When You Need to Stay on Budget, Be Thrifty!
Before coming to college, I knew I needed an updated wardrobe because being trendy and cute was important to me, but so was being thrifty and staying on a budget, which is how I discovered thrifting. A lot of my clothing in high school was old school shirts, and now it was time to upgrade those to new UGA gear. I also knew I would need day-to-day clothing, downtown outfits, interview clothing, and game-day outfits; but getting a whole new wardrobe costs a lot of money and is not completely realistic. Shopping at places like the campus bookstore, Target, and retail stores seem to add up extremely fast; I needed to find a way to be economical and also find clothes to fit my budget. Fortunately, I have become thrifty, discovered the beauty of thrift stores, and since being in Athens, it has only become easier to satisfy my thrifting needs.
Thrifting isn’t just a hot trend right now. It’s an amazing way to stay in style while saving money. I discovered that there are many thrift stores in the Athens area and places to go that wouldn’t break my bank. Before I started buying new things, I created some space in my closet by selling all of the clothes that I didn’t wear anymore to stores like Plato’s Closet while also trying apps like Poshmark and Curtsy. These apps are similar to online shopping and I could post clothing here for people in my area to see to buy or rent. I decided to give the unpurchased items to Goodwill but made a lot of money through those apps. It was great, I could do a good deed and clean out my closet at the same time!
A lot of the stores that I found also sell home goods, decorations, and appliances which I have found to be so useful when shopping for both my dorm and apartment. Here are all of the places that I recommend:
- Agora Vintage: 233 E Broad St, Athens, GA 30601
- America’s Thrift Stores: 3190 Atlanta Hwy, Athens, GA 30606
- Athens Habitat ReStore: 532 Barber St building 2, Athens, GA 30601 || 4125 Atlanta Hwy, Athens, GA 30606
- Cillie’s Clothing: 175 E Clayton St, Athens, GA 30601
- Community Athens: 260 N Jackson St, Athens, GA 30601
- Dynamite Clothing: 143 N Jackson St, Athens, GA 30601
- Elegant Boutique and Home Decors: 11661 Commerce Road Building 1 #40, Athens, GA 30607
- Goodwill: 4070 Lexington Rd, Athens, GA 30605 || 3898 Atlanta Hwy, Bogart, GA 30622
- Ollie’s Bargain Outlet: 4050 Lexington Rd A, Athens, GA 30605
- Plato’s Closet: 3725 Atlanta Hwy, Athens, GA 30606
- Vic’s Vintage: 768 W Broad St, Athens, GA 30601
A lot of the time, thrift stores have great clothing and items that you may be looking for and are hardly used for nearly half the price! It’s so worthwhile to check out what some of these stores have before going to major retailers first. Budgeting in college is no joke, so be sure to try out some of these places and get thrifty!
What about donating to Thrift Stores? We know it is hard to let go of some of our childhood mementos. Smart Parent Advice shares their advice on How to Donate Stuffed Animals.
Madeleine Morris, UGA Intern
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