Thrift to Save on Back-to-School Costs

Most schools across the country will be starting the school year in just a few weeks — and you can tell, since the back-to-school promotions have begun in earnest at the chain stores. But if you really want to save money, you don’t have to buy everything brand-new at a Target, Walmart or Gap. Back-to-school time is one time of year when it pays to shop at the local thrift store.

If you have young children headed back to school, chances are good that they have grown out of the clothes they were wearing last fall. Good news! Thrift stores are full of lightly used clothing and school uniforms that either fit someone’s kid until recently or didn’t get worn much at all. A lot of it is desirable, big-label stuff, points out The Well-Kept Wallet, that’s getting sold at a fraction of its original price.

If you live in a northern climate, you can get the jump on winter shopping, too. When people donate used or disused clothing to charities such as ClothingDonations.org, they often eliminate items such as sweaters and winter coats from their closets in the season they need them least — and that means you can score great deals well ahead of the onset of winter weather — and long before the selection gets picked-over.

One parent writing in The Penny Hoarder reports that she was able to outfit her two daughters, both in elementary school, for less than $40 by visiting thrift stores and rummage sales strategically. The children helped her shop on most trips, she says, and likely learned to appreciate a great value at the same time.

If the kids are headed off to college, a thrift store can be an even greater resource. There, you can find items such as desks, bookshelves, coffee tables, lamps and small appliances at bargain prices, as well as the bed linens, dishes and other household goods every college student will need for the first time when moving into a dorm or residence. The thrift can also be a great source for office supplies and backpacks.

Buying at a thrift store supplied by donations to ClothingDonations.org has the added benefit of saving you money while helping fund programs for veterans. And remember, you can contact ClothingDonations.org at any time to schedule a pickup of the clothing and other items your own kids have grown out of or just don’t use anymore. Somebody will be able to use that stuff, but to you, it’s just clutter.

Including clothing, electronics, shoes and school supplies, families will spend an average of $688 on each child during the back-to-school season, according to an annual survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF), and $970 on every college student. But you can keep those costs down — way down — with a trip to the thrift store!

Patriotic Craft Ideas for the Fourth

You may not have time to go all-out with Independence Day happening midweek this year, but you can still bring a few crafty touches to your home to make it more patriotic — and the local secondhand store will be a valuable source of materials. You can thrift a few mason jars to create Fourth of July lanterns, paint a patriotic shutter or create a clothespin wreath to celebrate the red, white and blue, Country Living suggests. More patriotic still, buying your craft materials at thrift stores supplied by donations to ClothingDonations.org helps fund programs benefiting the nation’s veterans.

Stock Up for Summer at the Thrift

Are you short on shorts? Lacking in linens? Generally unprepared to handle the summer heat? Check your local thrift store for lightly used garments that can help you keep your cool when the temperatures (and humidity) climb into uncomfortable territory. With a little browsing, you can stock your summer wardrobe at the fraction of the cost of retail, and since many thrifts are supplied by donations to ClothingDonations.org, shopping at them helps fund a wide range of veterans’ programs. And if you have summery items that you just don’t fit your current style, you can contact ClothingDonations.org for a pickup, too!

Cut Costs by Growing Your Own Vegetables

Growing vegetables is a great way to save money on groceries, says Better Homes & Gardens. A single tomato plant can yield 10 pounds of fruit in a season, for example, saving $40 on store-bought varieties that just can’t deliver the same flavor. You don’t even need a lot of space to start; by tucking raised beds, pots and other containers into the corners of a deck or balcony, even apartment-dwellers can enjoy nature’s bounty. Check the thrift store for spare pots, window boxes and other containers you can upcyle to create a garden; many are supplied by generous donations to ClothingDonations.org.

Shop the Thrift for Mother’s Day

Sunday, May 13 is Mother’s Day, and if you’re on a budget, you’re probably looking for a good way give Mom a nice gift without looking cheap. Start at the thrift store; there are often plenty of lightly used treasures there that are ready to wrap and give. The thrift can also offer items that form the foundation of a craft project that repurposes used goods in a glamorous new way. Better still, many of the items sold at your local thrift store come from donations to ClothingDonations.org, so that DIY project will not only provide Mom with a heartfelt appreciation, it will also help fund crucial veterans’ programs throughout the country.