I first discovered thrifting when I was about 15 years old. We had a small church based thrift shop near our house and I was always asking my mom to go. It felt like such a treasure hunt to me. I loved looking through all the old things and spotting something special that stood out to me. It mixed my love for fashion with collecting little treasures. Born was a lifelong thrifter! Since then I have expanded to antiquing, garage sales, estate sales, and vintage shops. Shopping secondhand is probably one of my favorite things to do. But, thrifting for unique finds and vintage clothes is my absolute favorite thing about thrifting. There are lots of things I love about thrifting but these are my top three; sustainability, one of a kind finds, and it saves me money! 

Let me share with you why these are my favorite things about thrifting!

Sustainability is something that has become more important to me as I have gotten older. Wanting to shop in a way that is ethical and better for the environment is a big priority for me when possible. According to Boston University, people in the United States throw away 34 billion pounds of used textiles every year. On top of that brands like Shein produce between 2,000 and 10,000 new styles a year! The beloved H&M produces close to 3 billion new styles every year. It’s no wonder so much is in the landfills! Shopping secondhand helps to keep clothes out of the landfills where it takes them 200 plus years to decompose. So shop secondhand when you can, mend those clothes, or get creative with recycling them!

Dreamy clothes I found while thrifting.

Finding treasures while thrifting is such an exhilarating feeling.

I love searching through shelves and racks only to find a stunning vintage piece or an uncommon home decor item. It is such fun and is really the best way to ensure your wardrobe or home is going to look one of a kind. You can also find rare pieces that with a bit of research could turn out to be worth some money! Which you can either resell for some extra cash or enjoy knowing you have acquired a quality piece. House Beautiful sums it up perfectly, “Beyond the serendipity factor, the real skill of thrifting—the one that’s probably responsible for the dopamine hit—is being able to spot the proverbial diamonds in the rough. You know those items that others are overlooking, but that you suspect are worth lots of money or could make a big design impact in your home.” I could not have said it better myself, finding those random treasures is one of my favorite things about thrifting!

Thrifting is thrifty!

Shopping secondhand is such a great way to save money on so many things. Your wardrobe, decorating your home, kitchen accessories, storage, books, and gifts. There is just so much to find. More than enough for everyone! It also can save money on those quality and expensive pieces that would otherwise be out of reach. I am human and have a serious budget to keep so I definitely have to consider all my purchases and where I want to put my money. No to mention what is best for my family’s current circumstances. Sometimes that means shopping secondhand for something that maybe wasn’t ethically produced but would otherwise be thrown away. There are definitely things I’d prefer to buy new or brands that I personally would never buy even if it were secondhand. Saving money is another great thing I love about thrifting.

These are just a few things I love about thrifting and think are really valuable. I hope this blog post was informative and inspired you to go to your local thrift store! Let us know if you do and share a thrift haul!