Thrifting is a fantastic opportunity to save money on things you need. People score great deals on designer clothes, like-new handbags, and various home goods to decorate their space.
Never Buy Used
However, the low cost isn’t worth the risk (or the ick factor) for some second-hand items.
Here are the things you should avoid buying used unless you have no other options.
Undergarments
Walmart sells a five-pack of new underwear for less than ten bucks. There’s absolutely no reason to wear someone else’s old underwear.
Sure, they might be immaculate after a few runs through the wash, but is it really worth it?
Ear Buds
You can disinfect the rubbery plastic portion of the earbud that goes into your ear, but you can’t change the fact that it used to have someone else’s ear wax on it.
Mattress
You can’t clean a mattress in a hot drier. You never know what nasty critters live deep within the fabric’s folds or what hidden body fluids may still linger on the surface.
Motorcycle Helmet
Helmets must be replaced after an accident. You never know what a secondhand helmet went through, so do you want to risk your life to save a few bucks?
Child Safety Seats
Child safety seats deteriorate after a few years in a hot car and must be replaced after an accident. You can’t trust it to keep your child safe if you don’t know where it’s been.
Medical Equipment
You should always buy new medical equipment if you can afford it. Unfortunately, with skyrocketing prices in healthcare, buying new is out of reach for many with a real need, and their only option is second-hand.
Couches
Couches, like mattresses, attract filth over time. They can never truly get clean, so you don’t know how many times the previous owner wiped away cat puke or human fluids.
Couches can also harbor pests like bed bugs and fleas.
Boardgames
The problem with buying second-hand board games is that it’s impossible to know whether you have the complete set until you get it home and start playing. You might be missing a vital piece that makes the game unplayable.
Charger Cords
People usually sell their chargers because they stop working. A new one is only ten bucks at most stores, so why risk wasting money on something that won’t work when the replacement is so cheap?
Toothbrush
We don’t know why anyone would buy a secondhand toothbrush but just don’t. It’s nasty.
Swimwear
How many people wear underwear when swimming? Exactly.
We don’t care how often it gets washed; we don’t want our goodies sharing space with random strangers’ goodies.
Set Financial Goals So You Can Afford To Buy New
Determining your financial goals and making a plan to achieve them is essential for a happy life. Here are some examples of financial goal to set and how to achieve them.
Source: Reddit