Thrifty vs. Cheap when it comes to kids' stuff (clothes, school supplies, etc..)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Last time I checked Gap and Old Navy weren't selling charitable donations.

Maybe you could also check what Goodwill says? Here, I'll do it for you: "Public donations are the lifeblood of Goodwill's retail operation. We accept gently used clothing, furniture, housewares, working electronics and many other items, then resell them to help fund our employment, job training and placement services for people with disabilities and disadvantages."

I don't see anything there about only selling to the deserving poor, do you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We actually shop at thrift stores for certain items because we need to. As it is - we are practically in the red every month with our budget. It kind of aggravates me to hear the veiled judgements in some of these posts about "feeling dirty" and how second hand is not good enough for your kids. Some of you need a reality check.

I don't think they're the norm. Sounds like some are true whackadoodles and others maybe haven't recovered from being teased as kids, themselves. Most of us are also in shock, as you are, at the attitudes a (prolific) few are espousing here.

[Anonymous]

$700k poster seems a little too secure with her station in life. Careful, honey.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

I would consider people who shop at thrift shops poor, not cheap.

Please keep thinking this. Please also keep donating your almost-new brand-name stuff to the thrift stores. Because if you didn't, then I couldn't buy it. Thank you!

+1

Our annual HHI is $200K but many of our clothes and household items come from Value Village.

+200

I'm the original poster who said I think people who shop at thrift shops are poor and not cheap.

We currently have a HHI of $700k+. However, we were at $200k a few years ago before DH started earning. I went to a thrift shop once and I felt dirty just being in there. I would not be proud shopping at a thrift shop. Fine if you do.

Well, according to our HHI you are considered rich. So, you probably don't feel like you belong with the rest of us in the actual middle class. Nothing wrong with that. My own mother feels that way. I however, do not and I'm proud and happy to shop second hand and save my family some money. We do not have extra money to just spread around. We actually have to watch our dollars and put them to use to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table.

My parents did not have much money. They still did not take me to thrift shops to buy clothes. I would have been mortified as a middle/high school student shopping at thrift stores. I really don't think anyone I know shops at thrift stores.

My sister in law who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth (as in, a 10,000/month trust fund baby starting from 18 years old and who spent $5,000/month - seriously - on clothes) almost died when she went in and got 2 pairs of Diesel jeans for $10 each from Value Village and said, "I've been a FOOL all this time!" Question: Would you rather your parents clothe you in the creame de la creame OR pay your college in full + leave you millions upon their death? Gee, I hope I picked the right answer for my kids (who currently have, at the ages of 3 + 7) a combined $325,000 in their 529 plans. Do you really think my kid who is now 7 will look back when I can pay for her college outright and be pissed I put her in designer, inexpensive, previously worn clothes? And for what it is worth, we drive modest cars and live modestly ourselves.

I very much appreciate this. I am $90,000 in student loan debt. My parents had the money but spent it on cars, interior decor, and houses. I can't tell you how many arguments I have had with my parents on how they squandered money. And now, one of them comes to me for money. I honestly wish you had been my parents, because I would be lightyears better off without student loans.

Thanks! I feel VERY comfortable with our financial decisions. We can afford absolutely anything we want...but I was almost 40 before I got my first new car ever. Even that was under $30,000. (Meanwhile, I had at the time I got it, $500,000 in retirement). Our kids will never need to support us, will have zero school debt, and will be set up with millions upon our death. (Oh...and the estate documents are written so that they can't touch the funds to them for MANY years after adulthood because I want them to create their own futures without being reliant on free money.) Again, we are all make choices that we think are best for our kids and ourselves. A young kid could care less about a name brand being new or not. Think about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And what do you mean by household items? Furniture? Kitchenware? Would not want that in my house.

Bitch, please. That barely used stuff came from your house when you were dumb enough to dump it and get new just because your shitty life needed yet another makeover.

Keep on shopping for your feelings, sweetie.

[Anonymous]

The only new things I buy my kids ever are things I can't get free/used such as a boyscout item or the right sized soccer cleats. Other than that - my kids are nearly entirely in hand me downs. Those poor, poor things, right?

[Anonymous]

Kind of interesting that the two sides are judging each other. For those that buy new and spend more than $1,000/year on clothes for their kids, I'm curious if you are debt free, have retirement savings (significant), and have college savings (significant). I just want to know if you are making choices today that will have repercussions in the future...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kind of interesting that the two sides are judging each other. For those that buy new and spend more than $1,000/year on clothes for their kids, I'm curious if you are debt free, have retirement savings (significant), and have college savings (significant). I just want to know if you are making choices today that will have repercussions in the future...

I spend about $3k per year on my toddler. We each have funded our 401(k)s to the max each year (this year $17.5k/person), have about $45k in child's 529 plan, have a mortgage and a net worth equal to approximately 6 times household income. I just like to buy my son cute stuff. No other debt other than mortgage (though it is fairly high).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Last time I checked Gap and Old Navy weren't selling charitable donations.

Maybe you could also check what Goodwill says? Here, I'll do it for you: "Public donations are the lifeblood of Goodwill's retail operation. We accept gently used clothing, furniture, housewares, working electronics and many other items, then resell them to help fund our employment, job training and placement services for people with disabilities and disadvantages."

I don't see anything there about only selling to the deserving poor, do you?

What's your point? Because Goodwill doesn't require an income test for shoppers that it's morally OK for a family making $200K+ to buy charitable donations at a fraction of their worth? Doesn't that make you even the tiniest bit ashamed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Last time I checked Gap and Old Navy weren't selling charitable donations.

Maybe you could also check what Goodwill says? Here, I'll do it for you: "Public donations are the lifeblood of Goodwill's retail operation. We accept gently used clothing, furniture, housewares, working electronics and many other items, then resell them to help fund our employment, job training and placement services for people with disabilities and disadvantages."

I don't see anything there about only selling to the deserving poor, do you?

What's your point? Because Goodwill doesn't require an income test for shoppers that it's morally OK for a family making $200K+ to buy charitable donations at a fraction of their worth? Doesn't that make you even the tiniest bit ashamed?

Not PP, but no, I'm not ashamed. I am contributing to a good cause, keeping items out of the landfill, and helping my family's money go farther.

There is plenty of secondhand clothing to go around, more than is needed actually.

[Anonymous]

Like most things on DCUM that degenerate into nastiness, it is mostly a class thing.

[Anonymous]

PP here. I think of thrift store shopping as a hobby, mostly.

At my current stage of life, I have more time than money.

I have a beautiful home that is lovingly decorated with my thrift store finds. I have been known to spend more on a few cans of spray paint than on the item itself (for example, my son's headboard...$3 and I spent maybe $12 on spray paint).

I also donate an incredible amount (usually two big shopping bags) per week (!) back to various thrift stores I frequent. I am obsessive about donating and love decluttering; plus, with the great deals I've scored, if I want to load up my car with my daughter's entire collection of bedroom furniture, I can (and will) and simply re-decorate. It can all go back to the thrift store.

Win-win.

I am not cheap. I have great taste and save my family big bucks, enough to justify staying at home for a bit longer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I don't get it. Don't your kids grow? The girl who wears UGGs for two years? Really? My kids change grow 2 shoe sizes in one year. That's why I buy the $10 and $20 shoes at Target. They don't need to hold up that long.

As for clothes, I have 2 girls, 3 years apart. The older one gets all hand me downs from her cousin. Those get passed down to the younger daughter. Occasionally if I buy something new, I get it from Children's Place and it usually lasts long enough for both girls to wear. Not the highest quality, but not expensive if on sale.

That is my daughter and, yes, I know it is unusual for a child to wear shoes two years in a row. She is 9 and her feet seem to grow only every other year. It is wierd. She also has tiny feet for her height. Uggs are kind of different too in that you can wear them a little big and a little small. The fleece gives them more growing room I guess. But, you should know that the one thing pediatricians and orthos say you should spend money on is good shoes. The cheap shoes from Target are not vewry good for their feet. That said, I doubt $200 Uggs are good for the feet either!

I'm the PP who buys the cheap Target shoes. Just because an ortho says not to buy cheap shoes, you shouldn't? In the past, every time I've paid $50 for shoes at Stride Rite, my kids have complained that the shoes are digging into their feet. Maybe it's just my kids who have feet shaped for cheap shoes, but their most comfy shoes have been Target and (GASP!) Payless.

Second Payless! DD's favorite pair of sneakers comes from Payless, and it cost me 12 dollars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here. I think of thrift store shopping as a hobby, mostly.

At my current stage of life, I have more time than money.

I have a beautiful home that is lovingly decorated with my thrift store finds. I have been known to spend more on a few cans of spray paint than on the item itself (for example, my son's headboard...$3 and I spent maybe $12 on spray paint).

I also donate an incredible amount (usually two big shopping bags) per week (!) back to various thrift stores I frequent. I am obsessive about donating and love decluttering; plus, with the great deals I've scored, if I want to load up my car with my daughter's entire collection of bedroom furniture, I can (and will) and simply re-decorate. It can all go back to the thrift store.

Win-win.

I am not cheap. I have great taste and save my family big bucks, enough to justify staying at home for a bit longer.

See, this is great. I'd be curious to know how many other thrift store shoppers actually give back in this way. Or are you just a taker?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Last time I checked Gap and Old Navy weren't selling charitable donations.

Maybe you could also check what Goodwill says? Here, I'll do it for you: "Public donations are the lifeblood of Goodwill's retail operation. We accept gently used clothing, furniture, housewares, working electronics and many other items, then resell them to help fund our employment, job training and placement services for people with disabilities and disadvantages."

I don't see anything there about only selling to the deserving poor, do you?

What's your point? Because Goodwill doesn't require an income test for shoppers that it's morally OK for a family making $200K+ to buy charitable donations at a fraction of their worth? Doesn't that make you even the tiniest bit ashamed?

Not PP, but no, I'm not ashamed. I am contributing to a good cause, keeping items out of the landfill, and helping my family's money go farther.

There is plenty of secondhand clothing to go around, more than is needed actually.

Yes, people donate lots of junk, unfortunately. It's the good stuff that sells out quickly and is in short supply.