My name is Matt and I'm a thriftaholic.
(cue awkward/confused silence)
That is to say that I absolutely
My relationship with thrifting has been at times a hobby, a cottage business, and a therapeutic outlet.
I'm an elementary school teacher by profession and use thrift stores as a way to build my professional wardrobe in an affordable way. I've flipped a few things I've found in thrift stores (mainly men's tailoring and clothing that wasn't my size) along the way, but this money has almost exclusively gone to purchasing more clothing.
My most recent thrifting "discovery" has been the Goodwill "Outlets." These are thrift stores that sell clothing by the pound, often for > $2.00/lb . I affectionately "The Bins" because the clothing literally comes out in giant rolling bins. The stock comes from clothing that didn't sell in their retail stores or has imperfections (stains/tears/rips) that didn't make the cut for their retail stores. I've found a lot of treasures here, but recently began to think that I could find something more.
After viewing my most student loan statement (a guaranteed way to turn even the most beautiful day sour), I began to think that I could use my hobby in a different way. Ever since reading the "One Red Paperclip Project," I've been fascinated with the idea of turning something small into something massive. As I was digging in the bins earlier this month, I had my epiphany.
1. What could be smaller than clothing that has been discarded and is selling for >$2.00/lb.?
2. What could be more massive than $25,000 in Student Loan Debt?
I decided that I would challenge myself to "thrift" my college loans from the bins.
The rules will be simple:
- I can only resell items I purchased by the pound.
- Each week, I'll post pictures of what I found along with links the online auctions.
- At the end of each month, I'll post my net profits and write a check towards my student loans.
I'm curious as to how far this project will take me, but can't wait to see the results!
Happy Thrifting!
Matt
