National Bargain Hunting Week is observed each year during the second week in August. And National Thrift Shop Day is celebrated August 17. In addition to keeping items out of landfills, saving money, and the occasional vintage discovery, some people shop second-hand because it’s a family tradition.
My parents were raised in the Great Depression of the 1930s – they learned not to waste any resources. And that legacy was passed down to the next generation.
“Clean your plate,” I was told at dinnertime. “There are starving children in China.” As if that would improve my appetite. A better incentive to eat my vegetables would be the promise of desert.
In Dad’s effort to save on utility bills, his kids learned to conserve energy.
“Every light in the house in on,” my dad would exclaim, as he went from room to room turning off light switches and lamps.
As the 1950s ended and the 60s began, our family graduated from black cast-iron oscillating fans to air conditioning. And Daddy introduced a new spiel.
“Close the cupboards,” he would say. “Are you trying to air-condition the shelves?” Front door, back door, closet door, if the A/C was on, the door was shut!
Raising five kids kept Mom from seeking a paycheck, and an enlisted man’s paycheck was always stretched thin. Sometimes we had patches on our pants – but Grandma’s adage was followed; “Never put a patch on a patch.”
All of us kids wore hand-me-downs – except in December. At Christmas, new socks and underwear were always stocking stuffers from the grandparents. Mom told me in her old age that she never had to buy panties – until after her mother died. Such was my family’s legacy.
Daddy gave all of us kids haircuts in an effort to save money. That’s what his mom did when he was a boy.
Mom was a magician in the kitchen; she could make a meal for seven on a budget. We might have a smorgasbord of leftovers, but we were never hungry.
There were no vacations, no trips to Disneyland or Coney Island for my siblings and me – no matter how much we begged.
But every summer and every Christmas, the family would travel to Arkansas to visit Grandmother and Granddaddy, Grandma and Grandpa. It might take us 16 hours to drive from Washington, D.C., or a two-hour trip from East Texas – but that’s what was valued; time with family.
Nowadays, I turn off the air conditioner when I’m not at home. I drive a used car but it gets good gas mileage. On laundry day, I dry my clothing in the sun, just like Mom did. Most home repairs are do-it-yourself projects. I shop at the dollar stores and the thrift shops.
It’s a family tradition. I may live on a low budget but my life is rich!
Second-Hand Poem
I bought these designer shoes
only slightly used
from a local yard sale.
And the jeans I have on
were bought new for my son
but now they fit me well.
You can buy a new car
but you won’t get too far
before it’s like second hand.
So, you’ll be miles ahead
to get a used car instead
and you can save a few grand.
You never see me frown
at an item that’s hand-me-down.
Thrift stores give me pleasure.
The quality of old
is better than gold.
The value is what I treasure.
—
Photo: Pixabay