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Subscribe to RSSTODAY guest Katy Wolk-Stanley stuck a chord with her first-person account of how she has gone five years without buying any new consumer goods, other than underwear or socks.
Many readers say they shop secondhand stores by necessity, not because of a lifestyle choice. Typical was "Blondini," who said:
As a mother of 5 children, now adults rearing their own children, I have shopped yard sales and thrift stores and been given hand-me-down clothes throughout their lives. This was necessity, not a game. I felt that the segment was demeaning to those of us who have had to scrimp and save -- and yes -- even buy used underwear in thrift stores. I'm proud that my children always looked well dressed and have grown up to be intelligent adults with admirable work ethics and a true knowledge of the value of a dollar.
Others just prefer to live a more non-materialistic lifestyle. As "one-non-conformist" put it:
My husband and I have been doing this for years! We love CL and eBay. We do consignment and have been on a mission to clean out all of the "stuff" we have accumulated over the years. We have found that in the last few years that thrift stores are being used tremendously more then even 5 years ago. It has become a way of survival for many! Reuse, reuse, reuse!
Katy Wolk-Stanley thought she could go a month without buying anything new. Five years later, she's continuing her "non-consumer" lifestyle, based on borrowing and buying used.
Watch this space for a follow-up story on other extreme savers.
Senior writer Allison Linn also struck a nerve with a story about the middle class feeling worse off financially now than they did when the recession began nearly five years ago. More than 30 percent of the 20,000 users who responded to our survey said they feel they have fallen completely out of the middle class.
Contributing writer Dana Macario is in the third week of a 30-day challenge to avoid the grocery store. There have been some bumps in the road. First, she failed to plan ahead and had to buy some food at a grocery store. Then she tried to bake her own bread and made "two wonderful-smelling doorstops." Next week Dana will share what she has learned over the past month.
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Firm believer in thrift shops, etc., BUT - used underwear, now that's just plain gross.
I can't see donating used underwear - unless I just outgrew it. But, like everything else, it can be washed well and bleached and is no more gross than wearing anything else secondhand.
Responsible people do what they have to to get by. And I bet the used-underwear-buyers are living within their means and paying their bills.
I am worse off than I was 5 years ago. I am worse of than I was 10 or 20 years ago !!!!
"middle class" wages have not kept up with inflation, only upper management is thriving now.
I will buy used riding toys for kids, but not much by the way of clothing. I clearance shop instead. I get just as good a deal for new stuff.
Used clothing is a great deal, especially for the first year and a half to two years when they are constantly out growing items before they really get used.
My daughter was the envy of her pre-school. At our local re-sale shop, I would buy gorgeous practically brand-new frilly party dresses for her (which cost less than shorts sets at Walmart). She felt like the princess of thee whole bunch!
(Of course, some of the moms got annoyed at me because their daughters were bugging them to get pretty clothes like my daughter had!! I remember one of them saying to me, "I can't believe you would dress a three-year-old in a dress like that for playing all day" and I said, "Well, since I paid three bucks for it at the Salvation Army, I really don't care if she rips it or it gets covered with paint!" You should have seen that woman's face!)
My kids' birthday and Christmas gifts were almost all used. They didn't care. And when they outgrew toys and clothes, they liked to donate them so that other kids could get use out of them.
My daughter is now 18. Last spring, she herself suggested that we look for her prom dress in resale shops first, before hitting the retail stores. She found a positively gorgeous one at the Goodwill for $25! She laughed out loud when I read her an article that the average family shells out well over a thousand bucks on the prom for their kid. "Idiots", she said.
JC-4226721...Yes, used underwear IS just plain gross...if you're doing it because you're a penny pincher. If it's the only way you can keep your kid clothed, and for far too many people in this country that IS the case...then you suck it up and do it, and you don't need to hear any crap about it, either.
I live in the midwest where the culture preaches practicality. Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa were right. Waste not, want not. If you are green, poor or penny-pinching to save for retirement, you reuse, rebuy and recycle other people's used stuff. In the same way I share my used stuff in good condition with other people. Underwear is just clothing. Wash it in bleach and hang it in the sun. Never done it but I'm not opposed to it either.
I'll second that, Brian.
Try being a disabled veteran and live like middle class .... NOT! My vehicle is 33 years old. I shop the Goodwill all the time as well as all the other avenues of second hand aquisitions you can think of. I raise chickens in my backyard for fresh eggs and give them the scraps of the only thing I can buy new... food. Try living like that for 28 years after being wounded in a war, serving your country, and this is the best your country can give back to you?
Thanks for nothing, America, you really know how to treat your disabled veterans!
God bless and Semper Fi
Your story is a true national disgrace. Sure hope you're voting Demo. But, whatever, it's your choice, and I won't demonize you for disagreeing with me. THAT is what you fought for. And I do appreciate your plight and your service for all of us. God bless you!
Thank you for serving, John!
Hi John! Like Daisy in St. Louis and L in Princeton, I am very grateful for your service! Also, to echo Daisy in St. Louis, your story is a true national disgrace. No disabled veteran should have to scrimp to get by, or worse, be homeless. Being a veteran myself from Desert Storm/Desert Shield, I think I can appreciate the sacrifices that are made. My wife and I donate regularly to wounded warrior and disabled veteran programs. It is stunning to both my wife and me that our veterans are often overlooked and struggle mightily. Thank you again, John, for your service!!!!!!
I buy lots of used stuff - books being my major category. I've bought used small appliances on CL - great deals. My grandparents used to say, "Use it up. Wear it out. Make it do or do without." I learned.
Glad to see a followup on the first article:) I believe that as the economy continues to wind down all the bloated debt--and I believe it will get worse before it gets better (hope I'm wrong on that one!) that Frugal will be the new cool. I believe more people are catching on out of necessity! The good outcome will be that people will be able to pay down or off their debt sooner, and have more money to buy made in the USA items! That will help our economy also! Yes, we can vote with our money--including at second hand stores. We need to take back our country with our purchasing choices. I know we cant do it 100%, 100% of the time--but we can make progress on this.
I wouldnt say I am "poor" but I prefer to spend my money on things other than clothes so I hit ebay or the outlet stores. I do buy new underwear and new shoes (both of which you can find on ebay - about HALF of what is sold on ebay is unused (new with tag or new without tag). You just dont have retail markup. Granted buying second hand doesnt help with unemployment problem as the stores dont hire if they dont get sales but many folks go into business for themselves or just sell what they DONT need to fund what they DO.
My wife's uncle retired as a VP of a Minnesota Insurance company, him and his family always shoped at Goodwill and yard sales. When he past away two years ago at age 81, he left his money to his children and some US parks. Our daughter does the same thing with her family, and so do I when I can find something that fits.
Funny story: when I joined the Girl Scout Brownies, I was horrified when my mom bought the entire uniform second hand at our local thrift shop. I was sure that the original owner would spot me wearing it and tell everyone how poor I was. Never happened, of course. What did happen was that I was the only one in my troop who owned a complete uniform, and therefore I was elected to represent my troop at the annual National Girl Scout convention, and at the actual convention I was the only one closest to the stage who had the complete uniform as well, so I was picked as THE Brownie representative from all of NYC to carry the flags with a Girl Scout, Boy Scout, Cadet and Cub Scout during the opening ceremonies. My 15 minutes of fame over by age 9!
I've been doing my clothes shopping (except for socks and underwear) at second hand stores for years. Saves me about 80%.
When I was going up my sisters, brother and I thought Goodwill was the local Shopping Center. My mom bought EVERYTHING there,shoes to undies. Hell we even got our toys there. This was back in the early-middle fifties. Now there are even more thrift shops and secondhand stores then ever.
I was raised on used clothing. 6 kids in the family, we didn't have alot of money to spend on new clothing, plus I had a Grandmother who use to make our play clothes. My older sisters & I have shopped for maternity, baby & children's clothes and toys as well. I still love to shop for clothes and accessories at thrift stores because I can usually find more things then I could at regular department stores. It wasn't very much fun when I was in a shelter for domestic violence victims years ago and had to shop second hand. Sometimes the vouchers they gave out wasn't enough to pay for clothing, that was my only drawback.
I am now 63 years old and try to buy most of my stuff clothing/tools at yard sales etc. All the furniture in this home was purchased second hand or free from CL. This started when I was a kid and being raised by a single parent. My mother purchased all her clothing from Goodwill etc for a period of 7 years simply because she had to. There was not enough money. This made a deep impression on her. To this day she revels in CL finds and starts every day by browsing the free section. My younger brother was also scarred. He absolutely refuses to buy anything that is not new. To him buying used is a sign of failure. This has driven him to be very successful in his career. There are long term consequences to prolonged poverty.
The way I see it is you have three choices: over priced clothes at the mall; inexpensive, poorly made clothes at big box stores; or decent, good quality second hand clothes from thrift shops. I am amazed at how many compliments I get when my entire outfit cost less than $15! Silk shirts for 50 cents! You bet!
Most of my shirts are 2 decades old.
I buy secondhand goods only because it is more economical to do so.
I couldn't care less about the environmental impact or that this has any political ramifications. I buy this way because it pleases me and is consistent with my overall frugal way of life.
I taught myself how to fix laptop computers. Some I buy and resell - some I buy and upgrade what I have. The last time I bought a new computer was my first PC back in 1996. I didn't know what I know now. I don't need the latest and greatest.
I have purchased computer monitors that were new, but now I have them repaired when they don't work anymore. There is no reason to buy new when the components in these monitors still have years of usability.
I have purchased second hand clothes and only buy the quality labels. I can be picky and help a non-profit organization at the same time. Again, this is only a statement of helping others, not a political one. I do more in my life to save electricity and to live frugally than most green tree huggers do. Again, I do it because it saves me money. The incidental positive environmental impact is not why I do anything.
If more Americans were to purchase quality second hand items, we'd be better off and our debt problems would be resolved. Living within our means is most important and too bad we can't buy a second hand Congress and President because these we have cost us too damned much.
I buy all my tools - ones I need to replace - at second hand stores that my wife and I have found. Chances are - if it runs - I won't be using it enough to wear it out. This past weekend, I spotted a used mitre and saw that I will be using to put up crown molding. It was an old Stanley piece from the late 60's but what did I care? It had all the pieces and probably is better than the plastic ones they sell nowadays..and you wouldn't believe what I got it for - $15.00 saw and all.
See, my wife loves to search these stores for values and I get to look at the tools and stuff. It's a win-win and we get to spend time together. We still buy our clothes new but deeply discounted. My wife is a fantastic bargain hunter so it is nothing for her to get a dress shirt that retails for $60.00 for $8.00 or less. In these times, the retailers are discounting everything. Now, if I could only find a way to buy discounted gas for the car.