Thrifting For Christmas Gifts Saves You Money

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Remember when you were a kid and how excited you got in the days leading up to Christmas? Well, I still feel like a kid during this time of year. But now, I get energized thinking about gifts that I’m going to give to my friends and family.

Well, last week, I went to WSFA-12 to talk about thrifting for Christmas,  and I brought along several gift ideas that I found at thrift stores, estate sales and on eBay.

I showed the audience two Eileen Fisher sweaters that I bought for less than $100 each at a consignment store. One was a black sweater vest that originally sold for $398. The other sweater was originally $298 at the department store.

Then I showed the audience a pair of never-worn-before, leather gardening gloves by a French company called Rostaing. When I saw the gloves at a thrift store, I snapped them up right away because I’ve got a gardener on my Christmas list.

I paid just $6.99 for the gloves, which came from Brookstone, a high-end retailer.

By the way, if you need more Christmas decorations, now is the time to visit charity thrift stores. Some stores are selling everything from wreathes to Christmas ornaments.

One thrift store that I visited recently had a 50 percent off sale, and they took an additional 30 percent off of all of their Christmas merchandise.

While looking around the thrift store, I found everything that I would need for a holiday table setting, including Christmas-themed cups, glasses, dinner plates and saucers.

I bought these candles for less than a $1 each, and I saw some other Christmas candles that were $1.50 each with the extra discount. The thrift store also had several rolls of Christmas wrapping paper for sale.

Did you know that you can sometimes find Christmas wrapping paper at estate sales? You can. And believe it or not, people are still having estate tag sales even in December. In fact, we had two estate sales in my neighborhood last week.

To find an estate sale in your area, go to www.estatesale.com or www.estatesales.net.

I was attending an estate sale when I bought two sterling silver bracelets on sale for $45 and $75; both would have cost more than $100 each at a department store.

At the same estate sale, I bought this pendant for $25.

Besides thrift stores and estate sales, I’ve spotted some great deals recently on eBay. Check out the mary janes by MBT that I got for $20 on eBay. And the shipping was free.

At a regular shoe store, these shoes would cost close to $250.

The MBTs, by the way, are my Christmas gift to me. I plan to wear them at work. They’re so comfortable, and that’s perfect because I’m on my feet all day at work.

Want another gift idea? If you have a thrifter on your Christmas list, consider getting them a gift certificate from their favorite thrift store or consignment shop. In fact, my niece says she wants a gift certificate from the Goodwill Thrift Store for Christmas.

What about you? Do you plan to shop the second hand stores for Christmas gifts?

LaCheryl

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