Friday, February 24, 2017

Yes, I shop at Salvation Army.

     For six years, Elisha was our only child. We could have splurged on her toys and clothes, but we didn't. Most of her toys and clothes were either hand-me-downs or from thrift shops. Kids grow so fast, and I do not see a point of buying new clothes that would be worn just for one season only to find out next season that Elisha's grown too big to wear them. Also, for those times when Elisha had brand new clothes from family friends or relatives, I often found myself being too worried about keeping her outfit spotless. However, with hand-me-downs and thrift shop clothes, I have never minded even a bit about her getting her clothes dirty or torn. So, for my sanity and for her carefree childhood, second hand clothes work better.
     We have been saving for Elisha's college expenses, and I would rather put in more money into that saving than spending that money for brand new toys or clothes. We're doing the same thing for twins. They are almost 11-month old now, but I haven't bought a single piece of brand new clothes for them yet. Deborah wears hand-me-downs from Elisha, and Enoch wears either gender-neutral-colored clothes from Elisha or clothes that I get from Salvation Army stores.
     Over the years, I discovered that thrift shops in certain areas tend to carry higher-quality clothes, and their clothes tend to be in better conditions. I often find nice, never-worn button-down dress shirts for CJ at the Salvation Amry store across from UTSA. Also, I always look for play dresses that Elisha can wear for dress-up plays. 'Once Upon A Child' is another local resale store for kids, where I buy Elisha's shoes and my clothes. (Yes, I wear junior sizes!)

TAPO