Thrifting has become a popular hobby and side hustle for many people lately but what exactly are the benefits of thrifting? There are several and we’re going to dive into this exciting and lucrative topic in this article!
Thrifting often involves buying unique, vintage, or hard-to-find items at places such as secondhand stores and yard sales at low prices. From there, these items may or may not be resold to make a profit. If you’ve ever visited your local thrift store and come out with some almost new clothes or something you’ve seen for a fraction of the price you would see in the department stores, then you’ve taken the first step towards thrifting.
There are a ton of reasons to get into thrifting, from making money to helping out the planet. Let’s jump into our list and take a look at some of the top benefits of thrifting!
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Top 12 Benefits of Thrifting That You May Not Have Realized:
1. Save Money
One of the major benefits of shopping in secondhand stores and thrift stores is saving money. Whether you’re buying for yourself or your family, you can usually save a lot of money shopping at thrift stores compared to buying the same products new. It can be a great way to get designer items at a much more affordable price or to simply get more for your money.
2. Expand Your Style
One of the great things about thrifting is that there is always something new! If you feel stuck in a rut with your style, then thrifting is perfect for you. Let’s face it, we’re at the mercy of whatever is “on trend” each season at popular retailers. And I have seen my share of, “I would NEVER wear that. What are they thinking?!” Thrift stores and secondhand shops have an almost continual rotation of clothes from many different eras and brands. You can find everything from formal wear to shoes, accessories, and more.
3. Find Hidden Treasures
You hear lots of stories of people finding something unusual or extremely valuable in their local thrift store, and there’s no reason that can’t be you. While most of the time, it is the good deals that bring people to use local businesses of this type, there’s always the chance that you find unique items to keep or sell that would otherwise cost a lot of money. You might not find thrifting finds worth millions but that doesn’t mean you won’t find an amazing treasure from years past!
4. Embrace Vintage Styles
If you have someone that has embraced vintage items or retro styles, then there’s no better place to search for items for them at an online thrift stores or your local charitable organizations. Secondhand stores are a goldmine for older styles of clothing that people are clearing out, but that have come back around into fashion. Or unique pieces that something rose to popularity decades ago and is now the height of fashion but the sellers don’t realize it!
5. Find Your Tribe
Thrift store shopping fanatics have communities across the country and online. Join some of these, and you can connect with other like-minded people. Share your unique finds or tips on the best stores to check out, as well as get ideas on how to make money thrifting!
6. Cure Boredom
Thrifting is an amazing hobby that’s the perfect cure for boredom. We all know that in recent years, your local retail store will change their stock regularly but not as often as thrift stores. These stores have a rapid turnaround in their stock, and this means they are always bringing out new items daily.
Donations are made, or new stock is acquired, and they stock items on the racks and shelves as quickly as possible. That means that thrifting has unlimited potential as one of the most popular hobbies for moms, side hustle, or perhaps both.
7. Buy New Styles for Less
Lots of times, you want to try a new look but are unsure about spending the money to buy the clothes at a retail store. Thrift stores are a great place to find something new to try at a discounted price versus retail stores. As well as those vintage finds, you can sometimes get secondhand clothes that are just weeks old such as when someone bought new items and realized they didn’t like the look but couldn’t return them!
Since you’re savvy shopper that loves to save money, come join our Facebook Community to get access to the BIGGEST savings online each day! While they’re not exactly “thrifted” items, we find the deepest discounts each day and bring them right to your feed.
8, Support Local Businesses & Charities
Using thrift stores to do some shopping is more than just good for your pocket. It is a great way to support local businesses or to help a good cause, such as the Salvation Army, whose stores hold a wide range of items, and the profits are sent back to the charity. So you can have a positive impact on your pocket by saving money but also on the local community by spending your cash there rather than online.
9, Reduce Landfill Waste
Why is thrifting better than fast fashion? One of the biggest criticisms of things like the fast fashion industry is that it leads people to buy cheap clothes, wear them a few times then simply throw them away. While there’s no doubt that more people are aware of this now and tend to donate them, like-new things do end up in landfill too often. By buying from thrift stores, you are helping to avoid this by taking those items home with you.
10. Lower Your Carbon Footprint
We are all aware of our carbon footprint and the impact we have on the world around us. Buying secondhand items is one way to lower our carbon footprint. That’s because it takes a lot to manufacture some items, especially clothes. If they are then donated to a local thrift store and purchased by someone else, their lifespan is extended, and their carbon footprint is reduced.
11. Use Less Water
This one is more aimed at clothing but is a great example of how buying from local thrift shops can help the environment and big one of the big benefits of thrifting. It takes around 1800 gallons of water to make a pair of jeans. If we can reduce the number of pairs of jeans we buy new, we can help with water preservation without even considering the impact of manufacturing, packaging, and transporting the items to be sold.
12. Make Extra Money
Flipping is the process of buying items from thrift stores, yard sales, and similar places and selling them for a profit. This can be a great idea for someone wanting to have a new income but who doesn’t want to start a business. You need to do some research on how to find the right items and where to sell them, but you can definitely make the most of the low prices at thrift stores on the right items to make yourself some money.
If you’d like a detailed guide on how to turn thrifting into a profitable side hustle, check out How to Make Money Thrifting and Flipping Items!
Commonly Asked Questions about the Benefits of Thrifting
Why is thrifting the best way to shop?
Thrifting is a powerful action that not only saves you money, it also supports non-profits & charities, and has a positive impact on the environment! It encourages consumers to donate things instead of throwing them away. And It prompts frugal shoppers to consider buying something gently used that still has life left in it instead of supporting fast fashion retailers.
Why do people love thrifting?
Thrifting can be both practical and exciting at the same time and it is not a hobby that will go away anytime soon! The thrill of the hunt is part of the lure for many people. People love to go thrift shopping because of the unique items (many of which are of higher quality compared to what is made today). It’s also a conscious effort for many to cut back on wasting items.
What are the weaknesses of thrifting?
While there are many strong benefits of thrifting, there are also some downsides to the hobby as well! For example, thrifting can use up a lot of your time, energy, and gas if you like to shop locally. Also, you may run across a few secondhand stores that price items very high which leaves little room for feeling like you got a great deal. In those cases, don’t be afraid to hustle a bit and offer a lower price that seems fair to you! I’ve snagged some fabulous thrift finds this way.
Thrifting is great fun, but it is also a great way to get items you want without spending a lot of money. Plus it has solid benefits for the environment, especially with labor intensive items such as clothing that have such a large environmental impact to make and sell. So it is definitely one of the best ways to get the items you want and help build that circular economy that cuts down on waste.
I like that you pointed out how saving money is one of the major benefits of shopping in secondhand stores and thrift stores. My wife likes to collect various items so I am thinking of taking her out shopping next weekend. This time, we should probably go to a thrift shop.
Sounds like a great plan! Thanks for stopping by!
I don’t “thrift” much lately like I did in my starving student days (LOL). But, I did go to a thrift store w/a friend who wanted to search for curtains. Walked in the store and immediately spied a tooled leather purse for $30. I looked inside and there was a tag related to a professional PA Guild known for these pieces of art 🙂 We live near Palm Springs, so I think it came from their donation center……this purse is a joy to own and use and is probably worth 10 times what I paid…maybe more. So, some of the benefit of thrifting is enjoying a “score” that will continue the life of a worthy object of art or just plain usefulness.
I loved reading your comment! What an amazing and memorable find! Thank you for sharing about this “gem” that you found while thrifting 🙂