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Along with frequent trips to our local library as a child, one of my other fondest memories is of roaming through thrift stores. I know there were times when my parents were on a tight budget especially with only one parent working outside the home and three kids to take care of. During those times my mom would take my sisters and I to our local Salvation Army where we she would buy discounted items for us to enjoy. I clearly remember the day she purchased us a Little Mermaid board game and an older edition of Sorry! I remember how much I enjoyed playing those games and I’m thankful that my mom raised me to appreciate the value of a good bargain.
To this day, I still really enjoy thrift shopping. The thrill of the hunt gets me every time. I hope to instill the same appreciation for bargain shopping in my daughters and I think I’m off to a good start considering my three year old, Adalyne, loves Goodwill. I received some money for Christmas and had been needing a new pair of postpartum jeans. I first visited Goodwill for what I call “transition clothes” when I was two months postpartum. I had my kids with me and nothing fit right. I don’t recommend doing that. I recently started losing weight again and my transition jeans were way too baggy. I really wanted to find a nice pair of jeans that was good quality but not ridiculously expensive.
Last year, I started reading The Wardrobe Fast by MK Jorgensen whom I really enjoy following on Instagram. Her book shed light on how the clothes industry generally isn’t one that loves and serves people, especially the people who make clothes. I want to finish her book and learn more but I figured maybe I could start small by looking for ways to add to my wardrobe in a manner that wouldn’t be detrimental to the well being of others. I’m aware of certain companies that use good practices in how their clothes are made yet those clothes tend to be on the more expensive side. I decided that the most practical way for me to begin buying clothes that won’t be harmful to those who make them is by thrift shopping. Yesterday, I was excited to head to our local Goodwill. Since we’re new to the area, it was fun to visit a location we hadn’t been to before. My kids did mostly well for the duration of the visit and trying jeans on this time around wasn’t as traumatizing. I’m thankful to have walked away with some great finds I’m excited to share with you. Here are the items I purchased in todays thrift haul:
Gap 1969 True Skinny Jeans – $7.99
Although a couple other pairs of jeans fit, these ones fit beautifully. I love that they are soft and stretchy so they cover my postpartum mum tum. I’ve only shopped at Gap a few times and it was usually the outlet version of the store so I really didn’t know what Gap jeans retail for. When I performed a quick internet search and learned that these jeans are typically $69.95, I really felt like I hit the jean jackpot.
Spritz Wood Tray – $1.99
This tray stood out to me as we browsed the kitchen aisle because I like the colors and it seemed pretty sturdy. Our house is on the smaller side so we don’t have a coffee table in our living room. I’ve been using a plastic tray from Ikea to keep on our couch as a landing place for my morning coffee but the tray is uneven and we’ve had a few close calls with my coffee almost spilling. When I saw that this one was only $1.99, I had to get it. The sticker on the bottom of the tray shows that it was released by Target last year. They still carry it in stock and it retails for $10.
American Rag Overalls – $7.99
I’m really not sure if the overall trend is one I should be participating in but at this price, they were too fun to pass up! I’ve avoided the denim overall trend for the longest time because I’ve had terrifying flashbacks to when I owned some embroidered with Winnie the Pooh and Tigger back in the 90s. I figured if Jonanna Gaines can rock them, maybe there’s hope for me too! When I saw these overalls on the rack, I grabbed them because I saw the brand was American Rag. Although I’m not super familiar with the brand, I was pretty sure it is a designer label. When I got home, I tried to find the same overalls online to get an estimate of what they retail for. My search only yielded a Mercari listing with the same overalls being sold for $33. The listing description states that they retail for over $250! I briefly browsed the American Rag website to get an idea of what their prices look like and the range for jeans was between $188 and $265! These overalls were definitely a steal and I can’t wait to figure out how to wear them fashionably.
Washington D.C. Snow Globe – $1.99
How the heck did the snow globe make the list? Well, Adalyne is currently obsessed with them. The first time we went to Goodwill as a family, she found a Mickey Mouse snow globe and we told her she could get it. Unfortunately, she broke the snow globe before we even left the store. She ended up receiving a lovely snow globe for Christmas from her cousin but, sadly, that one also broke just seconds after her holding it and she was devastated. I tried to help her understand that we were going to the store where she found the Mickey snow globe so she was really excited. It was really cute when she told me she wanted to go to the snow globe Store. Once we were in the store I told her that if she was good while I shopped and tried on clothes, we could look for a snow globe on the way out. We ended up finding this Washington DC one which is fun because she’s really into geography and it reminds me of the brief trip I took to the East Coast. I decided to look up what this retails for just out of curiosity and was a little shocked to find it on Amazon for $20! So far our snow globe is still in tact and I’m hoping it stays that way.
Dollhouse Bookshelf – $9.99
For a while I’ve had a kids bookshelf in my cart on Walmart.com. My husband and I have been a bit overwhelmed with how to store our kids’ toys because it seems like they have so many. We recently donated a few to Goodwill but they still have quite a few so we’ve been trying to figure out how to manage the mess. I spotted a dollhouse bookshelf very similar to the one pictured and decided to check it out. At only $9.99, I knew I was bringing it home. The one we ended up with has a white roof with scallop details on the sides of the roof and the plastic windows and doorframes are all pink. I would love to paint them matte black to give the shelf some contrast but I’m not sure Adalyne would oblige. I tried to find the exact dollhouse online and while I wasn’t able to, I was surprised to see the that the one pictured normally runs for $99.99 on Amazon and $151.99 on Wayfair! One of my favorite things about the shelf, other than the price, is that Adalyne likes it so much that she started cleaning up toys and organizing them on the shelf without being asked. Definitely a mom win!
Overall, our trip to Goodwill was surprisingly successful and I can’t wait to go back!
What are your favorite thrift finds?
