An Argument for Secondhand Store Clothes, Even If You Must Dress Nicely

Monica writes in:

I don’t understand how you can recommend that people shop in thrift stores for clothes. The stuff there is usually worn out and just looks bad and outdated. I would never wear that stuff to work.

It sounds to me like you’ve made up your mind about thrift stores and secondhand stores before even stepping inside the door. I’ll make the case anyway.

First of all, I won’t buy the vast majority of clothing on sale at such a store. I’m with Monica on this one – most of the stuff there can be pretty worn out. I’ve seen lots of threadbare sweaters, worn out dress pants, and other items that, if they were in my home, would be meeting the rag bag.

Those aren’t the items I’m shopping for. The reason I go is to look through a long rack of clothes and find two or three items that are barely worn. How do quality items of clothing get to the secondhand store? A person gains or loses a lot of weight. A person passes away. A person decides they just don’t like how the item looks on them. A person is a clotheshorse who only wears an item a couple of times before getting rid of it. Each of these cases can result in some very nice clothes on the rack at the secondhand shop.

If you don’t like the item, don’t buy it. However, there are a lot of gems buried on the racks if you’ll spend some time digging through them.

Second, my biggest focus for clothing buys – once they meet a minimum standard of quality – really is cost per use. Yes, unquestionably, I could go to a store like Men’s Wearhouse, find a high quality article of clothing, and wear it, say, sixty times over the course of several years. That article of clothing might cost me $60, so the cost per use would be $1 per use.

On the other hand, I might find a nice item at the secondhand store. It might have been worn a few times already, so I might only get fifteen wears out of it instead of the sixty I might get from the new shirt. However, that secondhand item only cost me $3. That’s $0.20 per use.

I will take the second item of clothing any day of the week.

What about the time cost? Time cost is one of the first things people mention when they hear a money-saving tactic that they’re unsure about. Human beings are creatures of habit and if we can find a good reason to retain that habit (or even a not-so-good reason), we’ll use it. Time cost is often that reason.

However, in this situation, time cost matters little. I go clothes shopping twice a year, period.

In the spring, I’ll dig out all of my summer clothes (in fact, I’m intending to do this this weekend), determine what needs to go and what can stay, and then figure out if I need to add some clothes to the mix or if I have enough. I do the same thing in the fall with my winter clothes.

Once that’s done, I actually make a shopping list for clothes. I need some number of dress shirts, some number of jeans, some number of shorts, some number of khakis, some number of underwear – you get the idea. Then, I go shopping.

If I use secondhand store clothes in this process, I still just rotate them out at season’s end if they’re too worn, the same thing I’ll do with clothes that are purchased new. I’ll still go clothes shopping twice a year, regardless of whether I’ve bought new or used clothes in the past.

What this comes down to is simple: spending control. I keep a pretty tight rein on my clothes shopping habits. I simply don’t go clothes shopping more than twice a year. Because of that, I don’t devote much time in a given calendar year to picking out new clothes – and I don’t spend nearly as much money, either.

At its heart, an awful lot of frugality and financial success comes down to control over your spending. If you have firm control over how your money leaves your wallet, it’s often shocking how many ways there are to cut your spending without cutting your quality of life one iota.

Continue reading An Argument for Secondhand Store Clothes, Even If You Must Dress Nicely …

From The Simple Dollar.

March 12, 2010 | Filed Under Frugal Living | Leave a Comment

Make movie-theater popcorn at home

popcornbowls Make movie theater popcorn at home
photo by aspaonline

DEAR SARA: We used to have a hot-air popcorn maker back in the day, and its long since been history. Now I’m looking around for hot-air popcorn makers, and they’re kind of overpriced, around $50. I’m trying to make popcorn without the oils/butter, etc. Some of the reviews I’ve read have said the units are too hot to touch after you’ve popped the corn or it shoots scalding hot kernels out of the machine at you. Just wondered how you pop your popcorn, not the microwave bag kind, and if you could recommend a popcorn maker. — Libby, Canada

DEAR LIBBY: Popcorn poppers are very easy to find secondhand. Look in garage sales, thrift stores or online on Freecycle, Kijiji.com or eBay.com. If you’re looking to buy new, I’d continue to watch sales. Most air poppers are going to shoot a kernel or two. West Bend makes great air poppers. Their older model, Poppery II (found secondhand), can double as a coffee-bean roaster, too. You can read more about it at www.frugalvillage.com/2007/12/27/gourmet-coffee-on-the-cheap. But if you want a recommendation, I’d buy a Whirly Pop stovetop popper. It does use a little oil to prevent sticking, but is cheap to buy ($20 or so new). You’ll love the taste (like movie theater popcorn), every kernel pops, it’s long-lasting and the experience is just more fun.

DEAR SARA: What’s the best place to order new checks? I need new checks, and I know I can find them cheaper than through my bank. Any suggestions for specific companies? There’s about a million and a half of them online. I would like to find one that has a debit register too, the little register that fits with your debit card. Thanks. — Akolb, Louisiana

DEAR AKOLB: I’d call your bank and see if they offer any discounts or if there’s any way to get free checks. You can also buy them through Wal-Mart (www.walmartchecks.com) or Costco at a discount. You’re right: There are a ton of online sources. Places such as checksunlimited.com, 4checks.com and bestvaluechecks.com all offer discount checks. You can also print your own checks using software such as Checksoft Personal Deluxe, which you can find at stores such as Staples. I write very few checks and get them through my credit union. Be sure to verify your checks for accuracy.

DEAR SARA: I made a two-layer cake tonight and do not have a cake dome or any container big enough to fit it in. It’s frosted with store-bought frosting. How should I go about storing it? Foil? — Rhayne, New Jersey

DEAR RHAYNE: I’d place a large bowl or pan over the top or insert toothpicks into it and cover loosely with plastic wrap. You can check a local bakery or grocery store bakery and see if they’ll sell you a cake box or container. If your store-bought frosting isn’t extremely perishable (no dairy or uncooked eggs), then your cake can set out on the counter. Wrap like I mentioned above or at least use a loose-foiled tent. Now might be a good time to invest in a cake keeper, too.

Continue reading Make movie-theater popcorn at home …

From Frugal Village.

March 2, 2010 | Filed Under Frugal Living | Leave a Comment

Bag Sale Bargains