Thrifty Thrift stores?

so it started with Black Friday, then Cyber Monday... this year they threw in small business saturday...

I should have tagged along for my friends' honeymoon to Thailand - Between every radio DJ, commercial, website, news broadcast, Facebook status updates and phone calls from my mother... I was constantly reminded that the world was getting some killer deals. I took my annoyance out on the kitchen floor with a vengeance. A shiny, clean, tiled surface beneath my feet... like that makes up for it...ha

Almost for a good laugh more than anything I headed down to AMVETS (thrift store) at 8:58 Friday morning (Black Friday) just to make myself feel better. Best Buy wasn't the only store with a line of people waiting to get in! Ok so it was just me and the ladies who worked there who had accidentally locked themselves out... but it counts...

For the most part I think thrift stores are a pretty good bargain, but every once in a while, and more recently and more frequently, I've been a little disheartened by the prices. 

Although I don't frequent Target these days, I do recall some smokin' deals I've come across on their clearance clothes racks. Like... a couple of times I've even found some stuff for $3! And it's brand new...

Which always flashes through my head when I come across a little something at a thrift store that has a price tag of $5.99. Really? A little market research would tell you that down at the Closet you can get almost half the store at that price... and did I mention it's new, and in every color, and size!?

The point of my nothing new, was really to try and not shop at all... Use up what I've already got, but of course there are limitations which is why it was something "not new"... plus it really just makes you think twice about buying something at all. 

So I googled the definition of "thrift"

thrift

 noun \ˈthrift\

Definition of THRIFT

1

: healthy and vigorous growth

2

: careful management especially of money

I'll take #1 :) and call this year an "education". Only they'll be no diploma or higher salary opportunities (although saving money could count) and of course no student loans...

And I guess thrift stores who are getting my 6 bucks for a shirt I could buy new at Target for $3 are definitely taking #2 seriously and doing a good job of it. 

The point of all this, is that another lesson has been learned. Some of you probably got much better "deals" this past weekend buying brand new stuff, than I did buying it used. Now that's just not smart as far as I'm concerned. Although because I knew that... I may not have bought as much stuff that will eventually be given away anyway... whatever.

I have a rule in life (prior to this year) that I'm not allowed to buy anything unless I love it. As in, I go home and I can't stop thinking about it, love it.

 Because, how many times have you purchased something and forgotten you even bought it? You find it still in the plastic bag, in your closet or your car a few months later....

That's just retail therapy at it's finest. And as far as I'm concerned, that kind of therapy doesn't come with a degree or a comfy couch to lay on :) 

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and worked all those calories off with some road rage in those ridiculous parking lots... 

:)