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This blog will be used, but not for the thrifting daily articles, that will go to this site: http://thriftingdenver.wordpress.com/

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Men don’t seem to be as excited about thrifting or donating and purchasing used clothes as women are. I think it might be because lots of men don’t really enjoy shopping, but they should! At the very least, it’s good for everyone to recognize the importance of recycling. This week, I’m focusing on men’s shorts. I found some fun, barely used shorts that almost any man could wear. These excellent pairs of shorts are often found in places like Macy’s or Nordstrom’s.

First is a pair of Tommy Hilfiger dress shorts. These are size XXL at $3.99. Inside liner and black in color with same color pinstripes, average length. They are a great pair of dressier shorts, but will still help keep you cool.

Second, is another pair Hilfiger shorts sized XXL at $3.99. This pair of shorts would do very well on hot days with their lightweight cotton. These shorts can be worn dressed up or down, so they’re great for travel!  Not too long or short.

Lastly, and maybe best of all are these knee-length surf shorts. They’re a size Large and have never been worn. The shorts are made by Kirra, which makes funky boarding clothing. Usually these shorts go for about $40.00 new, and these are a mere $1.99! Now that’s a steal!

If you want to come in and purchase any of these items, you will need to go to the Goodwill located on South Broadway and Archer.

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Thoughts on educating teens on thrifting and using their money wisely.

It seems that because America has had such good fortune, even with the downturn in the economy, many of , today’s teens haven’t learned how to spend their money wisely. At one point in time, our economy provided a luxurious life for many teens. Money was not a huge concern for many Americans and because of that, there was a lack of knowledge about the importance of saving and spending wisely. Credit cards are widely used in place of cash and because you can’t see money leaving your wallet, it can seem like there is an endless supply.

Now that our economy has suffered such a severe blow, the once luxurious life many teens has changed. They are learning that money does have great importance, but lack skills necessary to navigate these leaner times. There is an opportunity to teach teens a great lesson today: that thrifting can really help them become aware of how they can harness and stretch their dollar much further.

One great way to teach your teen about money is to take themto Goodwill on a 50% off sale day, with the promise that if you can’t find anything there, you can go to another place. Give them an allotted amount of money to spend, and they can either purchase used or new. Check out the used items first. Because Target often sends their excess inventory items to Goodwill for donation, many times the teens can get brand new clothes at a fraction of the cost.

Some teens might think that having used clothing is not the coolest thing to do. Teens are swayed easily, and they want to fit in, so they purchase the $120 pair of jeans. That $120 could buy them an entirely new outfit at a thrift store, and often times it is just as trendy and hip. If they knew this, I believe they would realize the savings and go more often, donate more often and keep the earth cleaner longer. There is great potential to teach teens about the benefits of thrifting, and learn the value of the dollar. If a teen walked into school wearing a recognizable $300 outfit that was found for only $30 at Goodwill, that would start to open minds!

Thrifting can be cool, teens just need to be exposed to the right way to do it!

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One thing I love about shopping at a thrift store is the variety of fashion you can see. You get to view what trends are slowly becoming less popular because you will see them start to show up in abundance in thrift stores.

Over the past few years, dresses of all styles, colors and lengths have really increased in popularity. In my attempt to purchase a good travel dress, I was amazed at the selection and many assortments of dresses just in my size alone at the local Goodwill!

So, in the hopes that I will be traveling to warm and beach-y places this year, I needed to find something that would look superb on, that could be worn dressed up or down, and even possibly worn over tights or leggings for the layered look. It is important to have different ways to wear one outfit if I’m traveling, especially since we now have to pay for baggage handling!

So, what should I get? Knowing that dresses average $5.00 at my local Goodwill, I started to try them on.

Should I choose the lovely unworn Kelly green Forever21 wrap dress that’s fun and flirty? Pretty ruffles, can be dressed up or down, but since I don’t look good in that green unless I’m tan, she was eliminated. And she looks like she would need ironing, which I loathe.

Or what about the skin tight stretchy animal print ArdenB sexy dress with an open back? So appealing, and doesn’t take up much baggage space, but isn’t all that versatile and I could NEVER have a fat day in that thing.

Hmm, maybe the absolutely stunning halter top lollipop fun and flirtatious Lily dress? Wow, so sweet, so cool, and I’d feel like a million bucks in it. But, it looks like it will wrinkle, and the possibility of wearing a bra with it is minimal. I need a bra. Bye, bye pretty dress. Someone else will snatch you up.

Well, then, what about the strapless J. Crew linen dress? Yep, perfect! It holds every goal I wanted for a travel dress: It is supposed to be somewhat wrinkled in look, I can wear a bra with it, with or without straps, it is something that you can wear on a beach or out dancing or to a date! It won’t take up too much of my limited baggage space and I can add a belt or leggings to it! Yes, this one was the winner. It was very easy sacrificing the $5.00 for such a wonderful dress.

(Apologies for the dresses being cut off, not sure what happened!)

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The holidays aren’t here yet, but springtime is still ripe for gift-giving! And who knew I could be so lucky to get all the gifts I need over the next few months at Goodwill! Another thrill of the hunt and success story for me.  I was perusing the Goodwill on south Broadway and Archer and although I wasn’t really looking for gifts at the time, it turned out to be a bonus day for me and the gifts I needed to get.

My cousin’s two nieces are graduating from high school this month and luckily enough I found an unused hobo bag, and an unused shirt made by Mossimo.  If they were purchased new, you could look at about $15.00 each.

I also remembered my friends shower is coming up and I actually found brand new baby clothes: what perfect timing for the little boy!  I also found the cutest little set of baby toys for playing with in the sand. These would have cost me at least $15.00 all together if I had purchased them in a department store.

I was on a roll and remembered my girlfriend, who is also starring in the baby shower has a birthday coming up. She is an enormous Elvis fan, so when I tripped across Elvis Presley alarm clock memorabilia I was thrilled. But, right as I was about to reach out and grab it, someone else took it!  I watched in anticipation as he played with it for a while, drooling over the fact that I wanted the perfect gift.  He eventually put it down and walked away, completely unaware of the girl standing off to the side, just waiting to jump on her prey. The clock probably cost $20-$40 new.

My bill came to $35.00.  This purchase got me 4 gifts, not to mention the dress, a fabulous pair of Kenneth Cole pale blue-grey suede shoes and a  great travel hobo bag! What a big win for me!  There is nothing more satisfying than knowing the cost for this bill would have been well over $100, and I paid a little over a third of that. Goodwill is a perfect one-stop shop for all of my gift giving needs this spring!

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The other day I had some free time, so I took a leisurely few hours and took the opportunity to peruse my local Goodwill store. One of the biggest thrills of a “thriftanista” is to find unused items at a fraction of their cost. That day, I was lucky enough to get this thrill a few times over!

I could not believe the amount of absolutely new, not used items I found outside of the clothing department! The local stores and businesses in the area are clearly very dedicated to Goodwill, giving their unused and out of season items.

I happened upon several boxes of unopened fancy invitation paper, running 6.99 for 150 invitations and envelopes. There were a few different kinds to choose from (see one picture below). What a steal for such a fancy item, and something you can use for any kind of event! I also found pretty and unused, very fancy gift bags. I personally love gift bags for their re-usable, no wrapping involved virtue.

I then came across probably 20-30 unused pairs of hose and tights which were a donation from Target. If I needed new hose, this is where I’d shop! There were plenty of sizes and types (see picture with tights in clear tubs). How impressive!

Like all thrifters, one always has to check out the clothes, and this day, I saw employees rolling out a rack of unused clothing donated from Target. There were several spring dresses and tops, all bearing the original price tags. I even found over 20 pair of unused flip flops, which are by far one of the most versatile shoes you can have.

If you are ready for new clothes (literally), check out your local Goodwill, you may get more than you bargained for!

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I had so much fun finding outfits to go with one of the cutest, most vibrant purse I’ve seen in a long time. The Bandolino white shoes go with anything without looking like nurse shoes, and the purse adds spice to any outfit, having great bright colors. An additional benefit - the purse comes with a little wallet, so you don’t need to purchase one to match.

Outfit #1: Metrowear

Perfect outfit for a spring day in Downtown Denver! Fun Scarves, in elon colors: Merona Jacket, (size Medium), and a Lauren Skirt (Medium), and Bandolino Shoes (size eight)

Outfit #2: Cruisewear

This happens to be an outfit I wanted to wear right out of Goodwill.

Old Navy (Medium) shorts are all the rage now! They come in bright colors, are shorter in length, can look dressed up (as seen with this white jacket and silk button down long sleeve). The purse is a perfect clash with the shirt. The colors are delicious and really can make you stand out!

Clothes will be put out for sale on Saturday, so if you want to get in and purchase it prior to that date or have us hold them, please contact aprilsdesign@gmail.com . Items are being held at the Denver Goodwill off of Broadway and Archer.

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It has been ages since I have made a regrettable purchase at the thrift store. I’m extremely discriminating and anything that is considered a maybe, becomes a no. But, the other day day I had a personal experience I definitely had to share because it went so wrong!

It was no different than any other shopping experience at Goodwill, and I was excited to find and purchase 4 items. Granted, it was a day that I actually had a goal to find a jacket, but came up empty handed in that area. Instead I walked out with a business/travel dress, a purse, a sweater, and a summer dress. I tried on the items after I got home and started to remove the price tags and check out the brands. The words OOPS formed in my head. The summer dress was made for someone with two-thirds of the ribcage I have (Guess brand). The business dress AND the sweater were both maternity clothing. How in the world could I have gone from one extreme to another? I can’t even zip the summer dress up, because either the dress would have to give or my ribcage. This was not a battle I wanted to fight. The maternity clothes, I tried on and they seemed to fit fine, and I always check the tags to see what brand it is, but not this time. I’m not sure where my head was this day!

It turns out that maternity clothing is fashionable enough for even the best eye can be confused. And if you happen to have a tiny little ribcage, there is the cutest Guess beaded summer dress at the Golden Goodwill, and if you are newly pregnant, those will also be available.

Lessons I learned?

You can be a long term thrifter and still make poor decisions.

Read the tags to see the brand of whatever item you are purchasing.

Try on your clothes, because even if they look to be your size, you never know!

It is not bad to have buyer’s remorse every once in a while. It keeps you sharp and discriminative.

I am positive other people make wrong purchases, which is why there are second hand stores to donate them to!

Stay tuned for the article on returns at thrift stores…..

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This economy has really changed the culture of living, especially in here in Colorado. Originally, the thrifting movement started with more bohemian/hippie cultures and vintage lovers. It has evolved into a green movement, an addiction, and a way of living. It is now considered green to thrift, because it is a way of recycling, keeping items out of landfills…a way to save money and the earth.

When I go shopping at stores that are not second-hand, garage sales, swapping, et cetera, I peruse the new items and question myself as to whether I can find the item in a thrift store before I make a purchasing decision. There are certain items I personally want to purchase brand new to fit my own comfort zone. Unless the item is deeply discounted or is a food/liquid item, it only makes my purchase list if it is truly needed and unattainable at a thrift store, on eBay or via trade.

Recently, I went shopping with a friend who is accustomed to purchasing only new items. I saw how differently we thought. Like her, I used to purchase without thinking, and many times regretted my purchase. Now, I’m much more selective because I have become accustomed to paying a certain amount for an item and when I see prices at triple/quadruple what you are familiar with spending, it’s much easier to turn away and save my dollars for a better time.

Here are two of my best tips about thrifting:

You will almost always find what you want. Without worry, I have consistently found what I was looking for at a thrift store. It may take a while, but it is well worth it. The satisfaction of finding the perfect item at a discounted price is thrilling!

Two: Make sure you keep a hold of your own clothes while trying on other clothes or shopping at a thrift store. I have on several occasions left a jacket or sweater at a store, forgetting I had worn it into the store. It’s not a huge loss because of how little I usually spend, but I just lost my favorite black jacket at some store…either leave any extraneous items in your car or pay close attention to where they are! (Anyone find a beautiful canvas black jacket at Goodwill by chance?)

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I find it sometimes extremely frustrating to find a bathing suit that I feel comfortable enough to wear in public, and I know I’m not alone! Not to mention, brand new suits can get expensive! Last year, I learned that several Goodwill locations get unused swimsuits that haven’t sold in places like Target. While picking swimsuit pieces for the trend of is the week, I found a number that were brand new, complete with tags!. Swimsuits like Victoria’s Secret, Gottex, and Speedo are a steal at $1.99!

Below are this week’s picks – some truly great finds. And the trend (you’ll see it more and more on Costa Rican beaches) is to mix and match. This allows for you to create more than one look for a suit which helps when you are traveling! I personally like to mix tops with one bottom, and it makes for a more fun creative self-made suit!

At these prices, you can certainly fill your swimsuit collection easily. Don’t forget to take a look at my article on how to “clean” these items to make sure they are like new.

1. 1.  Gottex, sice 12, full piece gold and light brown print $3.99

2. Blue two piece, top is Xhilaration size medium top, floral print. $1.99. Speedo blue bottom, $1.99, size M.

3. This is a fabulous find! Blue and white print two piece Ralph Lauren bikini with yellow belt. Unused, $3.99. (or $1.99 each, separately)

4.  Mix-n-Match: Victoria’s’ Secret top and bottom, bright red-orange, $1.99 each (top and bottom), and could mix it with Ana Top (for more coverage) at $1.99. Great for travel!

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