Goodwill Dilemma

I was thinking the other day of a quote by Ghandi, "You Must be the change you wish to see in the world," while I was with my mom and my two sisters in the mall, my Mom gave us some cash to blow on threads, but I went to the bookstore and blew it there.
My family thought I was crazy, "Why waste money on books when you could have bought clothes?"
Funny, I thought expanding my mind was more important.
So anyway, I told my parents about my idea that I would stop purchasing clothes and such from places like American Eagle, Abercrombie, and the like, ($180 for a ripped jacket?) and instead go to the local Goodwill and Salvation Army and get clothes there.
My family didn't exactly like that idea.
"We like you to wear those clothes, and you look nice in them."
Can't I find just as nice clothes in Goodwill?
So anyway, my question is, what do you all think of what I'm about to do?
Is it futile, should I stick with my preppy, over-priced clothes, or lead by example, and let people know that you can still look nice in Goodwill clothes?
And please, I don't mean to offend anyone who purchases cothes from AE, A&F, etc.
Thanks for listening,
Peace,
Ricky

 

Hey, shopping for clothes at goodwill or the salvation army or even yard sales is very smart. You will save 90% of your clothing budget by shopping like this and you will be able to find decent clothes and no one will even know the difference most of the time. I have been shopping at these places for years and Ive never minded at all and it leaves alot of extra money for books or weed or whatever!!! Yeah I think you should lead by example and show them how smart you are.

 

definitly buy at the goodwill. clothes is clothes, it really doesnt matter what you look like. no one needs to spend 100 dollars on clothes that is made like crap by 8 year old kids in japan.

 

haha well most of my threads are pathwork and i didnt pay for them at all. they are hand me downs! which is wonderful. i havnt boughten my own clothes beside a pair of jeans for a long long time. The other day a kid asked me where i got my skirt (that is like a patchwork skirt) and i said one of my friends gave it to me along with a bunch of other clothes. and he just laughs and says " are you dirt poor or something?" im like... wow, no i bet i have more money than u cuz i dont spend it on clothes. haha idk i think its a good idea that you are going to buy your clothes at goodwill stores. i should do that. but i like my clothes idk they are all loose and baggy. haha. it doesnt matter what your parents think, u wear what u want. and u are in a way recycling. and then if those clothes u buy at goodwill get too small, just idk make somethin else out of em. haha peace~

 

My Dad has some old plaid bellbottoms from the 70's, they look so groovy!
Ha Ha, I'm going to wear them to school tomorrow, might look good with my flip-flops
you think?
Peace & Love,
Ricky

 

I think buying clothes from a thrift store is alright. You might be able to find some really neat things that no one else is wearing. and the plaid bell bottoms would rock!

 

I admire what youre doing. I'm all for not financing the system.

 

I remember plaid bellbottoms back then, an it got me thinking I remember going to a magic and costume shop once and they had a back room with all kinds of used costumes and really far out cloths like revolutionary war coats and ruffled shirts, hats with great big brims all sorts of good stuff and it was cheap. Reading books is a great way to expand the mind too, you got the right idea stick with it, tis good to know your out there. lol

 

Alright,
it's good to have some support, I don't want to bore everyone with a teen-trouble-sob-story, but I think we all know what it's like to do something different, you know try to make a difference and not have support.
Oh well, as long as there's others out there like me, I'll be fine, haha
Peace & Love,
Ricky

 

Whoa! Thrift rocks! So do yard sales! I don't know about your goodwill, but the one here won't take clothes with stains and/or holes. The bell-bottoms must be awesome, let us know how it turned out! I have made two pairs of bells too... I like them so much! My favorite of the two is like elephant ear flares and the pieces of cloth that are sewn in that make it flare is actually an old Grateful Dead concert t-shirt from 1993... They are so comfortable too!

 

i buy a lot of my clothes (jackets and such) at the local goodwill. they have other neat stuff for amazingly low prices, as well....

a trip to goodwill always brightens up my low days.

 

hmm i have no idea what goodwill is but im guessing ypur talking about some kind of charity shops which is cool. even my not in any way hippy friends buy clothes from charity shops, i dont bacause im really picky lol. but yeh when i went to new york there was an abercrombe (fuck knows how you spell that sorry) but it was wel fancy, not my kinda thing and wel expensive by the sound of it. anyhoo bit harsh of your parents to think you should buy clothes instead of books, mine would be completely the opposite. i think you do what you like, theres no point in buying new expensive clothes if you dont care that much or dont like them, seems a bit pointless

 

They don't have a goodwill in the UK?
Yeah it's just a thrift store, but I'm hoping to find some really far out threads there.
Maybe some genuine 60's & 70's clothes...
Peace

 

What the fuck is the point of paying $30 for a shirt with a little symbol on it when you can get the same thing for half the price everywhere else? Don't buy into that AE modern sporty shit, please.

Oh, and there's nothing wrong with thrift stores, sometimes you can find really cool stuff! It's just that.. well, it seems like the poor should have priority on cheap items. I guess they have plenty to go around, though.

 

what ever makes you happy. If you're happier wearing ambercrombie wear it, if not then don't.

 

i only shop for my clothes at thrift stores, (although i do not believe in goodwill anymore) but i have recently lost quit a bit of weight and why pay alot of money for clothes when they will only get too big for me? besides that,. i like my own fashion sense and don't like to look like anyone else. had an incredible experience last year at my local thrift store. back in 73 i had decopaged a really cool wooded plaque of Desiderata, but my home was broken into and everything i had was stolen. anyway, 32 years later i am in this cool thrift store and i see this wooden plaque that looks just like the plague i made of Desideratta that had been stolen in 73. guess what? it was the same one and i knew because i had written my name "angel" on the back of the plague and "73". i couldn't believe my eyes my beloved plague had found it's way back to me. talk about good karma. i have it in my living room right now. i will post a picture of it on my picture forum.

and by the way, i would be so proud if my children wanted to buy books instead of expensive clothing. you can always find clothes to cover your body, but to find books to enrich your soul is true nirvana.
blessings
hippiewise (angel)

 

I am amazed at what people will give away, I bought two denim shirts at Value Village recently. Perfectly broken in - why would they give them away after they've got them all soft and nice, I'll never know. But I got them for $2.99 each! Such a good deal for indestructible, comfortable clothing.

 

that is awsome! see its amazing the things oyu find in thrift shops and such. Its like a treasure hunt and your story definatly proved it!

 

my ultimate solution. Find some good leather (good will, tanning shop, where ever) and learn to sew your own clothing. a good pair of leather britches will last you a life time. wear in kinda nice too ^_^
might wanna replace them moccasins once and a while tho ^_^