Last week, I went to a thrift store for the first time since March. That’s 5 months of no thrifting. That’s a long time!! That also means I went 5 months basically not buying anything besides groceries or food. And luckily, I found just want I was looking for! Right in the front of the shop, I found some cute little dishes, perfect for cat bowls.

In recent years, I’ve moved to mostly buying second hand items. The last new thing I bought, that wasn’t food or art, was a frying pan over a year ago. I already loved thrifting, but when zero waste became more important to my lifestyle, thrifting became more important as well. The more I thought about waste, the more I thought about the way things are made. Who makes them, how those people are treated, the waste that goes into production, packaging, mailing, shipping, shopping, and consumerism. And I had a realization: Basically everything I might need already exists.

Think about that for a minute.

The reasons I buy second hand is bc I don’t need to buy new.

Buying second hand reduces waste, gives items a second (or third, or fourth, etc… ) life, and saves money, among many other things.

Next time you need an item, take a minute to see if you can source it second hand! That thing you need is already out there, waiting for you to find it.