Bargain Hunting at the Thrift Stores (Featuring Goodwill & Salvation Army)

Hello friends!


Just a quick post to share my latest "thrift hauls" to be linked on Monday to www.SimpleDesign.net.


Goodwill


I took my younger four kids (ages 6, 9, 11, and almost 13) to Goodwill on Wednesday for two reasons: to find some clothes and to buy a cheap VCR to replace our last yard sale one that broke a long while back. (We do have a DVD player, but not many DVD's.  All of our classic kid stuff is in VHS, and it has been calling their names!) We did, indeed, find a VCR for $10 and the kids promptly put it to use within minutes of walking in the door.  Yeah, they watched three movies... 

These clothes cost a grand total of about $24.
Melody also got a lavender polo shirt which is not pictured.
The most expensive items were the new name brand jeans ($8)
and the black sweater ($6). Everything else was under $2.
All told we got quite a deal  for two pair of jeans,
two pair of cargo shorts, five shirts, and a sweater.

These shorts were on clearance for about 75 cents!
Apparently they had marked down everything with a green tag on it.
If I'd known that, I would have been looking!
But even without looking, most of the stuff we bought was marked down.
Kids clothes (above toddler size) are usually about $3.50 per item,
but most of what we bought was $1.50.

My long haired skater dude
in his shorts and shirt

And now for what I didn't buy!

I saw this Corning casserole dish and
it brought back pleasant memories since
My mother had passed along to me
other baking dishes with this L'Echalot pattern.
But I don't have them any more and don't
LOVE the style, so I didn't buy it.
I do have (and LOVE) Corning plates with the wildflower design,
(also from my mother, and used during my teen years)
and would happily buy a matching dish for that pattern.

Another dish I didn't buy,
since I was already getting so much
other stuff. It was only $3,
and it would be great for heart-shaped cakes,
so maybe I'll get it later if it is still there.
I also liked a beautiful square baking dish
in a deep blue color, but part of the trick of thrift shopping
is not having to buy everything you fancy, right?
Truth be told, I already have a lot of baking dishes!

Salvation Army


We didn't find everything we needed at Goodwill on Wednesday, so I took five kids to Salvation Army on yesterday.   We were on a mission to get what two of the boys  needed to leave for youth camp this morning.  


For about $71 total, we picked up 6 pairs of sneakers ($6 each), 6 shirts (50 cents - $3), 2 pairs of men's pants for my 15 year old son ($5 each), 4 pairs of shorts ($1-$3), 1 pair of men's swim trunks ($5), 1 pair of new socks ($1), a nice camera tripod ($4), a TV antenna ($3), and 2 water bottles (under $1 each).  The base prices tended to be lower than at Goodwill, with a larger selection, more on clearance, and everything better organized.


Truth be told, you can also get pretty cheap clothes at Walmart.  One of the boys didn't find t-shirts at Salvation Army, but got some nice new ones for $3.50 each at Walmart.  We also got two pairs of water shoes (for rafting) there for $5 each. Of course, after all that running around, we were up after midnight packing!

Skater shoes -- the ones on the left are Vans,
which means nothing to me but a lot to them.

The Many Moods of Tinker Bell

Our nature photographer checking out a tripod
at the store. He bought a different one.

Yes, I'd say I got a pretty good thrift haul at Goodwill and Salvation Army. I'm thankful that we have both stores within three miles of our house and that my kids like getting most of their clothes cheap!  That's the way they were raised, that's the way I was raised, that's the way my mother was raised, that's the way her parents were raised... It's the "Hess family thrift" passed on down through the generations.  I'm thrilled to be going to a Hess family reunion in Pennsylvania next month.  Good peeps!

Besides the thriftiness, I also want to raise my children to be socially conscious.

I recently started a new blog theme, A Worthy Cause, in which I highlight charitable organizations that are making a difference in their communities and/or globally.

This time, I would like to feature Goodwill and Salvation Army, which both operate thrift stores around the country.  Goodwill is a non-religious organization that specializes in providing job training and other services to people who have disabilities, those who lack education or job experience, or others facing challenges to finding employment.  Salvation Army is a distinctly Christian charitable organization with a huge range of services.


Goodwill (www.goodwill.org)


Our Mission

Goodwill Industries International enhances the dignity and quality of life of individuals, families and communities by eliminating barriers to opportunity and helping people in need reach their fullest potential through the power of work.

Our Results for 2011

• People served through employment and training programs:  4.2 million
• Mission services provided: 107 million
• People who earned a job with Goodwill’s help:  189,000
• Estimated total earnings of people who earned a job with Goodwill’s help: $2.95 billion
• Personal and family support services provided: 10 million
• Total revenue generated by Goodwill organizations: $4.43 billion
• Total revenue spent directly on programs: 82 percent
• Total number of donors (includes repeat donations): 79 million
• Total number of retail stores: Over 2,650 and an online auction site,www.shopgoodwill.com

On the Goodwill web site, I found a great article: Organization Tips to Take the Stress Out of Summer Travel.  Check it out if you're hitting the road this summer!

Salvation Army (www.salvationarmyusa.org)

Salvation Army's services include adult rehabilitation, housing & homeless services, disaster relief, elder care, youth camps, community care, combating human trafficking & pornography, and more.  They also have churches.  Salvation Army, founded by William Booth, has a long history of honoring both the Great Commission (words) and the Great Commandment (deeds) of Christ with a good balance of "soup and salvation."

How can you help Goodwill and Salvation Army accomplish their missions?

• Donate items to be sold in their thrift stores: furniture, clothing, toys, bikes, electronics, household goods, etc. You can either call them to come pick it up, or you can drop it off at their stores.
• Give money.  Simple!
• Volunteer.

Additionally, you can donate your United or Delta frequent flyer miles to Salvation Army to help relief personnel get to disaster areas, military families to be reunited, and children with unusual medical needs to get to specialists.  You can also donate a car to be used in the adult rehabilitation program.

This post will be linked on Monday at www.SimpleDesign.net for their Thrift Haul series and to the Homemaking Link Up on Wednesday.




Resourcefully yours,
Virginia
www.VirginiaKnowles.blogspot.com