I was recently in a Goodwill store and, would you believe it, I’ve never set foot in one until about a month ago? What a mistake! I have, however, dropped off plenty of stuff I didn’t want over the years… seems now I get to be on the receiving end, lol.
I won’t assume that you’ve been inside one and so the short description of a Goodwill store is that it’s simply a place where you can find a wide variety of mostly used household goods, though, I did find a few things that seemed to be brand new, such as socks.
There are definitely some items that may not be of much uses for survival, such as furniture, electronics, and jewelry but there was more useful gear than I would have guessed.
For instance, there are a wide variety of clothes and footwear for all ages. I know my niece is fond of bringing home new articles of clothing for my children and at very reasonable prices too. As I browsed around I found plenty of clothing for the entire family, including a variety of jackets and coats. I also found a ton of shoes, some boots, and even a pair of rain boots.
Obviously, the major drawback is that you may not find the correct size of clothes or shoes at that very moment but if you come back regularly I’d imagine you’ll find what you’re looking for eventually.
Besides clothing, I also found a variety of other potentially useful supplies, including:
- Miscellaneous hand tools – hammers, pliers, wrenches, and more
- Hand bicycle pumps – toss one in each car and you at least have something to air up a tire with
- Water bottles – quite a few selections, even a few aluminum ones
- Assorted fishing gear – it’s not the best but better than nothing
- Books – I didn’t spend much time perusing these but I’m sure you can find a novel or two to pass the time
- Baseball bats – the metal type which are potentially useful for self defense
- Propane camping stoves – the good types with windbreaks on the sides
- Other camping gear – such as BBQ supplies
- Various bins – might be good for storing supplies or as wash bins
- A few gardening supplies – I didn’t browse these much but you could find some useful supplies such as garden hoses and tools
- Assorted cooking items – Everything from pots and pans to utensils, you could outfit a new kitchen for cheap
Granted, this was what I can remember seeing at my local Goodwill, I don’t know what you might find at yours. Regardless, I was quite pleased with some of the prices I saw. The bats, for example, were just a few dollars each. Some water bottles were only a buck. The camp stove was a third what it would sell for new.
Obviously, this isn’t top of the line gear but if you’re just trying to get some preps because you don’t have much now or if you’re trying to outfit a bug out bag, a bug out location, or for whatever, don’t overlook your local Goodwill store.
If you’re looking for relatively inexpensive prices for still useful survival items then Goodwill may be just the place for you.
What about you? What items have you found at your local Goodwill that I should be on the lookout for?
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