Simple Suggestion #22... Shop at garage sales and thrift stores

Here are a couple of pictures from a trip to the old Salvation Army Thrift store that used to be in my neighbourhood a few years back:

A lovely, like-new wedding dress...

More stuffed toys than a child could love...

A beautiful blue bathing suit ensemble

And some in-line skates that actually fit my oversized feet. Not that I bought any of these things -- I just took pictures for "Do I need it."

As for garage sales... our best story is that my daughter, who always wanted an accordion, played one at a garage sale and walked away with a look of longing on her face when I told her I didn't have seventy-five dollars. The fellow ended up giving it to her for nothing! When we looked for one like it online, we discovered that they sell for over a thousand dollars... If you want to send me stories of great garage sale/thrift shop successes, I'd love to hear them.

The point is that not everything needs to be bought brand new. Let's face it -- fueling consumerism isn't the best pastime for people if we want to live simply and save some of the earth's resources for our children and grandchildren and everyone else. That's why I prefer to opt for retail sales resistance by buying good quality used items (if necessary) whenever possible.

It just feels right.

P.S. Looking for more Simple Suggestions? Try here.