IRON MOUNTAIN -- It's never too early to begin back to school shopping for moms like Jamie Casper. With three kids, it is seemingly a neverending process. But the majority of her shopping is done at a place you might not suspect.
"I come to the thrift stores because it's less expensive,” said Casper. “With three growing children who are always changing sizes, it's just economically a better choice.”
Casper, like many money conscious families, has turned to secondhand stores like Goodwill and Saint Vincent De Paul for the majority of their clothes shopping.
But shopping smart for back to school clothes doesn't mean you have to sacrifice quality. Some of the clothing still has its original tags.
Even though Saint Vincent De Paul operates primarily on donations, the store insists they only stock quality clothing.
"We would not put anything out that's ripped or has holes,” said Assistant Manager for the Iron Mountain Branch, Debra Cheney. “So anything that you see on our racks in our store is in good condition."
Plus with some clothing being sold for as low as one dollar, it's hard to beat the price.
"At some of the stores you find good deals, but the problem is those deals are only every once in a while. At the thrift store, it's every time you come here,” Casper said. “Everything I'm wearing today is from the thrift store and probably everything [my kids are] wearing today."
Casper enjoys shopping at thrift stores, and with the rough economy, she doesn't see that changing anytime soon.
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