I Love My Goodwill and It Loves Me

This week I realized that my barely 7-year-old boy has outgrown all of his size 7 pants…that he just grew into. I also realized that I needed to start collecting items for the hospital bag and for the next year in the world of nursing. I know from past experience that if I do not have the right clothes (modest and comfy) that I will get frustrated and embarrassed and give up. Add to that an insatiable nesting urge that requires new curtains, and I headed out the door with one heck of a list.

Thanks to a very generous offer from my mom, I was able to scour Goodwill right up the street without kids! I’ve bragged about my Goodwill finds before in this post, but honestly, that trip looks petty next to yesterday’s haul.

For you veteran thrift-shoppers, you know how exciting it is to go in to a thrift store looking for something specific (like jeans and curtains) and seeing that those particular items are 50% off. That is half-off thrift store prices. Well, that’s what greeted me when I came in. Needless to say, I was excited.

And, you won’t believe what I got for $39.48.

This picture just shows the clothing I grabbed.

2 pr of jeans for Tall-Skinny one ($1.50 each, Originally $3 each) and two nursing bras plus…

 A very soft, nursing-friendly top for the hospital bag, reversible cover up, super-amazing nursing top, black maternity pants that are NOT stretch but are also NOT structured (AKA perfect), a pair of maternity jeans that actually fit, and a coral and navy maxi dress (originally from Target) that I’ve had on a secret wish list for MONTHS).

And here are the household goodies.

This pile includes a basket for baby girl’s room (which I couldn’t pass up because it opens like the basket in the Wizard of Oz). I plan to use it for the top of the changing table. There’s also a porcelain wall-hang for her, a twin sheet for the boys, and a new curtain for the dining room (also originally from Target).

I can’t remember which items were half off, but I would just like to show you a few comparisons. These are the actual brands of the items I got. Some items are an exact match, some are the same brand but the prints/colors are different for the “new spring collection.”

Item	Store Price	Goodwill Price
Cross-over nursing top	Target-$16.99	$1.99 (with sale)
J. Jill night shirt	J. Jill website-SALE $24.99	$3.99
Motherhood Jeans	Motherhood site-$30 average	$1.50 (with sale)
Old Navy pants	Old Navy-$22	$1.50 (with sale)
Nursing bra	Gordman’s-$18-$26	$3.99 each
Maxi Dress	Target-CLEARANCE $17	$5.99
Curtain	Target-$19.99	$3.00
Twin Sheet	Target-Set $36	$3.99

This is me, basically sticking my tongue out at all the thrift-store skeptics and snobs.

…and this is me actually sticking my tongue out.

How can you look at those prices and see the name brands I swiped and still say that thrift stores are tacky or a waste?

Anyway, Goodwill and I will be continuing our torrid affair. I encourage you to find a local thrift shop, go in with a specific list of needs (don’t just fill up your home with random crap because it’s cheap) and let yourself be surprised.

Here are some tips on finding a “good” thrift store that suits your style in this post.

Have a great day!

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