If you get used to spending 75 cents and $1 on clothing, a $15 thrift store purchase seems like a million dollars.
I found this coat recently and I can’t believe how long I hesitated before I bought it. Part of it has to do with my squirrel-like decision making skills, but another part of me knew I wasn’t really in the market for a new coat. But I fell in love with the functionality of the hood, the warmth of the wool, and the vibrant red color. So as I stood in the mirror checking every angle of myself in the coat, I told myself a) stop being cheap b) this is a warm, wool winter coat c) it’s easily $60 at a department store d) it’s vintage and e) stop being cheap.
I bought it and I love it and have no regrets. All joking aside though, I’ve found it’s really important to be mindful of your thrift store purchases because they add up. I realize that $15 for a coat is an incredible deal and if I found a coat at a regular retail store for that price I’d be thrilled. But $15 here $10 there for things you don’t really need add up to wasted space and money. Especially if you visit the thrift store as much as I do.
Think about, what if I spent $15 on something I’m going to wear once every time I went to the thrift store? I’d have hundreds of $15 items that have no shelf life.
In this case, I needed to snap myself out of it because it really was a great purchase, but I put clothes back that cost 75 cents all the time if I don’t have any use for them. My friends tease me when they thrift shop with me when I hem and haw over an inexpensive purchase, but after moving several times I learned to appreciate minimalism and only buying things you consume and need, even if it is three quarters that you found in between your car cushions.
A few questions I ask myself when I’m “splurging” at the thrift store: Will I wear it at least three different ways or several different times? How functional and useful is this item? Is the retail price at least double or triple what I’m paying? Does it have an etsy or eBay resell value, or can it be of any use to a close friend or family member in case I take it home and hate it?
So that’s the story of the red coat. Good thing the Little Red Riding Hood donated her coat to the thrift store. Her trash, my $15 treasure!
