Thrifting
When I was a teen, I liked to scour the thrift stores for vintage clothing and shoes. As an adult, I went in for shoes for my daughter sometimes, because I often found almost-new designer shoes for kids at the local Hospice store. Other than that, I would only go in on a lark looking for books or board games or old glassware.
With the economy getting worse and worse, I find myself wandering around in the Salvation Army around the corner a lot more often. And it’s not just me – a survey of over 200 resale and thrift shops showed about two-thirds of those businesses reported higher sales in 2008 compared to the previous year, with an average sales increase of 35 percent. They also say they are seeing a lot more middle-class and upper-class customers.
Everyone is looking for ways to cut corners. The disposable income just isn’t there for a lot of people anymore. In the past, people were blowing money on eating out and expensive cruises, luxury food items and trial runs of alli diet pills. Not anymore. Gas, food, and taxes are eating up a larger portion of most people’s paychecks than ever before and those who want to stay in the black are tightening up their budgets.
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