Good Will, Savers, and other thrift shops are in business to make money. The more customers they get, the more they make. Consider trying it as you would be contributing to a very good cause.

Interesting view. I've never looked at it that way. All of the second hand stores I've ever been to have
always been busting at the seams with stuff.
Out of all of them I think GW is actually probably the most
expensive. The retail stores around here
tend to carry basically the same things and this is especially true of
house/decorative items. I like going to
thrift stores for the hunt of something different. I yard sale for the same reason. It’s fun for me and helps keep things out of
landfills. We donate too. And when purging my own stuff it makes me
smile to think someone else will get to use and enjoy it. When I bring new items home I often wonder if
there was a story behind the piece. It
someone really cherished it, etc.

As far as people of wealthy means shopping there...that’s basically making an assumption. There are lots of people in debt up to their
eyeballs that appear to have it all together.
And if they are for all we know maybe they’re trying to save money there
(maybe they’re buying essentials like needed clothing) in order to work on
paying off their debt. There are other
people who may look of less means, but it doesn’t mean they are. If someone truly wealthy is shopping
there I don’t see why it has to be viewed as a negative. It’s their money, most times hard earned, and
maybe the money they save there is money they spend generously elsewhere. Really, you just never know and it’s nobody’s
business.

I dont' know how one can distinguish the "needy" from the "wealthy" at GW. I personally know some who look like they need a handout but are sitting on a pile of gold.

I drive around in 20+ year old trucks but could afford to go buy a new one with cash. HAHA! My 1992 truck looks like he has mange! HEEHEE! My 1996 Tahoe is in almost like new condition. Honestly, I'm not trying to impress anyone!

Jane,

BTW, in my area, the wealthy and the needy tend to dress the same when shopping. I wouldn't be able to tell if someone in a store is needy or just too busy to do hair and makeup. I doubt that they would want me to guess anyway.

Exactly what I was trying to say to Eandhl. God forbid I drop in GW after spin or on a bad hair day and someone tries to treat me, LOL. There are actually, at least in my area, many sources of totally free clothing for the neediest.

LisaGW,

And no, I did not make a cash donation, I gave decent clothing that will hopefully be beneficial to someone. I feel fine about not making a monetary donation.

No need to take umbrage with my suggestion. Just like Monica was trying to get people to think things through, I feel that sometimes people are pretty misguided about charity and how to help.

As Robo mentioned and several others have said, GW cannot possibly resell everything that they take in. Some they sell in bulk but they also discard a LOT. In the meantime they have to receive, sort, price, display, sell, store, and transport a lot of KRAP. Given the percentages, the odds are all of us have donated something to GW that they had to pay to have hauled away in a dumpster. There is just such a tremendous overage of stuff, esp. clothes!

When people donate things to GW, they feel good. They feel good that their money spent on an item was not wasted. They feel good that someone might use or enjoy it. The feel unburdened by the physical stuff. And, they did not have to dispose of it themselves (we don't happen to have municipal trash pick up so I do literally pay to haul it away). And some people even take the tax deduction (I don't). So, I am just planting the seed in people's minds. If you really want to support GW, recognize that you get something out of the transaction, too (tangible or intangible) and if you like their mission, consider opening your wallet. It can be a $1. Just a way of thinking.

(an aside ... I have always donated only items that I myself would deem good enough quality to wear or use. Not all GW agree on this point. Some are happy to take soiled or ripped clothes since so many of the clothes are sold for rags or shredded for other uses anyway. A recent NYT article made this point. I would check with your local GW on this. But it does kind of make sense; if we put a stained tablecloth in a trashbag, I don't know if it will ever get recycled.)

Generally, we all overestimate the value of what we donate. Even those of modest means do not want to wear your 80s jacket with the Dynasty shoulder pads. Luckily, as a country our "poor" are pretty wealthy. So we need be honest with ourselves and mindful. I have seen a lot of gaffes in the name of good deeds (not to dissuade good deeds, but the receiving organizations are loathe to touch this topic and people really do need to know).

1. We do a turkey drive at ThxG at our school. Guess what? The target recipients don't like turkey, it is not usually part of their diets, and they don't usually have ovens and roasting pans and carving knives. But people give turkey because they like turkey and it's cuter. Even though they have been gently told that canned tuna, pasta, even cereal are more in demand.

2. I participated in a clothing drive for a church shelter. People brought in old bridesmaid dresses. This isn't a Katherine Heigl movie.

3. Canned goods. Make sure these will be distributed locally or do not bother. We collected a tractor trailer of canned goods after Katrina, and then had a quandary when we discovered that we would need $1500 to ship them ...

4. Be culturally sensitive. This is one we screwed up recently. I have posted before about the t-shirt arts and crafts project we did in a 3rd world country. We thought making a craft that was also useful was a good idea, being mindful not to waste resources. We bought the Ts locally to support industry. We used leaf imprints from the leaves kids gathered locally, and identified them, to make the images local and educational. We asked if there were certain colors that would be unpopular or associated with only one gender, etc. Here's what we got wrong.

The kids started with a brand new, never worn white, white, white Tshirt. Like zillions of kids do in the US for a craft project, thinking nothing of it. These kids were very leery of "ruining" it and didn't think anything they could do would be as nice or as valuable as a new, pristine Tshirt. Oops.

ETA - Monica, sorry for the hijack and sorry all for the rant-esque post.

Arkansasgirl, I rest my case:)

So many responses! I haven't had time to read them all, so forgive any redundancy.

Some people like to shop 2nd hand to support the charities that run the shops. Others may be doing so so as NOT to support mass merchandisers & sweat shop labour. Some may be doing both, some may be doing neither. Some may be doing so because it's more fun than going to the mall. Some may be doing so because they cannot afford otherwise.

It's all good, IMO. I enjoy shopping 2nd hand & always have.

Monica, I haven't read all the responses, but I've always had the same view as you. It would rankle me that people I know who could afford anything, would always seem to find the plum things (esp. antiques and furniture) at GW, which were things that a poor person could never afford to buy elsewhere.

I donate to GW, but do not shop there myself. I grew up poor and I don't find it thrilling to shop thrift. We do have a store that supports our childrens' hospital and once in a while if I'm looking for something specific, I'll cruise through it. My views about this were formed many years ago, and honestly, may be outdated. With the rise of places like walmart, big lots and target, etc., I suspect that most poor people are buying new stuff. It's cheap and might not last, but I would guess that it fills the need better than a quality chair that needs recovering, or an end table that needs refinishing.

I think you have created a scarcity where there is none; we don't have Goodwill in my town, but we do have 2 thrift stores on the same block, one non and one for profit. They are always overflowing with stuff- I shopped the non profit yesterday for new jeans- not only were there a plethora ( not of pinatas) but lots in my size, I tried on four out of maybe ten and picked two. At $6.50 each, I definitely won- but so did the charity, because they operate on a volume basis. You AND the widow can BOTH have jackets and then you, the widow, and the charity benefit.

If you are donating clothing, please be mindful of the season. They really like summer clothes in the summer and winter clothes in the winter when they can sell them. But many of us clean our closets at the end of the season. If I do, then I hang onto the clothes and donate later when they'll sell.

Goodwill has huge sorting facilities and can handle out of season clothes ((they have a massive system of sorting and shipping certain things to certain stores and to rag houses.) its true that smaller charities may not have the ability to sort and store for later- thats a good reminder to donate accordingly.

I personally am not in shopping at Goodwill, but can certainly see the attractive from the "green" point of view.

We donate our clothing to people we know who can use them. What they cannot use , they in turn donate to local organizations.

Mtn, I was rushed & didn't read your question carefully. I took needy as someone homeless, someone with multiple children looking overwhelmed, someone not wearing a jacket in cold weather. I want to believe then yes I would step back & let them get the jacket.

TBH, at least locally, someone as needy as you describe (again I think it is rare that you could definitively tell) can get clothing for free.

And often new. For example, the local coat drives at my kids schools' and toy drives require that all items are new with tags.

I shop at GW a few times a year. Ours have what I feel are good prices. I bought several pair of shorts for $3.xx each. Jeans are maybe $5.00. My DH does home repair and wears t-shirts every day. The life expectancy of a t-shirt in his laundry is very short. I shop for them at GW for $1.30 each. As long as the design is inoffensive, he's fine with it. And they have been know to start conversations. When they get too grubby for work, they get put in the working-on-the-truck drawer. When they are too holey for that, the rag bag.

I also shop at Habitat Restore. I've been there a lot lately, we have an empty rental. I'm happy to support their programs, and very happy to save money on things that will get destroyed. Yesterday I bought a bathroom sink for $2.00! If the next tenant destroys it with .. what IS that?? ... I won't blink an eye.

Most Americans are thoroughly convinced there is another person in their direct vicinity who truly needs and wants our unwanted clothes. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Charities long ago passed the point of being able to sell all of our wearable unwanted clothes. According to John Paben, co-owner of used-clothing processer Mid- West Textile, “They never could.”

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/fashion/2012/06/the_salvation_army_and_goodwill_inside_the_places_your_clothes_go_when_you_donate_them_.html

I've not read the responses and/or arguements to your perspective because I'm very comfortable with my own. I agree with you 100%, it echos my feelings exactly. I'll (we'll?) stick with donating and leave the stuff for those who need it more than I (we) do.

Monica and others, so many interesting perspectives. I do not particularly like to "shop", regardless of venue. However, I have gone to GW and thrift stores like Savers now and again, and particularly when I've not been able to locate a part or item from anyplace else. Also, when out of state a few years ago, I went to a couple of good GW stores.

What I noticed was that they cannot keep up with the influx of donations. Like a lot of retail stores, they have to MOVE inventory in order to keep from being drown in stuff and also, to make some money. Some thrift stores are better than others for certain item categories. Certain stores and neighborhoods are better than others. Sometimes I just buy and figure if I don't use the item, I'll just return it as a "drop off" -- I never take the deduction. The people at GW and other thrift stores work very hard and are dedicated.

For the past decade or so, I give to the Big Brother Big Sister Association, mostly because I am familiar with its work. When I get a good-sized amount of items, I let them know and they pick it up from my porch. As Mnt suggests, only put out for donation items that you would consider acceptable. Ditto for food drives.

Studies have shown (read, but no link right now) that it is a good thing to give charitably. It's good for the charity, but also good for the giver (one of those feel good molecules does nice things to our brain and health.)

Americans are so fortunate. We are able to consume so much, waste so much, land-fill so much. Heaven knows that I've done my share, even though I try to be mindful and dislike shopping.

Another good resource for passing on items, although not a non-profit, is FreeCycle. I give a lot of stuff away and often, whether I pick up or offer, include things like fresh garden produce. Even if the recipients are proven needy, it is a good thing to do. And if you pay attention, you can pretty much discern the needful. Any participant with a family gets priority in my book. I've met the best people (via links and email, sometimes in person).

When I was a student with zero money, I liked to bicycle and chat with various people on my little trips. I met so many incredibly generous people who invited me to partake of their fresh garden produce like green beans and apples. People like to give and needful people are appreciative. Sometimes, we don't always know who to share with. Come holiday time, especially, no non-profit charity like a food pantry, Salvation Army or church group will turn down your loose change jar. So many are in need and it makes us feel good to give and grateful to receive. The positions of giver and receiver can switch in a matter of hours.

But, to return to your point, monicakm, I suspect that overall, Goodwill Industries and other such groups want and need the rapid turnover in purchases, donations and goodwill.

Thanks for caring.

There seems to be some confusion about the "needy". My point had nothing to do with whether or not one could actually tell by looking if a person is needy. That was never the (or part of the) intended conversation. This has been a good and helpful debate with hardly any snarkiness at all! How nice, thank you! If I ever decide to shop at GW, you guys will be the first to know <g>

This has made me remember a funny story about a friend. She lives in Florida, but was going on a New England cruise in the Fall. Of course she doesn't own anything for cold weather, but she needed a formal dress. She went to GW, found the perfect warm formal. She wore it for the cruise, then went home and donated it back to GW. She figures she rented it. :P

Well this was enlightening! The thought of "oh, I won't shop at Goodwill because it's for the needy," never occurred to me. DH and I donate to Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc., freely and regularly. We also shop there.

A little background: we both grew up very poor but now add us to the "yes, we buy our new cars/trucks with cash" camp.

However, why should we spend $50 for a pair of jeans when there are a dozen pairs to be had at Goodwill for $5 a pair? And I'm not going to buy all 12 pairs, so there are plenty left for those who are more needy than us.

Thrift stores vary, of course, in quality of items and in price. And some in the Kansas City area that we have been to made me wonder about my personal safety because of their location. But most are clean, bright and airy with their merchandise well displayed. And the intent of the store is to SELL. So we buy. What's wrong with that? There's plenty of merchandise to go around.

It's possible one could be making a mistaken assumption if you believe Goodwill shoppers are buying for themselves. I, for one, shop Goodwill several times a month, often loading my cart to overflowing, although rarely does an item stay at my house longer than it takes to launder or sterilize in the dishwasher. The matched sets of dishes, flatware, and pots/pans (which I assemble by buying over time) go to the women's program that houses homeless women with children (for up to 2 years while they get firmly on their feet). The program has seven apartments and needs full set ups from furniture, wall art, bedding, kitchens, lamps, books, and toys. (The residents are gifted with their home "contents" when they can afford to move to their first place on their own. I can contribute SO much to their program by using my time to shop carefully and build fully matched sets of items. You would be amazed at how lovely a quality home can be created for these young single-mom families, with a coherent color scheme, and furnishings worthy of their new dignity!

Likewise, our local animal shelter needs a constant supply of soft quilts, blankets, and towels for their kennels, and I can buy, launder, and deliver to them on a regular basis. Believe me, it is very much appreciated!

There is also the church pantry for brand new immigrants and refugees who have literally nothing. Even a gently used suitcase (or more) is often desperately needed.

Finally, the local dry cleaner will clean winter coats contributed to the winter coat drive, so I will buy a cart load of good, warm, coats in many sizes, drop them off at the dry cleaning shop, and they are delivered to the soup kitchen where the guests can choose what best suits them. One year, I happened to stop in on the day coats were on sale for $1 each! Got two full carts of coats that day! The dry cleaner didn't bat an eye, he was glad to have them for the winter coat drive.

We shop at the antique mall, which is Goodwill but specialized and overpriced. It is second-hand stuff. I also like the re-use aspect and the quality of many vintage goods.

Mtn, I could certainly look like I need a handout after Spin class, too.

One of my colleagues has great luck at Goodwill. Many of the items she finds are NWT (new with tags) never worn.

From our local charities here, I know they need women's plus size and men's.

My family has regularly shopped at thrift stores, and we've regularly donated. I grew up with that. There was no stigma with buying from a thrift store. DH is a little taken aback with wearing used clothes, but they grew up with more resources than my family.

Back in my late teen's/early 20's my friends and I had great vintage dresses and shoes we got at Goodwill or AmVets and wore to the punk rock concerts and clubs (drinking age was 18 then). My favorites were this dress I called the "bumble bee" dress that was black and yellow and then I had this orange and white polyester A-line dress that I wore with orange patent leather pumps (also from the thrift stores) and white fishnet stockings. Then I'd wear my black leather motorcycle jacket with it. Seriously, it was a glorious time. Wish I had photos.

Also, I would WAY rather donate to GW and take the fair-market value than put the work to hold a yard sale where people want to pay you nothing. Our Nextdoor has also been helpful in getting rid of things.

We donate a few times a year and I think I've actually shopped there twice. Only purchase was 4 Mikasa Country Walk salad/dessert plates. If I were a shopper I wouldn't hesitate to drop in more often, but there's nothing I hate more than shopping.

I also shop @ our local thrift store (not Goodwill, tho) for dress up clothes, toys, games & furniture for our city rec. center's afterschool program. Saving the taxpayers' $$ & supporting local mental health services.

Mtn, why was that food drive called a turkey drive if they'd rather not have people donate turkeys?

I hate shopping at "regular" stores but love shopping at GW and other second hand stores because I love vintage stuff. I also donate heavily to GW, Habitat Restores and our local Resource Recycle. I find things that are much better made than current offerings, so it works for me.

My thinking was like your thinking until I realize that the Goodwill store nearest me specialized in clothes for short little women… Like me! Meanwhile the Goodwill store about 4 miles away specializes in clothes for wannabe actresses you know they're all 6 feet tall and weigh about 100 pounds. It's kind of neat to go to a store and find a lot of clothes that have already been hemmed to something I could use. Meanwhile I told a tall friend about the other store and she is equally thrilled to find things in extra long. I think the stores' offerings are fairly representative of their current community make up (age in place versus highly transient).

Lol, Artemis, I asked the same question!

Stores like Goodwill are for anyone and everyone wishing to shop there. Would you maintain that Walmart is only intended for those with lower to mid-range incomes? I don't often thrift shop, but I recently bought eight tops to wear on an upcoming hiking trip and was thrilled with my purchases. I can afford to buy new, but I saw no reason to when I found exactly what I wanted for less than $30. I never even thought for one second that I was taking away something that someone else needed. The racks were packed with items to choose from, with countless items arriving daily. It's a business that benefits all walks of life.

Our local soup kitchen/food pantry also has a "turkey" drive, so named because that's the old tradition. BUT, they make it very clear that it's too difficult to properly store actual frozen turkeys and get them out to people in a food-safety time window; we are strongly advised that a grocery store gift-card is far more useful to all involved. After a few years, they've done a great job of educating the community about what works best, but they still call it a "turkey" drive.

I think the bottom line would profit from everyone shopping at Goodwill. We live in such a disposable society that your buying anything there probably won't displace goods for people of little means.

The world could benefit from limiting its insatiable consumerism and more people buying used things.

Just this morning I stopped at a Goodwill Boutique store. There aren't any in my town (but we do have 3 Goodwills and a Goodwill outlet) and I bought two nice end necklaces. One still had the Macy's tags on it. They had lots of designer bags (Coach and Kate Spade) and very, very nice things in there. I've noticed a lot of the 'boutique' thrift stores in the urban areas-they turn around and mark up the prices of the stuff they'd sell at a 'regular' thrift store.

Our Goodwills are notoriously high priced for those who don't have disposable incomes. Even families looking to outfit kids turn away from them because sometimes you can buy the same thing on sale at Target for less than what Goodwill charges. I also see a lot of people buying there and turning around and selling on-line. The Goodwill outlet, where they charge by the pound for items is very popular with the lower income folks-and it's not garbage stuff-Goodwill pulls their merchandise after a certain time and sends it to the outlet stores. So you can find a sweater that has a $19.99 GW price tag on it and buy it for $1.29/lb.

I've always shopped second hand, years ago when I was a single mother and later when I moved into a more financially stable position. I donate to GW all the time, and I buy from there constantly. For household items particularly, they beat the prices at Home Goods, etc and I'm doing more of a green footprint that way. I've often found NIB items there that I've used for gifts, too.

I've never given a thought to the idea that it's more for those who can't afford to shop retail. I'm much more concerned about the people who go to the food banks and pick up a box of food that are not food insufficient. I've learned the foodbanks don't ask for proof of income and some people have figured that out. THAT bothers me a lot more than me shopping at Goodwill instead of Nordstroms.

neetsiepie-me too! People who take things for FREE, who could otherwise afford it (along with their 65" tv and cable subscriptions) really bother me. People will stand in line for hours for a free turkey that they can buy @ $.49/lb. if they hit the loss leader sales.

Anyways, people with means are often that way BECAUSE they are thrifty. I have zero guilt buying a bargain. Zero.

Let a sucker pay fill sticker price for a new car. I'm going to save thousands and buy it gently used.

I thought Goodwill was more about providing jobs and development opportunities to the disabled, and they do that through their stores. So actually you are helping provide a job for someone by shopping there.

I've bought stuff there. Not recently.

I also think it's really important that thrift stores like Goodwill have good turnover. When we drop off to donate, I can't believe the amount of stuff they get.

I have donated hundreds of items to Goodwill. And my goal for the rest of the year is to drop off one box or bag a week. Some of the things I have bought there: many pieces of Waterford crystal, a Coach scarf, Honora pearls, a brand new Skagen watch, a rooster lamp and Pierre Deux plates for my Country French room. Also, many books that I read and then donate back to them.

"Let a sucker pay full sticker price for a new car. I'm going to save thousands and buy it gently used."

Wow. You wouldn't have much to choose from in the used car market if no one bought new cars.

Of course people are going to buy new cars so people like me can buy them used. I don't think I need to be grateful to them.

My point, in this thread, is that people of means buy used items all the time, and the savings help them stay people of means.

And anyone who pays sticker is a sucker!

Wow, again.

:o

Used cars? No thanks. I prefer to buy new, where I know exactly what was done to the car by whom and when. I bought a 2004 Jeep Wrangler that was "like new" with low mileage - straight off a dealer's lot - and had many issues with it from the start, once the short warranty period had expired. It only takes one experience like that to sour you on used vehicles, and I make no apology for preferring to drive something pristine off the lot. I'll take the depreciation. I don't mind. ;-)

Neetsiepie, there's such a thing as a GW Outlet? I wasn't aware of that.

I donate frequently to GW but I don't shop there. Not because of the OP's reasoning but simply because I don't care for shopping. If I'm forced to do it, I like a more pleasant setting, I guess. But I know many young adults who enjoy GW and thrift stores and the like. (In my defense, I buy far few clothes and contribute much less to textile waste than they do.)

Ok, anybody else do this while reading this thread ... every time I see "GW" my brain reads it as Garden Web and not Goodwill :-)

yes!

I ran across this article tonight. Pretty interesting about what happens to the clothing you donate to Goodwill. Yes, Lisa D, there are outlets. Merchandise is dumped into these big giant bins and people can pick through them. They're semi-sorted into types of merchandise. Large items, such a furniture and electronics are seperate and are not sold by the pound, but they're up to 90% off the original GW price. I worked with a woman who would go there every evening after work and go 'pick'. Those stores gave me the creeps, tho-people were sooo mean and they'd line up for the next bins to come out.

Clothing donations

Not a fan of them myself....and I ONLY speak for myself.

I've always been fortunate enough to not NEED to shop there. For whatever reason, I've just never been a fan of the "junkier" stuff & the store environment <<< shudder >>> There.....I said it. I also could never STAND to go to garage-sales, etc. Just not my thing....

We do periodically donate some of our better unneeded clothing though.

Being fortunate enough to be able to get dropped-off at the Bellagio's front door in a new Black Escalade (from the airport), go to shows, & drive a Ferrari....THAT'S my thing!!

NOT that we could do that very often!!! We work hard to occasionally splurge. And it won't happen for a little while again either.........

Faron

The sheer volume going through the Goodwill outlets was astounding to me. I wondered where it all came from! Then I went to a nearby Costco and thought, "Yep, this is where!" We are truly fortunate in this country to have so much when people in other countries have so little.

I shamelessly shopped every GW store within 20 miles of me - and a couple of other resale stores -- to costume the cast for a high school musical. It got to be fun and some of the girls wanted the same outfits and then to keep their clothes. Two of the stores had some really nice wedding gowns and formals -- others were junk --- rips, stains, etc. Prices varied, as did selection. I saw everything from vontage to items that still had the tags on them. And while I was there, I picked up a lined London Fog raincoat for my son to wear for a Halloween costume for something like $10. Interesting experience.

From my experience, this country has a serious, extreme overload of clothes. It's everywhere, including Goodwill. There are also "high end Goodwills", and their site which has auctions on the most interesting items, much like E Bay. I saw the whole bulk of Roche Bobois floor models once..:)

Don't shop there myself but not because I'm too noble or too high brow for that, no ideological reasons whatever they might be..I just find it overwhelming. As every (relatively) big store.

We do donate a lot there.

All my childhood and youth, 90% of my clothing were second hand. Same with my kids when they were little. Didn't make me incredibly happy at the time, but it did become a part of my culture. It's my normal. I also find it more conscientious, in many ways. So I do shop E Bay and thrift stores and what not. Some of my most cherished clothes come from E Bay. As much as I'm more fortunate now than I was in my youth-I wouldn't be able to afford them otherwise:)

Now sometimes I'm a savvy person, but not always. It changes with circumstances and mood:) My husband is an extremely savvy person though. He knows every sale, he saves all the coupons, and all the minimum nice clothes he has-are there because I bought it for him and shoved down his throat lol. And sometimes he irritates me to no end, because it takes him twice as long as a normal person to buy food-different stores have different promotions..:)

(He doesn't buy at Goodwill though-he prefers sale at Kohl's. And very rarely too))

But. Thanks to his irritating habits, we can donate much more than we would be able to. We can help when situation arises. My friend's mom could have her open heart surgery-because he saved the money. He didn't know neither my friend nor her mom. Another friend could buy a car, to get around and become more independent. An acquaintance could move to an apartment with her two little boys-instead of sleeping in the car, because she found herself in a horrible situation. And so on and so forth.

I would never mention it if it was my smart savings and my generous help..I'd find it tacky to talk about myself. But it's not because of me we were able to do this. It's because of my irritating husband who refuses to wear nice clothes, unless he really wants to make me happy, once in a while:)

Of course it's nice to be able to cover all the crazy medical and educational expenses for our own family too. And to be able to afford to visit our families that are literally everywhere but here lol.

Back to clothes.

My daughter left for college recently..took a bunch of stuff with her, enough to fill this IKEA armoire everyone has at her dorms. I wasn't very pleased with it-why would she need so much? Believe me I had 2 jeans 3 tops, when I started my high education..:) Not saying she should have the same, but a half of what she took would suffice.

You know what all the other girls told her?

-wow, amazing how you always manage to look so nice and put together when you have so little to wear!

Full armoire of clothes(okay there are also towels bedding etc) is considered a tiny amount of clothes, by young girls just starting out in lives?

That what sounds worrisome to me.