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Watch the documentary DEAD WHITE MANS CLOTHES It shows what happens to the items that can't be sold at thrift shops. It's actually so cruel to other people and creating problems you would never imagine.
I saw something a bunch of years ago that the Salvation Army spends a lot of money for trash companies to pick up their trash. If we want to help them then let's not cost them money. ❤
Thank you for this video! I loved your back to school shopping. I am on a spending freeze, yet I got some retail therapy by watching you all go thrifting! So fun!
I wish thrift stores would lower their prices and maybe they wouldn't be busting at the seams. Sometimes you can find some good deals but lately any more even prices at the thrift stores for peoples used items are outrageous. I think thrift stores need to remember what their purpose is.
There are costs to running a thrift store: electric, water, wages, building & parking lot maintenance, cash registers and so forth. The cost on all of this stuff is going up for Good Will like it is for everyone else. But yes, the prices at Good Will can be quite ridiculously high.
@@deb9806I was told they sell Antiques and high dollar things on EBay. That is one place I do not shop. Plus the cashiers always ask if you want to round up what you owe. Example, your purchase came to $9.51 and they ask it you want to round up? Well heck no. I save my change to use at yardsales.
Goodwill is bursting at the seams bc they charge way too much. They have also been accused of being ‘stingy’ when it comes to helping community missions. I donate to thrift stores that charge reasonable prices & work to improve their communities.
I only shop the sale 1.99 tags or the 50% off tags at goodwill. It actually works out great for me because the nice items marked so high often don’t sell until their tags are marked down. If you catch the first day of the tag sale before they start pulling them you can find some amazing stuff.
When my mom passed, I brought her stuff to the food bank at the church she volunteered for. Lots of seniors went to the Church, I brought all her medical equipment, potty chair, canes, wheelchair, walkers, even the oxygen machine I purchased for her, because the insurance machine was way to expensive every month, it was cheaper for me to buy one. All her crafts, gives seniors something to do. They give it to anyone who is in need. I know my mother is happy about what I did, she loved that place!
There was a couple in my mom’s church that did this. The wife passed and a few ladies from the church helped the husband go through and organize her things then bring them to the church for everyone to choose from. It was a beautiful way for her sweet spirit to live on.
One of the shelters in my city posts a list of personal care items (shampoos, soaps, combs, women's products), blankets, towels, medical equipment etc. that they can use for their homeless guests which was so helpfull when I was helping clean out a few homes after the original elderly owners, or their family members, had sold them and needed to get rid of the smaller and/or more personal items, linens, etc.
I never give to goodwill!! The CEO make 6 figure salary a year and the prices are store prices. Give to hospice!!! They give care for patients that are in the last stage of life for free!!! Hospice is AWESOME!!!!! In my opinion 🙏❤️. Edit; I meant to say millions per year! Had to clear this up. Sorry it was a typo 😊. Chalk it up to old lady brain😵💫🤫
Not all locations have a hospice thrift store. I have a thrift store run by a local church cult, and Goodwill. I would give to Goodwill over the cult. But yes, if I had a hospice thrift store or a thrift store that benefited animal shelters I would donate and shop them instead.
I reviewed the guidelines online, cleaned my furniture donation, put it in the car and drove 30 miles to donate. Then I had a manager come out and yell at me they can't be held responsible for what's on the website they didn't want my donation. She yelled at me. Not "thank you but no thank you". She yelled at me. WHY would I ever attempt to donate anything to them again? I am still flabbergasted by how I was treated. 🤯
Yes Goodwill is Good for that they want brand new stuff so they can charge a huge price for all donated stuff they didn't buy any of that donated stuff it ANGERS ME BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE HAVE OR NEED TO SHOP THERE CAUSE THEY CANT AFFORD THE DEPARTMENT STORE PRICES VERY SAD WHY CANT THEY THINK ABOUT HELPING PEOPLE TO AFFORD CLOTHES, SHOES, ECT THEY ARE JUST VERY GREEDY PLUS THEY GET DONATIONS FROM DEPARTMENT STORES AS WELL THEY GET ALL THAT STUFF FOR FREE! THAT WHY PEOPLE SHOULD SELL THEIR STUFF AND MAKE MONEY FOR THEMSELVES. WHY NOT BENEFIT YOURSELF FIRST. GOODWILL PRICES "SUCKS" USED TO BE AFFORDABLE NOT SO MUCH NOW 😢😢😢😢😢! HOPEFULLY THEY ARE LISTENING! ?
I had several barely used office chairs to donate. I CALLED to be sure they would be accepted, then scheduled a pickup. I dusted and wiped down the chairs prior to pickup, then brought everything outside. The truck came and took everything EXCEPT the chairs. I ended up just putting them at the curb with a "Free" sign, where they were gone within an hour.
Look into what community services they're supporting. Some of the revenue streams for these services have dried up. Your money is going to help folks in your community - it's not just about getting a good deal for yourself anymore.
@@vagabondbombshell we have boutique stores connecting with the Goodwill in Lexington and Chapin SC . Look it up for yourself. Also Goodwill wants to put ppl to work but you need ppl to work in store anyway and their pay is not that great . Any natural disaster,fires, etc. where is the Goodwill, no where . Salvation Army is always there….
Years ago when I was raising my 3 sons as a single mother. My oldest son really wanted a Nintendo,. He worked so hard all summer mowing yards to earn the money. When it was time to purchase I happened to find a yard sale with a Nintendo, all the different controllers and 30 or so games for half the price of a new unit with only one controller and one game. I asked the lady if she would hold it and I would be right back with my son. I used that as a learning moment that he has never forgotten. That was a great find and got a LOT of use from all 3 boys.
Thrift stores in our area are charging such outrageous prices that I've started putting my things on the curb and post a free stuff curb alert. 99% of what I put out is happily taken by those in our community who need or want what they find. I've had people offer their labor as a thank you. Even had someone bring us a steakhouse gift card as a thank you. ❤
We also have great success just putting things by the street with FREE signs on them and people usually take them the same day. Also, it saves my husband and I time, gas, and the people who need the item get it for free.
Thank you for that! Free boxes are a wonderful solution, and who doesn't like free? I only had one experience that shook me up with it. A van pulled up,and I had some furniture left from a garage sale,small things too. He took all of it! A few months later I went to a garage sale and he was selling the things I put out! I did speak with his wife about it. She said it was free and there's no mention about how many items they can take. Alright, if that's how you justify it,even though you know it's shady go ahead and do it. I guess?
@@RitaRiley-w4dyes you will always find that type of person who will do this, we have people who went to our local tip and taking Al sorts of stuff, I did it myself to use in my own backyard work so I never thought much of it, until I went to my first local auction and saw all the items I had missed out on getting for free from the tip all neatly piled up in groups for sale. No I did not bid on them, I was so angry that it had been done, some of it never sold but they kept putting it into the local auction every time it was held until it did sell. I don’t need to thrift shop from my local tip anymore, but I still take a look if I’m there throwing out anything just incase there is something there I can use. Dad came home with a 5 piece dining setting only one chair was missing we now have it on the front porch and I finally bought some UV safe fabric to re-cover all 3 chairs. He found an old pram that he turned into my laundry basket carriage 😹😹
I'm very proud of the thrift store I work at as a volunteer. Our prices didn't change over the last 10 years (eg 2 euros per t shirt). We sell our items very quickly because of that. All of the revenue goes to charity. The volunteers are allowed to choose which charities. I hope more initiatives like this exist in the world.
And this is how it should be. When I was a child thrift stores, donation centers like salvation army and goodwill were there to help those in need or less fortune. Now they charge the same amts as stores for used items, this is not okay. You mention euros, are you in the USA? Your thrift store are the type I would be so glad to take my stuff to.
@@jzamora7898 Note she works as volunteer. That thirft store has no labor costs. (or labor backup). Goodwill provides jobs for people who can have difficulty finding jobs as well.
Last time I took donations to Goodwill, they tried to pick and choose what they would take. I closed up the back of my car and drove EVERYTHING to a local thrift store. I will never donate to them again.
@@ebayvideo6383 A few months ago I missed the time frame to donate to a local thrift store and took them one block down to Habitat. It was also after their dropoff time, but they took everything, including clothing, which they don't sell at that location. Next time I was in the other thrift I found my donated clothes on the racks. Not only did Habitat take things they don't sell, they turned around and donated to another store. Sadly, they have a new manager there now who enforces the rules and has raised prices.
The last time we dropped something off at St. Vincents de Paul they declined to take half the item I brought in . I should mention some of the items rejected were seasonal. It was after Easter and I had Easter decorations.
I used to donate a lot to Goodwill but now I donate to shelters for homeless and families in transition. What they cant use, they sell to buy much needed supplies and food.
We don’t take our stuff to Goodwill anymore. Live in an apartment. Clothing or anything we tire of that is in good condition we leave down on the table in the lobby. By the time I come back from the trash bin it is gone. Helping out my own neighbors is the best.
When I lived in a small condo complex there was a laundry room with a table where you could leave what you don’t want, take what you can use. I loved it! Kinda funny story, a new guy moved in and left his shoes there while his clothes dried and of course someone took them! He left a nasty note demanding their return.
My sis leaves usable stuff out on the curb, I think the evening before trash pickup day. People often go around scouting the curbs that day or the next. I'm sure that's done a lot for a lot of people.
@@lizh1988 me too! I put stuff at the curb last week. All picked up except a cat cubby hole toy sat there untouched! Today I checked with a friend who has a teenage kitten and said she’d love to have it. Vanna Black is now enjoying playing with it!
Another way to donate responsibly came to me in a very special way. Our church gathered up clothing and school supplies before school began, and went to a park where we set up tables. We also had free hotdogs and chips. It was simply the best day ever. I heard so many sad stories and spent time with people that needed so much help in their lives. I gave “fashion advice” and watched people connect. It was a wonderful day.
that's wonderful because you truly connected with others and gave of yourself. You also learned more about what the real needs are of the people in your community.
Most vets and emergency animal hospital or animal shelters will take all clothes, blankets, sheets and pillows that way they can use it in cages - regardless of condition
I love Goodwill and I will tell you why. When no one would hire my special needs daughter…. They did. They gave her, her first real job and I will never forget that. People are going to hate. I choose a different route and emotion. I will always be grateful and continue to donate to them.
To be fair, that's part of their policy when hiring. They are known for hiring those with disabilities compared to a lot of other places that won't. Glad she was able to get a job. I've had friends with health conditions or disabilities who've been hired in the past through Goodwill.
That’s why I donate to goodwill too for the same reason. My sister is handicapped. She has the mental capacity of a 12 year old. They hired her for her first job and she was so happy. She looked forward to going to work and the money made her happy too. She doesn’t work there anymore, but it made me happy to see her happy. But I do have to admit I’m only seeing gosh in the last 10 years or so two handicap people actually working in the stores and that was the original for. I’ve heard that it’s really all about money and profit for them now. And I hope it inot true. But the prices are putting on these items. I don’t see how I can’t be true. 15:18
That’s why I donate to goodwill too for the same reason. My sister is handicapped. She has the mental capacity of a 12 year old. They hired her for her first job and she was so happy. She looked forward to going to work and the money made her happy too. She doesn’t work there anymore, but it made me happy to see her happy. But I do have to admit I’m only seeing gosh in the last 10 years or so two handicap people actually working in the stores and that was the original for. I’ve heard that it’s really all about money and profit for them now. And I hope it isnot true. But the prices they ate putting on these items. I don’t see how I can’t be true.
Works for me every time! Sometimes I’ll put one item at the front of the driveway (like a table). When I go to the garage to get the chairs to go with it, the table is gone! 😁
Dawn- I don't know if you will read my comment or not, but I have to say I am so grateful I found your channel. I recently moved from a 3 bedroom apartment to a 2 bedroom apartment to save money. I knew moving I was going to have to get rid of things and it stressed me out so badly, because I had so much and I don't think I had permission to get rid of anything. I went through a divorce where he kept the house and I kept the stuff. When I moved the my 3 bedroom apartment the boxes touched the ceiling nearly in every room and it took a year to even unpack most of it. I felt trapped, stressed and depressed for 2 years. I had so much stuff that cleaning was overwhelming and I would pass up invites to socialize, because I was either embarrassed of my house or felt overwhelmed trying to manage the inventory of my life. About 2 weeks before I started to move I found your channel and EVERYTHING you were saying made so much sense. I was like WHY DO I HAVE ALL of this? I got rid of 8 full van loads to goodwill, I threw out so much old expired items knowing that I didn't need to feel bad, because I would never let myself acquire it again. I have reduced my wardrobe by 75% and still want to cut it more. I designated small containers for keepsakes and am not keeping what wont fit in them. I cannot thank you enough for the content you make. I hope you see this just so you feel the gratitude I have for you. I am telling everyone I know about your channel and this lifestyle, because in such a short time this way of living has significantly changed my life. I have been in my new apartment for 1 month and I have enough, more than enough. I am still decluttering and I plan to regularly. I have not felt depressed or overwhelmed and I believe it has a lot to do with this change. Keep doing what you are doing it helps. I work alongside your videos all the time! SO MUCH LOVE to you and your family!
I’m sorry he kept the house! 😢😢😢 Anyway, in one of Sonia Choquette’s early books, she said a divorced woman came to her for help understanding why she felt so stuck. Sonia found out her apt was full of beautiful expensive furniture that she and her husband bought. The sad association influenced the woman every day but she wasn’t aware. The logic is that it’s valuable, nice stuff. The reality was that it wasn’t healthy for her to be stuck in that stagnant energy. Feng shui is similar - it’s all about keeping the energy fresh and flowing harmoniously. This is just another way to look at what you have already discovered makes you feel good! 💖
I grew up with 9 siblings. We used to always tell our mom to "just write a check". We did a lot of hand-me-downs. But we didn't really learn what your kids are. You are doing them a great service for their adult life!!
I'm not even 4 minutes into this video and I have to write this comment... all the Goodwill stores in my area ( Dallas suburb, very prosperous area ) have so much broken stuff on their dirty shelves and so outrageously priced. This is the stuff that is trash, it's broken stuff and they are trying to sell it ! It's crazy !!! If what you are saying is true, and they are having to turn down donations and / or throw perfectly good items away then a simple fix for that would be to stop trying to sell every item at such a ridiculous high price. Goodwill stores have lost their minds on how they price things... Goodwill has gotten caught up in the greed of it all !
They take all the good stuff and put it online and mark it ridiculously high instead of putting in stores first online should be last resort for unsold items in stores but with all the good stuff put on line it's the broken junk that the stores get
Goodwill’s greed is not new. It’s been going on for years! Just look at how much their CEO and executives make, especially compared to what they pay “special special needs” employees in the stores. You only need to look it up……
Jujubunnybea- I’m with you! I live in far north Dallas ( also prosperous area) & I’m astounded how little GW cares to price items reasonably so people can afford their merchandise- I watch videos here on market channels & it’s definitely true nationwide- they’ve lost what they were developed for😡😡
I have a housekeeper with a large extended family. Instead of donating to thrift shops the great majority of items go straight to her and her family. She says there’s always someone who needs something! Any unused items go to her church. My mother used to clean houses and she brought home many clothing items from her various clients which i put to good use. I still have an evening bag from the 1960’s! I was always excited about those clothes.
I wish people would think of the people they hire more. Giving unwanted items to hired help is appreciated and if we can't use it ourselves, usually we know someone who can use it.
My grandma cleaned people’s houses and she would come home with many items they gave her. They would give her expensive girl’s clothing that looked wonderful on me throughout my middle school years. 😍 they also gave my parents window air conditioner and furniture. I still have some of the air conditioners around my house.
My Mom also cleaned homes for two families when I was in middle and high school. I always treasured the clothing items that she brought home: mainly classic, preppy styles. They were all quality brands that we could never afford from high end department stores. Those few items gave us a sense of fitting in, and a sense of confidence. That may not mean anything to those who had abundance - but IYKYK. Now that I'm 57, and a moderate minimalist, I have few clothing items, but they are quality items. Finding the classic upscale brands in a consignment shop is a thrill for me. Whereas I used to enjoy wearing prestige brands to "fit in", I now enjoy the quality (quality fabrics, quality construction). If I find clothing of natural materials (100% mid weight cotton is my favorite) in a prestige brand...SCORE! And, when it comes to donating items for back to school charity events or Christmas, I love to pass it on by throwing in some brands that are popular with the middle and high schoolers. We even have a local store for foster children (up to age 18) where they can go and "shop" for free. It's like a boutique, and I absolutely love to give to these kids who have very little.
A tip if you want it: I used to take my kids into second hand shops wearing cycling shorts or leggings so they could try on jeans or trousers over them (if no changing room). Tops are different. Just pull on over T shirts. It saved me a trip back. They are young adults now and the girls still do this.
What a great tip! I had never heard the rule of nit being able to try on jeans until I watched this video. I’m still just in shock! Goodwill is literally losing so much money because of this restriction! I’d never buy jeans my kids could not try on first. And then if people return them they only get a store credit. If a kid returns jeans and wants to shop somewhere else for jeans they can’t. I’m just up on my soapbox I know, sorry. I think your idea solves so many issues! Could girls wear tank tops then try on tshirts? I don’t know. I’m a grandmother so I no longer take kids shopping (thank you Lord! I had four girls…🤦🏼♀️) I only started watching after my grand daughter mentioned she plans to go shop here. So impressed with Mom! So many good lessons here! I also taught math and we’d pretend shop to learn % lol
@@conisims1728 definitely wear tank tops to try on shirts. Let’s be honest, I am not going to take back a charity item that we have bought unless it was expensive. This is the best solution. 😀
@@gigibees9313My local GW stores removed dressing rooms this Spring because of theft. If I need a shirt I wear a tank top and try on in the aisle. I don’t buy jeans so no worries there!
When my nephew was young he wanted a new Nintendo controller so my sister said ok get your money and we’ll go to the store. When it came down to actually parting with his own money he decided the controller he already had was good enough! The lesson he learned about spending his money wisely stuck with him all these years. You are so smart to be teaching your kids this lesson!
I wish we had textile and electronics recycling bins in every town like in other countries. People feel guilty for throwing everything in the land fill.
The thing that is sad about this is that Goodwill originally was a charity to help people with disabilities learn a skill and find employment fixing things that were broken and were then sold in the store. But now they are just a thrift store.
I donate and shop at the local ARC store. I am sure others have their own opinion of these stores and their mission. I keep a list of 'in the market for' items, and look in those sections first, then wander around looking for the half price bargains (only go on Saturday and Tuesday), often comparing to retail on my phone. Once home, I do that for each purchase and give myself a pat on the back for the low cents on the dollar result!🤗 And I offer to round up if they do not ask.
Our local Goodwill is really expensive for a thrift store where all of their inventory is donated. There are many people who can't afford what they charge for clothing. $6.99 for a t-shirt is ridiculous. Their clothing racks are stuffed (because they aren't moving many items due to price), so it's very difficult to find things. Then you can't try anything on at the store. Returns are only replaced with a store credit.
That's what bothers me. When they removed the ability to try on, they should have gone to a returns policy, not just store credit. They make sure they keep what you spend there.
I have thrifted clothing since my kids were born. They are now 18 and 21. They are still in school. I have recently gotten a text from my youngest, “mom, look what I found at the thrift store”. 🥰 My heart was so happy. We did an honorary back to school shop last week. Frugally they found a few new shirts each. 👕 They absolutely get the concept of giving things a second life as well as supporting our local communities. One told me, “it can be harder to find that special gem, but thrifting gives us so many more choices”. 😉
That phrase of yours..... "If it's not a hard yes, it's a no"........... has been SUPER helpful to myself, my nieces, my daughters, my granddaughters.... all of the family!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love the way you handled the kids' school shopping. They had the freedom to choose what they wanted within a boundary set by you. It teaches them the value of money and shows them how far it will or will not go which, in turn teaches them not to be impulsive in their selections. Very wise approach.
Basically, donations should be anything that you would give to friends or family. If it’s not good enough (in good, clean condition) for them, then it shouldn’t be donated to a thrift store.
That is very subjective because what isn't good enough for your friends might very well be good enough for someone else. What an item might not be though is able to be sold at Goodwills high prices. If Goodwill had a $1 section they wouldn't have to be so picky about what they accepted because most undamaged things will sell if they are $1.
This is a good way to look at it. I also think about whether someone would be willing to pay to own the things that I'm donating. If I don't think anyone would pay 5 to 10 for it, it's not worth donating.
Exactly, I started packing up clean clothes, folding them and putting in a jcrew bag and giving it to people I know can use it. Good will turned a former regular customer into a never ever again shopper.
There are many levels of acceptable. As long as it works someone will use it. So many things that go to a landfill are easily fixed or used in some new way. Perfection is not necessary.
Some of the larger cities that I have lived in when my kids were smaller, I would go to the more affluent neighborhood to yard sales and that’s how I bought my kids clothes and even furnished my home. I used to get compliments on my kids clothes all the time.
I did the same thing! I could cloth my entire family for $50 or less with good and most times new clothes that people just bought their kids and themselves and never wore. My daughter couldn't wait to go "shopping" lol.
Cat and Jack is target. Our church has an annual rummage sale. We collect all year. Father is always amazed that we fill our social hall every year. We are located in a city downtown area and the population around is lower income. We get nice stuff and We price low! $1 a piece on clothing 1st day. $1.50 a bag second day. So many people tell us how much they rely on our sale for back to school, Christmas shopping. I appreciate it is a great fund raiser for us but also it is a service to our community.
Dawn, don't ever think you say to often how much your Mom and Dad have provided for you all and how grateful you are, because some of us don't have parents around anymore to be able to tell them. So go ahead, I love it when people tell us stories of how they grew up and how wonderful their family is at helping one another. What a wonderful way to teach your children the true meaning of Family !!
Love that you pretty much stay out of their clothing choices when shopping, letting them choose what they want. Fewer fights, less drama, and a feeling of accomplishment and independence is priceless.
I love my Buy Nothing group and try to give there first, when I have the time. That way nobody has to pay for the items, and they get exactly what they want. It’s community building too!
I’m older (and, single) and, don’t shop at Goodwill but always see the influencers using them & thought it was a great idea and cheap. Now, I’m literally just hearing about Buy Nothing & I totally get it. If you aren’t getting money (maybe a tax rewrite off) why not try this Buy Nothing?!? I’ll have to look into it.
I use my local Buy Nothing too. It can be helpful to give items to people in this way. There are some nice people. But I also find it annoying when there's no shows, or someone can't make it that day or week, or they back out after you've chosen the person and have made arrangements. So then you have to go through the process again. I don't find it works for me when I have a whole pile of things. It's work to take photos, list items, wait for people to comment and say they're interested, do private messages, arrange time. etc. Sometimes, it's just easier for me to take things to the thrift store, and get it all gone in one go. Sometimes, I just want things gone quickly.
GoodWill has been known for many years to just be in the business for profit while claiming they aren't for profit. The CEO rakes in lots of money while depending on mostly volunteers for work at the lower levels.
For some reason hearing this today made me really understand that if I would not buy it at the second hand store, throw it away. Good job kids!! These are the important lessons we can teach our kids.
Last year I bought a sweater from Plato's closet I liked relatively well while I was pregnant, it wasn't until I got home that I decided to check the brand and realized it was Member's Mark, and when I looked it up on Sam's website, I found it for $4 cheaper brand new in store than they were selling it used at Plato's closet.
This is true. I volunteered at a local charity that would give items away to anyone who signed up for free. Think of it as a very small Goodwill that opened to the public once a week and gave everything away. Most of the women working there were in their 70s. No one got paid to work, not even the president. We would get clothing from the 60s with cigarette burn holes in them. People would empty their toy boxes and there would be nails mixed in with random toy pieces. We put out clothing that we would want our own family to wear. We threw away a lot! I remember one time they had to pay for an extra dumpster because we had too much garbage. Anything that was nice and needed washing got washed. Jeans with holes in the knees were sometimes cut off and made into shorts by a seamstress. The problem is, all of that took a lot of time and energy to sort out. Standing on the concrete floor organizing items that were not nice enough to put out on the floor was very discouraging. These type of charities won’t be able to operate very long if people keep dumping junk off. The volunteers will be too worn out.
We have charity shops here in England, they're on a much smaller scale than your thrift stores. The prices have gone so high, considering all of the stuff has been given to them free. They are obviously not selling very much because a lot of them are refusing donations at the moment. I have seen some items priced higher than they were when they were new!
I gave my son his own money and budget from the age of five. He’s now at university and is managing his finances really well and will even have enough money to pay for his masters degree. We hit a few bumps along the way, but overall he’s always been respectful of what he has because, in the main, he’s payed for his things himself. It definitely pays to teach them from a young age I’ve found.😊
The schools should really educate students about personal finance. Everyone will have some sort of income as an adult and they will need to know how to manage it .
@@crafting1660 my kids had Business Town simulation at school and they learned how to write checks and pay bills etc but it didn't have the same emotional impact as actually having their own money to spend and regret or appreciate spending.
I did something like that with my son. From age 14, I signed over the child support check to him & told him I would provide the basics & if he wanted the high-priced, designer stuff, he had to pay the difference. Long story shortened: A few years later, he went back to school in another state & when renting an apartment, the manager didn't know if they'd rent to him because of a zero credit history. ( he owned 2 houses & 4 cars at the time) He got the apartment when he offered to pay the 18 months of rent in cash & up front! Teaching them young is definitely the way to go.
"What we obtain too cheaply" (as in items given to us), "we esteem too lightly" (we don't value the items because we didn't have to work to get them) is a valuable lesson everybody should learn. I'm glad your children have learned this through your teachings.
Love this!! My husband and I live by a similar philosophy, "When in doubt, throw it out", like for food your not sure is still good, or items your thinking about donating, but are in questionable condition. This also works for ideas or thoughts you're having doubts about....just throw them out too.
We live in a neighborhood with lots of foot traffic as well as a buy nothing group. I am amazed by how nearly everything gets taken when I put out a free box (if I don’t have time or energy) or picked up by a neighbor on buy nothing with loads of gratitude. I love that people benefit without having to pay goodwill prices. Other times I do throw things away, but honestly, I’m always surprised how people have uses for even my broken items. Even if it’s just for art projects. That said, I have already done so much decluttering. All that said, thank you for the permission to toss things. I appreciate that so much!
I also find that if I put things on the curb marked "Free" they disappear. Of course, Dawn doesn't live in a high traffic street, but for those of us in cities, it's an easy option.
Love Buy Nothing, it is amazing what people will take from you. Didn't like the scent of a cleaner, gone. Don't use decor any more, gone. If no one wants it after 48 hours, then I donate or trash as appropriate.
The last time I had a garage sale, I also did a large section of stuff (clothes, empty glass candle containers, stuff that I didn't want to charge anyone for) on the driveway and marked it all "FREE" - I think almost everything was taken!
I just told my 20 something daughter the same thing. That is why organizing and minimalism is so big. People have over consumed, charged, bought by listening to others instead of what they like. There is nothing wrong with loving what you have and enjoying a simple life.
Life is way more than what you can buy. my son says we've all been tricked into the consumerism world. I understand, in order for companies that sell items to make money someone has to buy it and in order for them to make you buy it they have to make you want it.
I was told that at our Goodwill a police officer from the community went into the store and asked if they would donate a pair of shoes for a homeless gentleman. Goodwill said “no”.
Thankful for caring police officers like this one! And yes, there are always more stores and homeless shelters out there who will make much better use and be more caring stewards of the stuff!
I have just thrown 40, yes 40 garbage bags of stuff to the tip. Could most gone to good will? YES but I wanted it out of my house. If I had it sitting in a box, I would have second guess myself and gone back through it and taken it out. But I’m so proud of my self, things I would have kept ‘Just in case’ went to the tip. To go from a life of hoarding to now happily getting rid of things, it’s all because of you Dawn. I will never be able to thank you enough to, 1 admit to people I’ve been a hoarder and 2 not want you to hoard any more. Thank you, thank you, thank you ❤
Well done! Helped a friend of mine with packing for a move last week and she also dumped a lot (in Germany you can go to garbage centers where you divide your junk for example between paper, clothes, electronic stuff...). One or another thing would still have been good for another person but she lacked time and energy and was batter to have that stuff gone instead of moving it to the new location. But still her old, old sewing machine found a new home via the internet, which was worth the extra work.
I volunteer at the hospice thrift store, and we are loaded with donations!. We get everything from designer clothes to things I wouldn't use to mop the floor. Stained and faded clothes are very common and have to be discarded. Thanks for bringing this up for people to learn what to do with unwanted things. The rule for donations should be if you wouldn't buy it, don't donate it.
I volunteer at our school clothes closet. Same! We get everything from dirty soccer cleats, straight off the field to 5" high heels, extremely racy, inappropriate underwear, etc!😅
Why don't places use those stained clothes to make quilts or rag rugs to sell? Or look into fabric recycling? A local sewing group might make use of the fabric, as the stained portion is cut out, but lots of usable fabric is left; especially with denim & cotton fabrics. I hate that this stuff just goes to landfills when there might be another pathway for it's usefulness... In our community, our 7th Day Adventist Church accepts clothing, furniture, appliances, cookware, etc for low-income & tragedy struck families. Any clothing that's unusable, they cut into squares & make into quilts for families whose houses burn down, flood, or something like that. Virtually everything donated gets utilized. Jyst saying.
@@leahrowe847quilting is very time consuming and people arent going to pay much for a quilt made out of someone elses old clothing. it’s nice in thought, but not actually feasible. people need to simply stop over consuming. and especially need to stop patting themselves on the back for ‘donating’ items that are worn out/broken/cheap quality.
I agree with you. My mother-in-law passed away and we had to clear her house that was packed. we had about 8 trips that went to goodwill. We would’ve rather carried these donations to a better one across town but we didn’t have the time or energy to do this so we chose to go to the closest drop site about 10 minutes away and get this major job done. Sometimes what is most important is to just get it done. It’s a mental health deal.
Where I live, the GW locations in more affluent areas routinely fill pallet boxes at the donation drive-thru to send to locations in less affluent areas. The items never even go through the doors to be processed at the location where you dropped them off.
I work in a charity shop in England and you are absolutely right - many of our donated goods are unsaleable and we have to throw them away. It upsets me that people think they can offload their junk at our shop. But we are very grateful for the good stuff in nice condition and enjoy our relationship with our donors.
So do I Carole, and I've always said "I'd never donate anything to a charity shop that I wouldn't buy myself" - clean, good condition etc. But it can be amazing how much cr*p people give us - obviously saves them going to the tip themselves!
@@smudgewhite55you don’t need to go to the tip . Just put old clothes in the wheelie bin . Put unwanted on your front. Every thing I’ve put out for collection someone walked by and asked for it
Aww Maggie was just beaming! I know that "love it" feeling when you find that piece of clothing that just feels perfect she'll have that for a long time if she wants!
You taught your children well. My son would not have worn anything from a thrift shop. I gave him the lawn mower and told him to mow the neighbors' yards to earn money to buy his "Brand name" shoes. He did it and did it well. Now he has kids and he knows how hard it is to cloth them.
My daughter and I volunteer at two organizations that serve the community. It is so helpful when bags are organized and labeled. Also, anything with stains or holes gets thrown away. Thank you for sharing this video!
Dawn, I love seeing you raise your kids, everything about it. My son is grown, married and moved, and no grandkids yet. No matter how well or badly you raise them, the kind of adults they become is up to the Lord. I made plenty of mistakes, but I thank the Lord every day that he overcame them.
Another option is local free Facebook groups - some folks may be happy to have your lightly used items that Goodwill won’t take, and you don’t have to throw them away.
Such a good video, great job Mom! I completely agree with you about name brand items for teens especially. My daughter shopped sales for her name brand clothes and when she grew out of them, she took them to a consignment shop so she got something back. This was a good incentive for her to take really good care of her clothes.
Joy Forney, who serves in Africa, has shared that the country where she lives is so inundated with clothing from the US that it is causing problems. She has posted pictures of mounds and mound of used clothes that will not be used . Truthfully, they are stuck with our waste and often it prevents locals from being able to make a living by making items there. We often pass on the problems that our overconsumption causes because we believe we can help others. I am as guilty as anyone. As I am in the process of packing for a cross country move, I keep encountering the great “why?” as I figure out just how much stuff is totally unnecessary.
Oh this is really interesting, I will look into it more...ugh...we're all guilty, I hope we can start to turn this ship around :) Thank you for taking the time to share this and good luck on your move!
Yes this is true. Other countries would rather wear our used brand name things then buy their local items. It truly does hurt the local economy and small businesses.
Also, look into other recycled stuff like plastics. Plastic is basically not recycled for several reasons. It’s cheaper to make new plastic than to mess with recycled stuff. Recycled plastics can only be used a small number of times. The vast majority of plastics are not recyclable and the recyclable plastic are often contaminated and unusable. Poor countries are paid to take our trash. It’s income for them, but it goes into their landfills, their rivers and streams and into the oceans. Our trash is our problem and our responsibility.
After a couple of months our local goodwill and some thrift stores give the out of season clothing to the local Mennonite’s and Amish communities and they make quilts out of them and I love that they do that because it’s going to good use for someone to stay warm .
This is the BEST time of year to celebrate your children's physical, mental and spiritual growth. Clear out the closets and buy a few new items to wear as school starts back. I loved your trip as a sweet, excited family. Bravo!
I'm from MN and have really enjoyed the content you put out. I love how you communicate and articulate the practicality of minimalism and things about life. As a stay at home mom I feel like I have a friend in my house when I listen to your videos. You've helped reinforce things I think, remind me of things I've maybe forgotten, and inspire me to do better. It was fun to see how you shop, and how you communicate with your kids on making choices. I can get busy with life and find it easier to just buy what we need and spend more when I haven't had time to do "inventory" of my home. Your reminder of the fact that how much we are buying/donating has become overload for the donation places is a good reminder as we go into the back to school season. I find comments from my family about what I throw or donate can make me feel wrong or wasteful... but the reality is it's keeping me sane, and better able to run my home. Thanks for being real & transparent! Keep doing videos like you do!!
If there is a local St. Vincent de Paul near you, they may accept a larger selection of goods. They are usually run by volunteers and their resale prices are much lower.
As a homeschooling mom of 7. One is special needs and has a rare severe form of epilepsy. I always take the oath of least resistance with everything. I started decluttering when I had my fourth child. It was all to overwhelming. With all the stress and chaos I need visual simplicity. Clear spaces, empty cabinets and drawers makes the home easierto maintain and more enjoyable to be in. A minimal wardrobe, minimal skincare, hair, makeup routine, ect makes life easier.
One thing to also keep in mind: different Goodwill locations actually have different rules! The Goodwill north of me demands that everything be in garbage bags for them to accept it, and they refuse most large items altogether. The Goodwill south of me won’t take anything if it’s hidden in garbage bags, and they accept all my large items. Completely opposite rules at each place!
In my area (PNW) the Goodwill has a program called Thredbare where they will take your not sale-able clothes and linens and recycle them with a company that re-uses the fibers. It's great to keep that stuff out of the landfill and easier for the recycling company because they get the material in big batches from GW instead of piecemeal from consumers.
Recently, we tried donating some items to 2 different Goodwill Stores and they had a sign saying "Closed due to heat". That was new to us, but it was on days that were 108 outside, so understandable.
@@lisapascual7769 I just was told about this. Our thrift here ( Washington) participates in this. I said I had stuff to sort before bringing in and was told don’t worry .
@@lisapascual7769 I am glad your Goodwill is thinking instead of rudely policing what they will or won't take when. No, people should not drop off stuff that is garbage. Neither should Goodwill treat people who want to donate like criminals.
Too many times I've purchased something with a broken zipper that I didn't notice until I was home. I wish the person had never donated it in the first place.
I remember several years ago a friend. Her job was to replace new clothing with zippers. When jeans are treated, so they look like the aged fabric. It affects the zippers, so my friend would take brand new clothing that came into a store and have to replace them all with new zippers before they could be sold and this was brand new clothing.. Yes, I think so. Many people don't look at the repair and different things on items before they donate them. It's frustrating, we deal with that here.
This isn't exclusive to second-hand stuff. New, retail goods are defective all the time. You should be trying things on, or, at the very least, inspecting for flaws/damage for everything you buy, regardless of location/type of store. And not even exclusively damage/manufacturing issues: you should also be checking that the "action" of the zipper/buttons/clasps/whatever are smooth, feel good, are in the right place, etc. Something might look nice, but be an ergonomic nightmare/require too much force, etc. and just be a thorn in your side until you get rid of it.
Great points! I cannot consciously donate anything that is not in like new condition. The donation centers have to sort these and it's not fair to them.
Thank you. I worked in middle management for a regional thrift store. Our processing team had it the worst. If someone donated five black bags of clothes, they had no idea what the condition was. It wasn't unusual for some bags to be heavily soiled from cigarettes even urine or overall nasty sweat smells. Or holes, broken zippers buttons. We had a standard as we were non profit yet our community focus was to raise funds for homeless shelters and programs not to supply the community with a cheap place to by used clothing. There is another non profit in town that does that. Whole not soiled clothing, they would sell more worn out clothing for $1 each no matter the brand, whereas our store would sell an item in gently used condition of same brand for $9.99 (think like an A brand garment). Getting in clothes that smell or are soiled, we could not risk containments getting into a bale of presorted clothing. That is not only loss of donated merchandise but labor hours it took for a processing employee to go through those itens. So, when people in our area complained how we "threw away so much" they don't realize how many items we receive in that are junky and should have never been brought to us to begin with but it's a chance we take since we don't embarrass the donors when they pull up to donate by looking through their bags. Now, if we are receiving and can already smell stale cigareett or urine or if it's an open box and we see soiled or poor condition or non clothing and it is obviously appearing to be broken or overly worn ir jot falling into our list of accepted itens, we reseve right to turn away. That aside, if we take one thing, we had to take it all. I no longer work in non rpifit thrift bc working in middle management, it's an inevitable burn out. But if I gad to tell a potential donor anything, it would be to understand th misson in who they are donating to. If it's a true retail thrift to raise money for specific causes programs, send them your better stuff. If it's a low cost to the community thrift, that is a better one to send your clean yet slightly more worn items to that sell for 50 cents, $1 range. I personally shop at the low cost thrift stores and find nice things all the time but also expect I'll go through some that are more worn whereas other thrifts that are high cost I know will be cleaner, better organized inside, have try on rooms, and items will be better shape.
I shop thrift stores and it’s disheartening that the clothing items are worn out, faded, pilled, etc. I usually walk out empty-handed. Housewares and tools are better buys.
Stained or torn clothing can be bagged and placed into clothing recycling bins to be turned into cloths for cleaning. It makes sense to donate items that are still in fairly good condition. In Australia, broken furniture can be left out on the nature strip once a year to be collected by our local council. People will also do drive-by and pick pieces to repair and upcycle. I've also posted For Free broken items on Facebook Marketplace for someone to collect for parts etc.
@mariastathopoulos744 only pure cotton clothing can be used for those rags. Nobody wants polyester or blend clothing for anything. I interviewed a couple of stores who sell the rags and found that out.
I’ve heard that when the police ask for donations for a homeless person or a person with other needs, Goodwill refused. They even refused to give a woman a pair of sneakers. The officer paid the few dollars himself, they refused to discount them. I even saw a similar video here on YT.
When our middle aged boys were y very young we gave them $1 a week to spend on whatever they wanted. Robb wanted some kid meal so he bought it. After eating it he was so disappointed and said “ I saved up 2 whole weeks for this and it wasn’t like they make it seem on TV. “ Lesson lesson learned.
I started a free box at my work, because I read a book that said 25% of donations end up at the landfill. This gives people I know a chance to take the irems before I donate them. My co-workers now put things in this box too , so it's almost like a free-cycle group.❤
I don't shop at Goodwill very much anymore. It's too expensive now! Our store doesn't have changing rooms, which is ridiculous! How do you not have changing rooms? They make so much money off of our free stuff!
I work at a library and we accept donations of books, DVDs, CDs, and puzzles to resell in our bookstore (and then use the money to purchase new items for our shelves.) Sometimes if we get nice current bestsellers, we'll add them to our collection for others to borrow. You would be amazed at how much stuff we have to pay to throw away because people will donate old moldy brown books. They either (mistakenly) think it's still good stuff, feel too guilty to throw away books, or more likely, they just don't want to deal with throwing it away themselves. People forget that they actually cost the charity money when they donate garbage. We have to pay to have a dumpster emptied.
This reminds me of when, after graduating my homeschool kids, we went through all the old curriculum and worked with a little homeschool curriculum reseller. The lady operates a used curriculum booth inside a large local antique/flea market store. Although I had given away or sold some curriculum over the years, I still had more things than I realized, so I sorted everything (taking out all the half-used workbooks and such) by grade for her and boxed it up for her. She called me about a month or so later when she and her husband had gone through all our items and thanked me for keeping everything in such good condition. She said, "you will not believe the condition of some of the books and teachers guides we've been given." Honestly, I could not imagine donating moldy or damaged books or guides.
@@js1js135 I'm in central FL and we have these blue bins marked "clothing and shoes recycling" that are at gas stations, convenience stores, and some banks. Do you have bins like that in your area? Look around!
My bestfriend told me this once. "If you don't LOVE it in the store, you won't like it later". Her mom told her that and now shopping is so much easier!
goodwill is mostly for profit, I recocomend donating to another local charity like a church where the money is going striaght to charity. And their prices to buy is more reasonable
All institutions including your church, have to cover expenses. Non profit status does not confer virtue. All it means is they have to spend everything they bring in. They are often using the designation to manipulate naïve people who somehow think making a profit is wrong.
@@carolynhunt7333 making profit is not wrong, the percentage that goes to the goodwill ceo is wrong, I know other places use the money for expenses. Just look where the percentage of the money goes and it will be a bit more illuminating.
Last time I went to a thrift store, I complained to them about the higher prices and reminded them they are supposed to cater to low income and poorer people. She laughed in my face and said no one poor shops here!! Then she said that people buy everything there to sell online and make $$$ on, or to re-dupe them for crafters to sell higher. I looked at her like she was crazy!!! I said to her, "What difference does it make WHAT a person does with it once they buy it and leave here????!!!! You got it for FREE by DONATIONS"!!! Wth!!!🙄🤔 Does everyone have to be so greedy???!! It's absolutely ridiculous!! SMH!!!😡😡😡
we dont have goodwill in NZ but i walk past the salvation army on the way to work, things have got expensive -and the quality isnt that great, i donate to the hospice shop -they have a botique store in town for the nicer stuff and then a big shop of stuff and less fancy clothes in our suburb, some hospice shops sell the fancy stuff on line on trade me (NZ ebay), i usually always pay over when its for hospice
I think the problem is that these resellers will empty the shelves and leave nothing for regular clients. People who buy from these sellers should just go to Goodwill to look around rather than sit in front of their computers.
You complained to some random worker? You know they don't have any control over prices right? You should complain to the corporate big wigs at headquarters who make all the money instead. Stop making lives harder for people just trying to work and earn some measly wages.
Dawn! This is one of my top five videos from you (and that’s saying something!). As a mom with four under six, I’m looking for ways to help my kids be good financial decision makers in the future. I appreciate your parenting advice so much. And you are so real, knowledgeable about why we even like brand names, and honest about letting your girls choose their styles while maintaining modesty. Do you only have one spending session at the start of the school year, or is there another time they do shopping? Goodwill prices are average here, but so many people think they should be cheaper. I don’t know why. We aren’t just paying for other people’s free giveaway items. We are paying for people’s jobs, the electricity, the garbage trucks that take away 80% of what we donate, the cleanliness of the store, the bathroom upkeep, etc; and we are contributing to our local economy.
Specifically in my area in a 1 hour radius. Goodwill hasn't changed in quality. But their prices have gone up drastically. Actually, factually true. A LOT of items are priced above their original retail price. Meaning you can go buy it brand new, in the color of your choice, for LESS than what Goodwill is charging. My favorite wtf moments are when they put the more expensive price sticker next to the cheaper original price sticker. And not on an item from way long ago timewise, but current times. Dollar tree items $1 to 1.25 priced at $2 to $3. Target, home goods, hobby lobby, wherever. I guess what I am saying is that if I am actively choosing to shop at a used store, there is a reason for that. Could be financial, could be social, could be something else. But if most of the items that I see are easier or cheaper to just buy it new... what is the point of going into a used store at all?
Honestly I can find new t shirts cheaper at Walmart and other stores than Goodwill. I choose to give to a local charity that gives back directly to the community with food drives, free school clothes for kids who can't afford them and other ways.
I have NO problem throwing ANYTHING away! This way, I’ve become much more careful about what I DO purchase over the years. When I used to donate, I never really learned the lesson to “stop the consumption”!
