Thrift Stores and Garage Sales: Frugal Parenting in Kenosha
Hit the Thrift Stores
Thrift store, are usually operated by charities donations from individuals and retailers are resold to fund other activities. Shopping at thrift stores can be an adventure; you never know what you will find, or whom you will encounter. There are some days that you can load your cart with name brand clothing and other items at amazingly low prices. Other times you may dig for an hour only to find garage sale rejects or used items priced at new item prices. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are a good day to shop, Mondays are heavy donation days, and the new merchandise is usually processed and put out on those two days. If Grandma or Grandpa is available to shop with you, go on a Wednesday, most thrift stores offer a senior discount on those days.
There are three charity thrift stores in Kenosha, where parents can save money and support a good cause at the same time. The Salvation Army operates a large store at 6114 22nd Ave. Good finds are hit or miss, allow plenty of time to browse; the store is pretty disorganized. This is not your best bet if you are looking for gently used toys; an intact toy is a rare find here. It is however, an excellent place to find play clothes. Every day they offer �½ price on a particular tag color, be sure to look at the sign by the front door for the days feature. This store also receives new merchandise from Target and other major retailers.
Society of St. Vincent DePaul is located at 6201 14th Avenue. This small store does a bustling business and is often quite crowded. If you tend to be short on patience or are claustrophobic, you may want to avoid this store. Pricing at this store is a little irregular, fortunately you can question the pricing and they may change it for you. If you bring the children with you, they will receive up to 3 free books and a stuffed animal at no charge with purchase, but be forewarned there is no public restroom there or anywhere nearby. They offer random markdowns on different items and restock daily. These two stores are relatively close together and are convenient to shop both on the same day. The neighborhood is slightly depressed, and although I personally have never encountered a problem I do not bring valuables or leave my car unlocked when visiting.
Goodwill Industries opened a new store at 6100 75th Street in October of 2005. This store is well organized, although I do not expect this to last. It is a spacious brand-new building and brand name clothing can be found here regularly. Toys are hit or miss, but all stuffed animals are less than $1 and many are brand names in excellent condition. They also offer some new merchandise from retailers. Be sure to take advantage of their frequent shopper card and the specials on Monday and Tuesday.
When shopping at thrift stores there are a few things to keep in mind. Be sure to look around, many things are misplaced and you may often find boy’s shirts among the women and men’s clothing. You never know what you might find, their stock depends on donations, if you stop in and leave empty handed, don’t get discouraged next week you may find a cart load. Always check for stains or rips, test zippers, and look for missing buttons. Many items donated to thrift stores are defective, this is especially true for new merchandise, many stores “donate” their returns so examine your purchases carefully before you check out.
Go to Garage Sales As any garage sale junkie can tell you, there are treasures to be found for a quarter at garage sales. Again, be sure to double check for any damage to the clothing or toys. Most sellers are honest people, who are getting rid of old stuff to make room or a couple extra dollars. But you will occasionally come across the seller who will hide stains under price tags, or will place damaged items in a ziplock bag to make it more difficult to examine them. Keep recalled items in mind when you are out. Many people will try to sell old high chairs, car seats and other baby items at a garage sale. I do not recommend ever buying a car seat at a garage sale; they are recalled so often. The idea is to save money, not to put your children in danger.
Be prepared to haggle a little, seasoned garage sellers know that if they mark something for a dollar, someone will offer 50 cents. They price accordingly to leave room for negotiation. There are other sellers that price their item low, they just want the stuff to go, don’t insult them by offering a lower price for a reasonably priced item. Finally in the category, of people that don’t have a clue, are the people who have no concept of garage sales and try to get retail prices for their old stuff. A good rule of thumb is 30% or less of retail price if the item is relatively new and is in good condition. Don’t bother trying to haggle with them because they are convinced that they suit they bought in 1979 is worth $50. They honestly believe that someone will pay $5 for Tommy Hilfiger shirt with a huge coffee stain on the front.
Garage sales can be found in Kenosha on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sundays. Most sellers open between 8 and 9 am and will close around noon or 1 o’clock. If you are not an early riser, try heading a little south to Illinois where the trend is to stay open until 3 or later. To get the choice merchandise, you want to be one of the first to visit. Check the Kenosha News, classified ads can be found online at www.kenoshacounty.com it is free to access and easy to print out. If there something advertised that you really want, get a cup of coffee and a good book and be there before they open. Be respectful and don’t intrude on the set up of the sale unless you are invited. I usually wave, tell them I am here to look at a particular item, and ask them to let me know when they are ready. Sometimes they will invite you to come on up, if they don’t at least they know what you are looking for and they usually will not let anyone else rush up and buy it out from under you.
Sundays are a good day to get a deal; many people offer clothing & toys for $1 a bag. Most of the merchandise is picked over, but you may find a treasure or two and you may be able to stock up on off-season items. Winter coats do not sell well in July, but keep in mind, come October or November, you will be glad you shopped smart. Whatever day you shop, try to visit the new sales first. For example if you are out on a Saturday, leave the sales that started on Thursday and Friday until last. If you don’t see what you are looking for, be sure to ask, you would be surprised at how many times the seller may run into the house to drag the item out of offer you a phone number of someone who does have the item for sale. Whatever day, you shop bring along a tape measure, some test batteries, and small bills. All sales are final at garage sales, items are guaranteed until they reach the end of the driveway, and exact change is always appreciated.
Children’s Resale Shops There are two children’s clothing resale shops in Kenosha. Barely Used in located on the corner of 22nd Ave and 80th Street in the Southport Plaza. Kid’s Closet is located at 2930 75th Street. The advantage of shopping these stores is the merchandise is inspected prior to sale and the stores are better organized than thrift stores and most garage sales. The disadvantage is the price, you are going to pay more in these stores, it is still less than retail but garage sellers may experience sticker shock. Both shops have “resident” children who stay there while their mothers run the shop. To the shopper’s frustration, they are prime candidates for a visit from Super Nanny, and I have found that I prefer to visit alone rather than subject my children to the barrage of “No’s” and “Mine.”
Online Resources
Great Deals can also be found online. Freecycle network offers users the opportunity to give away unwanted items. Information can be found on www.freecycle.org. A word of caution, although this is a nationwide network, the local coordinator tends to treat the group as their private little dictatorship and can be quite intolerable. Fortunately, the wonderful people with big hearts make up for the rudeness of the moderator. Sales in Racine, a yahoo group offers free listings for items for sale and wanted. You may also want to check out Craigslist, Hoobly, and Kenoshaonline.net for other free classified ads. An Illinois newspaper, The Advertiser, is an excellent resource for classifieds it is published weekly on Wednesdays and can be found online at www.advertisernet.com.
The Curbside Mall
The old adage “one mans trash is another’s treasure” is true. Many parents have found wonderful finds sitting on the curb on trash day. This is perfectly legal to “recycle” these items. If you do spot a curbside treasure, please be considerate of the homeowner; do not scatter garbage around, as the Kenosha Waste Management Department will not pick it up. Also, make sure it is truly trash. Don’t just assume a bike sitting near the curb is garbage, kids are notoriously bad about leaving their stuff lying around. If the item does not have a “free sign” on it, is not obviously with the trash, or is sitting out on a day that is not a scheduled trash day, leave it be. Scavenging is fine; stealing may land you in jail. If you are in doubt, ask. I have asked a homeowner about an item sitting curbside only to not only receive the item but also got help loading it up! There is a wealth of information available at the group “The Penny Pinching Housewife,” members offer tips, success stories and other valuable information.
The old adage “one mans trash is another’s treasure” is true. Many parents have found wonderful finds sitting on the curb on trash day. This is perfectly legal to “recycle” these items. If you do spot a curbside treasure, please be considerate of the homeowner; do not scatter garbage around, as the Kenosha Waste Management Department will not pick it up. Also, make sure it is truly trash. Don’t just assume a bike sitting near the curb is garbage, kids are notoriously bad about leaving their stuff lying around. If the item does not have a “free sign” on it, is not obviously with the trash, or is sitting out on a day that is not a scheduled trash day, leave it be. Scavenging is fine; stealing may land you in jail. If you are in doubt, ask. I have asked a homeowner about an item sitting curbside only to not only receive the item but also got help loading it up! There is a wealth of information available at the group “The Penny Pinching Housewife,” members offer tips, success stories and other valuable information.
Parenting is hard, but finding good deals in Kenosha doesn’t have to be. Buying used toys and clothing can be a great way to stretch your dollar. Why pay retail when you don’t have to? You may believe there is a stigma attached to used items, but the first time you buy a $300 outside toy for $20, you will realize, the stigma should be on those that don’t buy resale.
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