How to shop for free
I spend a lot of my life in what Brits call charity or junk shops, and what Americans call thrift stores. In England you go to Oxfam or the British Heart Foundation; here in LA you go to Goodwill or Out of the Closet.
(I happily think of that last one as The AIDS Shop - not that they actually sell AIDS, but I was a bit confused when I first entered one, and saw big signs all through the store saying AIDS this and AIDS that, where other shops might have, I dunno, ‘50% Reductions’ or ‘Winter Coats’.)
Anyway, I’ve been a repeat offender in charity shops since I was about 13 and developed an obsession with wearing oversized blazers that always made my grandmother protest, “Ugh darling, you can’t possibly buy that, A MAN MAY HAVE DIED IN IT.”
I suppose if you’re a granny, you know that charity shops are where clothes go when you die. 13-year-olds with limited pocket money take a different approach to mortality. And to all intents and purposes I am still a 13-year-old with limited pocket money, so let’s carry on.
Here is what you should buy in charity shops:
