It’s the first of September! And with the new month comes a brand new challenge! Think you’re up for Second Hand September? You can take the pledge with Oxfam.
WHAT IS SECOND HAND SEPTEMBER?
Good question! Second Hand September is a challenge to only purchase clothing second hand during the month of September. Sounds pretty self-explanatory right?
This works out really well for me since I’d planned to start preparing our kids’ fall and winter wardrobes this month by scoping out the local charity shops. Shopping second hand allows me to buy great quality clothing at a steep discount.
I was all excited when a fellow blogger on Instagram mentioned the challenge in her stories last week. If you’re not already following @the_teresamaria you should be! She talks a lot about sustainability in fashion.
WHY SHOP SECOND EXCLUSIVELY FOR THIRTY DAYS?
Other than saving money, why shop second hand to begin with? And why for a whole month? What good will it do?
I’m glad you asked! According to Oxfam, every week a total of eleven million pieces of clothing finds its way to landfills. That’s a lot of clothes!
Think about that for just a minute and let that sink in; eleven million items of clothing just trashed. Every week. How much of that could be avoided? Reused? Recycled? And how do we prevent that from happening?
This is where donating or reselling clothing in good condition comes in! Shopping second hand for clothing keeps those pieces from going to the landfill.
In addition, a lot of Goodwill stores are able to sell clothing not fit for their stores to textile recyclers. Check with your local store to see if that is an option.
When you shop second hand at charity shops such as Oxfam, Goodwill, the Salvation Army, and others you also help people living in poverty. These stores provide various types of aid and job training… all by using clothing and housewares that would otherwise end up in a landfill!
ARE YOU UP FOR THE CHALLENGE?
It’s only for thirty days! Shopping second hand is so fun! It’s kind of like a treasure hunt! You never know what you might find. Give your wallet and your local landfill a break this month by taking the pledge.
You can save a lot of money by buying second hand. It’s a great way to stretch your budget. In case you missed it, here are Four Reasons Shopping Second Hand is a Great First Choice.
If you’re new at shopping second hand, here are a few tips to help make your shopping trips more successful. You can read how I plan my thrift store visits as well as watch the video below with my top thrifting tips!
I am so excited for Second Hand September! Will you join me in this thirty day challenge?
Love this. I rarely buy clothes. I have mostly hand me downs from family members and some clothes I’ve had for a very long time. For the little ones I foster many of us foster parents seek clothing from the foster resource closets first and share amongst each other. Kiddos outgrow clothes so fast. It is nice to swap and share.
This is a great initiative! I love second hand shopping and shopping in my own closet. That way I can style the items I already own in countless ways.
My wardrobe editing guide is here https://ionimage.nl/shop-your-closet/
Happy September!
– Jenni
Oh my, 11 million pieces of clothing.. Every week.. This is literally too much. Great that you’re doing this challenge, would love to know your experience on it! I’ve not bought any clothes over the last 2 years and I feel really good about it. Trying to stretch it as long as possible. After that, I’d love to get some clothes from thrift stores!
Two years! That is impressive!