Thrift Your Way Back to School

Back to school and back to college shopping is better for the environment and easier on your wallet at local thrift shops. See where to shop in Hatboro.

That dreaded time of year is approaching fast – it’s almost time to go back to school. The back to school sales around the malls and department stores throughout the county are an inescapable and constant reminder. But are these sales really worth it? The best way to save money when it comes to back to school clothes shopping, hands down, is hitting the thrift stores. You can find gently worn jeans for anywhere from $4 to $10 and tops for around $3. You can’t beat that with the current economy. Thrift stores get a bad rep sometimes and people tend to think the clothes will have holes or other damages. The clothes are actually often in great shape and some still have their original price tags on them. It’s also better for the environment – …

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The Brunette Lucy

Furnishing Your Home

Having kids transforms fancy stoneware and stemware into sippy cups and mismatched plastic bowls.

When you're single and you get your first apartment, half the fun is decorating it. And if you're anything like me, money was tight so decorations and furnishings were often purchased at the thrift store, or you made do with hand-me-downs. You also get really creative, which translates to not being very picky. For example, I needed a table to eat on that wasn't collapsible and meant for television viewing. I spied one of those huge electrical spools behind a factory and asked if I could buy it. Luckily, they took pity on me and gave it to me. With a table cloth that I purchased at the Salvation Army and some folding chairs, I had my first dining room set.  Bare walls were not a problem. I had a large collection of hand held fans and tacked…

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In The Name Of Charity

Holy Redeemer Thrift Store raised $1,400 during an auction of donated goods Tuesday evening.

Louis Vuitton sandals. Fur coats. Vintage mink. Sparkling jewelry.  Just a few of the more than 100 items auctioned off Tuesday evening at Holy Redeemer Thrift Store on County Line Road. In all, sale of the higher-valued goods brought in $1,400 to help Holy Redeemer “end our fiscal year with a bang,” according to thrift store Manager Linda Mayo. “We’re trying to get as much cash in the coffers as we can,” Mayo said, adding that prior to the auction – and just two days before the fiscal year ends on June 30 – the store was about $10,000 shy of reaching its $180,000 fundraising goal. “We were just looking for a last push.” Since the store opened five years ago, Mayo said sales have continued to increase. From 2008 to 2009, Mayo said sales …

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To Thrift or Not to Thrift

Clothing snob-turned deal-seeker dishes on the best goods to buy used

If somebody had asked me five years ago if I’d ever seriously consider shopping in a thrift store, my scrunched-up-face would have been answer enough. Perhaps a bit of a clothing snob, the thought of donning threads that previously belonged to someone else would have been – picture a gum-chewing valley girl  – like too much to handle. But, oh how buying a house, having a baby and being one-part environmentalist and one-part frugal shopper have changed my entire outlook. Now, instead of hightailing it to the mall, I welcome the challenge of finding a pair of barely-worn Levi’s jeans in my size for $3.99.  I marvel at the 35-cent board books for my daughter. I’m bowled over by bric-a-brac bargains sorted to suit my sensibilities, all by …