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In my two years as a student at Rowan University, I have learned the art of stretching a dollar. I have embraced my frugality and when going anywhere, my first question is always, “Do you take Rowan Bucks?”
I have found a lot of ways to limit my spending, but I always seem to fail in one area: clothing. I buy clothing semi-frequently and it is an addicting habit. Thankfully, I have found a way to satiate my desire for new clothes while keeping my bank account intact: thrifting.
I started thrifting close to three years ago out of curiosity, and now it is a big part of my life. These are some of the best places to thrift in and around Glassboro.
Goodwill
Every week I go to Goodwill and look at the new finds to see if anything piques my interest. The clothing section for men is usually lackluster, but I often leave with two or three diamonds in the rough. The Goodwill in Glassboro is very Rowan friendly and has a 15-percent student discount on Thursdays and offers a ‘color of the week’ where items with a specific color tag are half priced all week, and then get reduced to $1 on Sundays.
818 Delsea Dr., Glassboro, N.J. 08028
Open Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Samaritan Thrift
The buck does not stop at Goodwill, however. Pitman is home to two thrift stores, Samaritan Thrift and Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore. Samaritan Thrift is a quaint store with a small inventory that emphasizes variety. They offer a nice selection of housewares, men’s clothes, women’s clothes and women’s shoes. A lot of the products are geared towards women, but the men’s section still has a few good pieces. My favorite aspect of the store is the basket of t-shirts. Any shirt in the basket, regardless of brand, is only two dollars. I do not find something every time I go to Samaritan, but if I do, it is usually in that basket. Their pricing is fair and the staff is very friendly, making it a welcoming environment for any first time thrifters.
20 S. Broadway, Pitman, N.J. 08071
Open Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
ReStore
ReStore is the place to go if you are looking to furnish your house, apartment or dorm room. Their vast selection of appliances and furniture all begin at reasonable prices and are in good condition. Another perk of ReStore is that when you purchase anything from their store, you help Habitat for Humanity’s efforts to rebuild the Gloucester County community.
425 S. Broadway, Pitman, NJ 08071
Open Tuesday-Thursday 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Friday 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Thrift Village
The premier scene of bargain shopping in the area would have to be Glassboro Thrift Village. I’ll preface it by saying that their prices are a bit higher than any of the other options mentioned, but the sheer volume of product available makes it worth it. They have nearly everything that most retail stores do, they just are more affordable. I have found cameras, clothes and records for unmatched prices, and I rarely leave empty handed.
169 Delsea Dr. S., Glassboro, NJ 08028
Open Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday-Saturday 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Thrifting is not hard, it just takes some time to find the items you’re looking for. If you have a couple of free hours in your day and little bit of cash to spend, I highly recommend checking out some of these local stores. Part of the fun is the search itself, so gather a few friends and spend an afternoon seeing what catches your eye. You never know what you might spot on a rack.
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