I like thrift stores. I like browsing through lots of different items and trying to find a good deal.
In case you didn’t know, I actually used to work at a secondhand clothing shop called Plato’s Closet, which is a clothing chain that buys and sells gently used clothing for young adults. I worked there for many years, starting as a sales associate and eventually becoming a manager. Due to working for several years at a secondhand shop, I love a good deal, and it’s still hard for me to pay full price for clothing. We saw lots of high-quality clothing and brand name accessories coming in and being sold for a fraction of the price you would see at a traditional retail store.
Buying secondhand doesn’t just save you a ton of money, it prevents waste and lessens the number of things piling up in landfills.
I think we are all aware that we are throwing things into landfills at alarming rates, and shopping secondhand can be one of many ways to make a difference.
However, that’s not how some people see shopping at thrift stores, especially if you have a high income.
I have actually been told that I shouldn’t shop at thrift stores or use discounts (such as coupons), because those are only for “poor people.”
I have been told that by shopping at a thrift store, I am taking items that people with less money could have bought and used.
I’ve also heard that people who shop at thrift stores in order to flip items for a higher profit are “evil.”
Other comments I’ve heard about shopping at thrift stores include (these are all direct quotes):
- “Why donate if it’s not going to poor people?”
- “A person isn’t actually wealthy if they shop at Goodwill.”
- “Shopping at thrift stores is for people who can’t afford clothes.”
- “The wealthy shouldn’t be allowed to save money. They should leave it for the less fortunate.”
Personally, I believe that thrift stores and discounts are for anyone to use. Of course, everyone is allowed to have their own opinion, but I would bet that those people don’t really understand the positives of purchasing secondhand or the missions that non-profit secondhand stores have.
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As you can see from the tweet below, my question generated a lot of conversation – from both sides even!
ooooh just wrote a really good rant – Should people with high incomes be allowed to shop at resale shops?
— Michelle Schroeder (@SenseofCents) November 8, 2017
Here is why I believe anyone should be allowed to shop at thrift stores.
Everyone is allowed to save money.
Seriously, every single person should be able to save money if they want. Everyone, period.
Do I need to say it again?
People who think that the wealthy shouldn’t be allowed to save money are just nuts in my opinion.
Plus, as you’ll read below, thrift stores serve many other purposes, such as preventing an overwhelming amount of waste clogging landfills and furthering a thrift store’s mission to help charities and their community.
Thrift stores are usually bursting at the seams with new things to put out, meaning there is no shortage of things to buy.
Thrift stores can save a person a lot of money, and who is to say who can and cannot save money?
The wealthy are wealthy for a reason- many of them know how to manage their money correctly. And, this may include shopping at thrift stores and using discounts/coupons. Many look for realistic ways to save money because they don’t like to waste money if they can prevent it.
After all, you’ll never be wealthy if you spend it all.
There are many ways to save money and grow your wealth, and shopping secondhand can be a small step in gaining financial freedom.
Related content: Why You Should Spend Like A Millionaire- The Frugal and Smart Money Habits of Millionaires
It’s environmentally responsible to shop at thrift stores.
Thrift stores usually have an overwhelming number of things. It’s not like you are going to buy 100% of the items in the store – they have thousands upon thousands of items to sell.
When you purchase something secondhand, you are keeping one more item out of a landfill.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 15.1 million tons of textile waste was product in 2013, with around 85% of that going to landfills.
And, according to the Huffington Post, Americans, on average, throw away 70 pounds of clothing each year.
According to Down To Earth Materials, the estimated decomposition time for clothing and other items are:
- Leather shoes: 25-40 years
- Nylon clothes: 30-40 years
- Cotton: 1-5 months
- Tin can: around 50 years
- Plastic bottles: 70-450 years
As you can see, the clothing we wear and other household items we use can have a big environmental impact. By purchasing secondhand clothing and items, we can lower the amount of waste we put into landfills and help the environment well into the future.
With more people shopping at thrift stores, there are even more items that are getting a second “life” and even fewer items ending up in landfills.
Can you just imagine how crazy landfills would be if certain people weren’t allowed to shop at thrift stores? There would be so much trash everywhere!
Related: How Thrift Store Reselling Is Good For The Environment And How To Do It
There’s enough for everyone at a thrift store.
For the most part, buying a t-shirt at Goodwill or Salvation Army isn’t going to negatively impact anyone – they have plenty of everything there. In some places, they are actually turning away donations because they have TOO MUCH STUFF.
When we donated about 99% of our belongings to move into the RV, we took a lot of our things to thrift stores, but, surprisingly, a lot of our belongings were rejected because they had too much stuff or too many of a specific item. We actually had to hunt for places that would take some of our stuff.
Most of the things that are sold at thrift shops aren’t going to be life or death for anyone – it’s just stuff, which may be hard for many people to realize now, but it is the truth.
There is plenty for everyone and thrift stores won’t be running out of basic household items and clothing anytime soon.
So, the belief that “rich people are taking away items from the less fortunate” is not realistic – because there’s plenty of stuff for everyone. Like I said, thrift stores are bursting with so much stuff that they are turning donations away!
Your money is helping the thrift store’s mission.
Thrift stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army exist so that they can make money and put that money towards the charities they support.
So, more people shopping at these thrift stores can help further their mission of helping the community.
For example, with the money Goodwill makes through selling items at its stores and through donations, they were able to place more than 313,000 people into employment in just 2016. It’s possible that if you took away some of their customer base, they may not have been able to help as many people. They even state on their website:
“When you donate your new and gently used items to Goodwill®, we sell them in our stores or on our online auction site and use the revenue generated to fund valuable employment training and job placement services for people in your community.”
For many non-profit thrift stores, their mission actually isn’t to solely sell clothes at low prices. Instead, their mission is to further improve the community and the people in it. To do that, they need funds, and they raise funds by selling donated items.
So, the more people who shop at these stores (including people who can afford regularly priced stuff) actually help them further their mission.
So, what do you think? Do you think that thrift stores and discounts shouldn’t be used by people who can afford otherwise?
Leave a Reply
Very good article. Anyone should be able to shop at a thrift store without judgement. As you mentioned, it is a great way to recycle. It’s also a great way to find unique items. And, yes, many wealthy people have a nice amount of money because they don’t spend frivilously.
Yes, definitely!
Whaaaat? I’ve never heard this before. Do these same people believe that high earners should only eat at steak houses instead of McDonald’s so there’s “enough cheap food for the poor people?” I swear. I make a good living and I buy A LOT of my household goods at the thrift store. My money is going towards reducing landfill waste, employing people, and even fulfilling a charitable mission.
Haha!
I am a high income professional with income over 300k. For many years, I have had a side hustle of buying from thrift stores , garage sales, estate auctions, etc and reselling. I generate a fair income from it and genuinely love doing it having sold over 2k items. I am getting pretty close to fire but will definitely keep this side hustle .
Sounds like you’re a pro, Robert. Any tips for a beginner like me? I can see what you mean about genuinely enjoying it. I have been having a lot of fun with it and have been doing pretty well from a financial standpoint.
My tips would be find something you’re interested in and learn about it. For example, I know nothing about women’s clothing so I don’t sell that. I focus on vintage electronics, books, vintage hats , and things that interest me. It’s not all about the money but enjoying the research and sourcing .
Lastly , get organized. I have a system of numbering items so I know where they are when time to ship. The accounting piece is boring but pretty easy w quickbooks ( which I recommend)
Oh and have fun
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave that great reply. I will definitely heed your advice. I also love your point on organization. That meshes very well with my personality. 🙂 Thanks, again, Robert!
Good for you 🙂 It’s a great side hustle!
Love this post, Michelle! You did a great job listing out all the reasons why anyone and everyone should, and should be able to, shop at thrift stores, regardless of the size of their bank account.
My wife and I actually just started reselling as a side hustle last month. So far, we have been sourcing primarily from yard sales, but plan to source from thrift stores as well. The extra income is certainly helpful for us as a one-income household and we simultaneously get to contribute to your points above. As Heather mentioned above, it’s a win-win. Thanks for the great post!
Thanks Cody!
Luckily I’ve never heard anyone complain about wealthy people shopping at thrift stores. I’m hoping it’s an indication of the quality of people I hang out with. ha ha… 🙂 I could understand someone commenting on it IF there were very limited amounts of donated goods available BUT that has never been the case. Thrift stores are everywhere, and are jam packed full of goods, plenty for everyone. No one is taking anything from someone in need. MUCH better to have anyone purchase these items rather than have them end up in the landfill. Shop on!
Yes!
Everyone should be able to shop there just like everyone can use coupons, or rebates or take advantage of clearance sales. It’s all about finding a good deal. There shouldn’t be discrimination in shopping. I’m still working on find a cheap piece of art at a thrift store and finding out it’s worth millions 🙂
Haha good luck!
My parents are worth $10 million dollars and my mom shops at thrift stores. How do you think my parents built up $10 million dollars? They don’t waste any money.
There’s so much stuff at the thrift store they have a half off sale twice a month to get rid of inventory because they don’t have enough room and need it gone. There’s more available to buy than there are buyers.
Thrift stores are for everyone. Being snobby just makes you poor.
Yes!
I think that people who don’t shop there have these stigmas that the stuff is “old” or “dirty” so they associate negative feelings with it. I will admit that prior to meeting my husband, my family would always buy new, but after realizing that secondhand can be just as good (and at a way better price), I have converted.
Just getting the word out there more from “wealthier” people that it’s okay is a good first step to clearing up these misconceptions. Thanks for sharing an article on this!
Glad you converted 🙂
I wish we all could shop thrift stores to reduce the demand for all the wasteful new fast fashion out there. There’s several times more tons of excess clothing in the world that no one is going to use or wear, why on earth do we want to keep contributing to that waste? There’s no way in which this can be a zero sum game the way those folks imply.
I also wish there were petite thrift stores because I would be 100% into that!!
Yes, I agree!
I can honestly say I was one of those young punks who thought I was too good to shop at thrift stores. Now I look back and realize I was such a moron.
Michelle, I just want to say thanks so much for all you do! I just started my first blog after years of resistance. I followed your steps and I’m off to the races now! WISH ME LUCK!
Haha! Glad you realized your mistake 🙂
Congrats on starting a blog. Good luck!
I’m pretty sure you don’t need to show a tax return proving a low income to shop at a thrift store. Actually, it turns out you don’t need one to be elected president either. As long as there is no “low income only” policy by the store, shop away!
Haha!
Omg, it’s a free country! Yes, these places are usually packed to the gills w/donations. I have to remember not to donate in January like last yr b/c they are so full of stuff. This yr, I’ll wait until Feb.
Yes!
I honestly hope no one is of this opinion that high-income earners should be banished from shopping thrift stores. If so, do those same folks also believe that low-income earners shouldn’t have to donate to charity…?
Multiple lines of my monthly budget includes charitable contributions (Wounded Warrior & Susan G. Komen) as fixed “expenses”. These are just as important as my monthly rent. As much as I would like to shop at Whole Foods or go buy new clothes or have dinner and drinks, I throttle down so that, no matter what, those charitable expenses are paid each month.
Responsible individuals, who are mindful of their spending habits, should be observed more than judged.
Thank you for this post and digging beneath the surface to understand this topic. That is good writing.
Thank you 🙂
Hi Michelle,
Interesting article, and I think it’s great that you still shop at thrift stores. It seems that all people should be allowed to, regardless of income level!
Environmental responsibility is something people may not always consider, but definitely an important point. Recycling and reusing clothes is another great way to minimize waste and our contributions to landfill.
Moira
Yes, I agree!
I love rummaging at thrift stores even though I rarely end up buying things.
Most people with a lot of money got there because they saved. Not everyone with a million in the bank makes a million a year.