photo by tuppus

As a child, I bought used books at thrift stores. I didn’t shop at thrift stores again until my mid-20s, and even then I preferred estate sales and auctions. The extent of my thrift-store shopping was scouring them for collectible glassware. By the time I had my first baby, however, I had transitioned from my career to my new role as a stay-at-home mom. We had a lot less money coming in, so I decided to revisit thrift stores for baby items.

My husband wasn’t thrilled with my newfound frugality. He was on board with coupon shopping, but he saw thrift-store shopping as proof of his failure to provide for our family. Thrift stores have a reputation for being the places where poor families shop, but their services benefit the entire community. I explained to him that it didn’t make sense to pay retail prices on baby clothes that would be too small within months or even weeks, but he still hated the idea.

Then a box arrived from his sister. It was filled with hand-me-down clothes from her children, and my husband appreciated the gift. Seeing a window of opportunity, I explained how the using the clothes from the box was not so different from purchasing secondhand clothing — or buying just about anything used, for that matter. That’s when I realized he had “secondhand boundaries.” Many people do; it’s the “ick factor.” Some people can’t get past wondering where a used item has been. I’ll admit that even I won’t purchase used underwear, mattresses or shoes for my children. Oddly enough, though, I’ll wear bowling shoes and sleep in a hotel. My husband’s “ick” issue was that he didn’t like wearing other people’s castoffs.

Fast forward nine years, and my husband is now completely on board with secondhand shopping. He still doesn’t enjoy cruising garage sales or thrift stores, but he does appreciate the money we’ve saved. Whenever we need something, he’ll mention that maybe we can find it secondhand. Not only have we saved oodles of cash, but we’ve also made some by reselling used items that have retained their value. He often can’t tell the new clothing from the used after a good washing. He’s come a long way. My children are excited by the hunt for hidden treasures tucked away in the recesses of thrift stores and flea markets.

It started out as a way to save money, but now it’s a choice we make to lessen our impact on the environment. Our children are more aware of consumerism, social responsibility, budgeting and reverence. Parents are often concerned about the generation of entitlement. You have an opportunity to be a role model by making the simple choice to reduce, reuse and recycle.

In this throwaway society, it’s mind-boggling how much is wasted. Items that look like incredible retail bargains come with a high human price for the workers who created them. That human price is my “ick factor.”

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