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Environmental and Personal Advantages to Being Thrifty

Photo by Zui Hoang on Unsplash

No matter what fashion trends we see coming in or out, we can guarantee with the current status of our environment, secondhand shopping is going to be a trend that will stick. Shopping only secondhand can take some time to get used to but, once you get there, you’ll find there are so many benefits that come from the act, both environmental and personal! Keep reading on to find out the best advantages of shopping secondhand! 

It Saves You Hundreds of Dollars

Running on a tight budget? Looking for ways to cut back? Given that you can save up to 70% by shopping secondhand, being thriftier with your clothing options is the perfect solution to saving hundreds of dollars. Through search, you may be able to find a high-quality sweater never worn or a well-known brand of jeans worn only once or twice. If you’re looking for the best kind of deal possible, it may be more effective to extend your search online than just in-store. Doing so will make it easier for you to learn how much you’re potentially saving while also giving you the convenience of looking right in the comfort of your own home. 

You Can Revamp Your Look

All kinds of clothes are accepted at secondhand stores, which means you’ll have access to all kinds of trendy items as well. No matter what kind of look you’re going for, if you search just hard enough, you can find enough gems to create a whole new wardrobe. Whether you’re going for a rocker vibe or want to achieve a more vintage style, going the secondhand route can be the easiest (and most cost-effective) way to achieve that! Even better, shopping secondhand can make it even easier to be ahead of the trendsetters and find what’s hot for just a fraction of the price! 

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You’re Avoiding the Effects of the Fast Fashion Industry

While you may not realize it initially, many of the stores we often see in the mall or online use fast fashion methods for producing their clothes. Why is fast fashion bad for the environment you may wonder? Well not only are fast fashion methods harmful to the environment but for factory workers as well. Fast fashion factories use thousands of tons of CO2 and water for production reasons leading to an insurmountable amount of waste that affects both our air and water supply, while the making of certain fabrics use an enormous amount of energy, oil and harmful pesticides. These pesticides, including formaldehyde, phthalates and PCB’s, can infiltrate our water systems and become not only potentially damaging to the environment but to the factory workers exposed to the chemicals as well. On top of that, many times fast fashion clothes are being over-produced in order to keep up with high demand from both the brand and the consumers, leading to excess waste that ends up within our landfills. 

Reduces Your Carbon Footprint

We’re all aware of the current status of the environment. While many of the things we do contribute to our carbon footprint, our shopping habits are a large part of that. With the fast fashion industry being one of the main influences of climate change, and a large cause of waste within landfills, the next time you have bags full of clothes you’re wanting to be rid of, consider selling your used clothes to an online thrift store. This will help avoid increasing the waste issue and give your clothes another chance at being worn.

So, the next time you’re at the mall and in a store that uses fast fashion methods, check to see if there is a similar option available at your local or online thrift store. Not only will you be helping to reduce waste, but you’ll likely also find a similar option for less. 

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You’re Promoting a Healthier Shopping Habit

Shopping secondhand isn’t only an eco-friendly choice, but it can encourage those around you to make better choices with their shopping habits as well. Letting your friends and family know of local thrift stores or online sites can help to inspire others to shop thrifty and/or donate their used clothes as well. Not only will this collectively help support the bigger cause of ignoring fast fashion, but it will also collectively help to have less of a carbon footprint. 

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