly the fancier brands, and although pricing is higher, the quality tends to be better. I got a designer outfit (dress and shoes) for an event for about $40. If you’re a Chico’s fan like my mom, they have a whole rack.
Thanks for that info. I’ll ask my daughter if she’s ever shopped there.
LOVE your writing Donna! I’ve followed you for many years and I seldom comment, but wanted to do so on this piece. Virtually all my clothes come from thrift stores (the exceptions: underwear and shoes). Two pair of black slacks paired with one of four nice tops do for occasions requiring something “dressy”. All were bought at thrift stores, are better quality than I would have found at any but high-end retailers, and probably cost about $40 for all six pieces. I’m retired, so my day-to-day wardrobe consists of jeans, paired with tees in the summer and with long-sleeved shirts or sweaters in the winter. Nothing fancy, but I look decent. There are many important things to spend money on. For me, clothes aren’t one of them. As you say, save where you can so you can spend where you want.
Thanks for de-lurking, Deborah! And thanks for your kind words. I agree that for some people looking “decent” is just fine. Others, like my daughter, enjoy having lots of choices. Thrift (and consignment) stores let you make fashion a part of your life without breaking the bank.
I LOVE our local thrift stores! For many years now the only clothes I buy new are shoes and underwear; I work in a warehouse and jeans & tops are my entire work wardrobe.
I LOVE thrifting!! Like you, I have a minimalist “dressy wardrobe” – a few pair of capri’s and dressy tops are good for my edition of “dressing up” (I’m nost comfy in shorts and flip flops!) – and one standard black dress for weddings. Yes, I wear the SAME black dress to every wedding/fancy event – I refuse to buy anything new for such occasions. My “dressy” pants/tops double as my work wardrobe also! I have a very minimal (thrifted) work wardrobe, and when something wears out, I replace with a thrifted item and move on. Luckily – living in Florida, I don’t need a lot of clothes due to weather – my change of wardrobe for the season is “short sleeve to long sleeve” and vice versa 🙂
Hope that your little black dress is as indestructible as Kinsey Millhone’s and that you two have many more dressy years together… 😉
I’m a big fan of thrifting – not so much for clothing, as the local stores have stopped separating out their plus-sized offerings – and I don’t have the patience to wade through every single item on the rack to see if there MIGHT be something in my size 🙂
But I have filled my linen closet with thrift store sheets and pillow cases. I use a queen sized fitted sheet and a king size flat sheet – and you can’t buy sets like that. Over the years I’ve found basically unused flat sheets and really good quality fitted sheets in high thread counts that feel amazing!
I’ve also found all kinds of mugs and plates and household goods and decor that are really cute and it’s like a treasure hunt!
Today I found a red/orange stained-glass type of candle holder that will be perfect at work to hold my pens – for $1.99!
Lots of time I don’t find anything, but especially if I don’t need something urgently, I make a mental note to keep an eye out for it while browsing the shelves and I can usually find what I need fairly quickly.
I shop for clothing, shoes, household items, sheets, and the old Maxwell House and Tang jars that I have been collecting for years. I really only need the lids for the jars. What is FOMO?
It means “fear of missing out.” Leads some people to buy more than they need or to keep looking, looking, looking for the perfect whatever-it-is that they’re certain will fix their lives.
I love thriftstores! I get clothes, and other household items. I have a theory that when people find really good pants they mostly just wear them out and don’t donate them, because I have a hard time finding pants and jeans at thriftstores.
I work in chemistry labs where I routinely dissolve my clothing. So, I tend to make one big thrift store run close to the start of the fall semester and wear those items through the academic year. Then, I don’t have any guilt when I pull them out of the washer and they are swiss cheese with holes…
Just a thought for your Orlando trip: an umbrella does double duty as a sun parasol if you bypass the clear plastic ones.Get something sturdy, our rains can be wild.
Thanks! I expect the rains can be really wild at this time of year. #meanseason
Hi Donna,
I love our local Goodwill. I threw a tea party in May and got several beautiful antique serving dishes for a steal. They were so pretty,and one came in its original box.I also buy sheets and curtains and use them as cheap fabric. I have three drapery fabric aprons which are thick enough so I don’t end up having to change my top after washing dishes.
My son likes Good Will. We go through the store and he picks out everything he likes, than I stand guard by the dressing room while he tries everything on, LOL.
Personally I’m addicted to clearance racks.
Right now I have more than enough clothes so I need to stay out of the stores.