The goods on Goodwill

I love the prefix re. I have mentioned how I have made recycling a spiritual practice. I also love to reuse, re-purpose, redistribute (either by giving away ill fitting clothes or shopping at thrift stores).

I like teaching my children to have as little impact as possible. When they start clamoring for some new "it" thing that they have seen their friends with, I use the opportunity to discuss where it came from and where it will end up. The question that comes first is "How do you think it was made; what resources were used in order to produce it?" After discussing that we move on to how much use we can get out of it. "Will it break easily? How long do you think it will hold your interest?" Sometimes these questions lead to them realizing that they don't really want it. Sometimes they still have to have it. At that point we try to figure out if we can get it second hand. The idea that they could "rescue" such an awesome toy from the landfill is really exciting to younger kids. My oldest is 9 and I have different approach with him. He is really into being thrifty. He knows that getting the same item for less is a good thing.

My oldest loves to go to Goodwill with me. Its a giant scavenger hunt. It takes time and attention, so I usually only bring one child each trip.

We have several Goodwill stores in our area and each of them are resources for different types of items. Need kids stuff? The one in the neighborhood full of kids is the place to go. Need a nice dress for a party or dinner? The one near the ritzy neighborhood is the place to look. I know it sounds morbid, but if you need dishes or home goods, a Goodwill near an aging neighborhood will have what you need. Sometimes when loved ones pass it is easier to take what no family members have a desire to keep to Goodwill. If you have several in your area, get a sitter for the day (pull a favor, it will be worth it) and scope them all out. DO NOT BRING MONEY OR CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS on this trip. It is recon only.

Before going to a thrift store, write down what it is you need. Notice I didn't say want. The only way to break the cycle of mindless consumption is to figure out the need vs want. I keep a running list at my desk of things that need replacing or could improve our lives significantly. I placed a crockpot on my need list because many days I do not have time to fix a nutritious meal and my family was consuming way to many pita pizzas. I purchased a crockpot with a removable crock that I had seen at a discount store for close to $30 for $5!

When planning a trip to Goodwill I pull out my list and figure out what is the most pressing need. Sometimes we need a new set of snowpants, or I need a sweater because the one I pulled out to wear this morning needs to be repurposed into socks and a muff for my daughter. Based on the category those pressing needs fall into I figure out which store to go to. The list is then finalized and budgeted for. I take only enough money to cover what I need to purchase that trip. Anything else I see that I could use gets jotted down on a piece of paper to mull over when I get home. Many times I have come close to walking out of the store with a complete set of Christmas china that was only $7 that even included the matching butter dish! I dont need china...I have three kids! It was a great bargain, just not for me. Impulse buying is a risk if you don't prepare for the trip.

Yes, Goodwill shopping is good for the budget, but it is good for our earth too. Buying something that is already produced/packaged/shipped/purchased/profited from keeps one less from being produced/packaged/shipped/purchased/profited from just for you. Supply and demand can help save our planet. If we don't demand as much of it, the companies are not going to use the resources to supply as much of it.