Shopping while Self Quarantined

These are certainly interesting times. One of the things I miss most while being stuck at home is my regular thrifting outings. I want to keep my life as "normal" as is possible given the situation while also being a bit conservative (because who knows what will happen to the economy).

Not only can we continue to support the businesses we love, but we can also keep our regular browsing and shopping cadence while stuck at home, and still keep our eco values while brick and mortar thrift stores are closed.

If you have been laid off or had a reduction in hours, you can use your unexpected free time to do some spring cleaning and get some income. Online sales are a great way to keep things going while keeping your distance from others. You still have a customer base with some of us stir-crazy folks. Direct sales (through sites like Poshmark) will get you the most, while consignment or second hand  sales (through sites like thredUP) will give you less but take some of the work off of you.

Last week, I occupied some time with "browsing the racks" at thredUP, and ended up with quite the good shopping cart. I ordered 5 items, and here's what's been delivered so far:

First, this great short elephant kimono. What? I don't like elephants (says the girl with an elephant pendant). Having loved some of the kimonos I rented from LeTote, I knew I wanted to add this style to my wardrobe. Cool and lightweight, it's an easy way to dress up some of my basic tees.

Then, this floral blouse, which was new with tags! This can be worn from day to night, from the office to date night. With these voluminous sleeves, I'll plan to wear this with heels to balance my proportions.

Fortunately, I also got some great heeled boots! Three-toned black, navy, and grey, these booties will go with most things, and I can see wearing them with pants or dresses. I love the chunky heel for comfort and stability, and they coordinate with the other items in my basket.

Things I like about shopping on thredUP: they measure the clothes or tell you if they are showing "default sizing". Note: sometimes they measure flat instead of around, so you need to make assumptions or move on if the size looks too small.  They also provide condition. I often select items that say "You might confuse this with new!"

They've been running a lot of promotions recently. Everything I bought this week was an extra 35% off.

Total, I paid $44.97 for these 3 items, compared to $140.99 new, a $96.02 (68%) savings!

Outside of thredUP, I was also glad to have Goodwill remind me about their online presence. Most of their listings are auction style, so you can spend quite a bit of time checking out what is about to expire as well a never ending rotation of new items.

Best wishes to you all, and hope e-commerce helps you sell or shop safely from your home.