Go Green Easily: Second-hand Is NOT a Dirty Word

Mr. Don

I love going through consignment and thrift shops. They are a world of treasure. I think I have pretty much got her believing that I hate it, as I do with all shopping (can’t break character and all), but truth be told I have really found some great buys on stuff that would normally run $100s of dollars!

And it really ties in nicely here. While I get pumped about a great buy, the little shops do keep a lot of stuff out of land fills, so please utilize them when possible, and here’s why!

Go green easily by using second-hand and consignment stores.

The current economic downturns that most of us are feeling has taken some of the stigma off buying pre-owned items. Yard sales are hot shopping spots, on line classified ad sites are cropping up in droves and community swaps are growing in popularity. Second-hand is NOT a dirty word. People of all classes are realizing that there are great finds on the racks and shelves of consignment stores and thrift stores. The old adage of "One man's trash is another man's treasure." has taken on new meaning and new value.

Utilizing stores that clean, refurbish, rewire or simply sell items as-is eliminates the need to ship merchandise from around the country. There's no added cost to the price tag for fuel fees, warehouse handling fees, trucking companies fees nor the big charge for buying a name brand article at full price. Donations are tax deductible with receipts from the organization stating the estimated value of the items; you save when you give as well as receive.

Many charitable organizations use their resale stores for training. The developmentally disabled, recovering addicts, the homeless and others in need of marketable skills learn how to rewire appliances or do re-upholstery work or succeed in retail so they can support themselves.

Go green and get greenbacks by putting consignment stores to good use. Last year's fashion staples, brand new stock from retired businesses or an extra toaster oven from a newlywed's gift collection are found treasures. As a rule, only clean, like-new products are acceptable for consideration at these stores. Finding original price tags on packaging is very common. Consignment stores will either pay you a flat rate for your items or take a small fee on what they sold for. Many will even give an in-store credit or let you trade some of your things for same-priced merchandise. Building a good relationship with the owner or manager can garner you some nice perks, like getting a first look at new arrivals before they go out onto the sales floor.

My wife and I have been foster parents for many years now and at various times have had up to 3-4 foster sons plus our two. The consignment shops and thrift stores were a godsend to us! We also taught the kids that good buys could be found if they would look.

The other area I have really utilized consignment shops and thrift stores is in finding great deals on exercise equipment! I usually start checking in June because by then most folks who have gotten equipment for Christmas but are not using it, are also getting tired of looking at it go unused! So they put it in the consignment or thrift stores!

Everybody wins, they got rid of it, the store made a sale, and I got a good buy!

Going green and second-hand buying go hand-in-hand so remember, second-hand is NOT a dirty word. These stores serve their communities by employing from within the area, giving new life to gently-used or even never-used things and keeping their corner of the local economy going. Thrift stores are usually a training and financial source for charities while consignment stores put cash in your pocket but both do the same service; keeping usable items out of the dumps.

If you would like to learn more practical and effective ways that you can help the environment as you go about your daily activities, sign up for our free E-course. It is about 3 weeks long and is designed for busy families who want to do their part to help the environment both locally and globally.

It is also an incredible resource for parents and other concerned adults who want to increase the awareness of environmental issues, in their young people!



Until next time,

Take care and be safe!

Mr. Don

Functional Yoga 4 Families

Functional Stress Management