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I usually don't go to a thrift store unless my mom's going too, but when I do go I always find a dozen interesting things. Usually it's old records and pieces of art that catch my eye, but every once in a while I'll see something on the clothes rack that I just have to have. Even if I don't get it, I'll keep it in mind and either come back or buy something similar. Thrift shops can be a great source for some nice clothes people don't want anymore, and searching for the best bargain is never a waste of time.

I was at the mall the other day comparing prices. I didn't have any money, but I wanted to plan ahead for when I did have some money. Macy's and JCPenney's were favorites of mine, and I bought a cute dress for $25 because it was on sale. Then I looked in some of the smaller stores. Banana Republic, Forever 21, and Cache were on my list. I'd past the shops before and seen a lot of things I liked, but when I went inside I could not believe the price tags. A dress that was about the same quality as the one I bought at JCPenney's was $148 at Banana Republic. I loved some of the styles in there, but I could not afford those prices. Cache was the same story. Forever 21 wasn't as bad, but I realized I didn't really like the styles as much as I thought I did. Some of them looked nice, but they just weren't for me.

I left the mall a little bit disappointed. I was hoping to find a store that has nice clothes that I can afford other than Walmart, which is where I usually went to buy clothes. As we were driving home we passed a thrift shop. We didn't go in, but as we passed I thought to myself, 'I definitely need to try it when I get my next paycheck'. I remembered a time a few months ago when my mom and I were in an antique shop. They had a rack of incredible dresses, mostly from the '20s-'40s. And there were a lot of cute hats. I personally wish hats were more common in fashion now. I love the hats I see in pictures from the '20s and '30s. Unfortunately, I didn't have money, but I realized that thrift shops and antique shops could be great places to look for clothes. As long as I like what I'm buying and it's in good condition it works for me, but the price is my favorite part. Some of those hats were only $8 and they were so cute! A paycheck from a fastfood restaurant can't cover a lot, but if I go to thrift stores and other cheap places, I can get some really nice stuff and save a ton of money. It's definitely worth it.

Learn more about this author, Ann Caimen.
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