By Alex Maravillas 

Fashion Columnist

It is officially the holiday season.

According to rookiemag.com, “The mall is a very scary place during the holidays” and I agree, especially for a college student on a budget. “But never fear, there is an alternative to this nightmare: the thrift store. If you know how to maneuver one, you can find thoughtful, creative gifts that won’t empty your wallet or contribute to the consumerist hype of the holiday season.” Also, the thrift store is a great place to elevate your wardrobe.

What I love about thrift store shopping is the rush of wandering the aisles, looking at the endless selection of Holiday sweaters and especially having the feeling of knowing you could afford it all. According to rookiemag.com, “Shopping at a thrift store isn’t easy like going to a department store—it’s work. That’s what I like about it. I like the digging. I like leaving with something special that was really cheap and looks awesome, then having someone freak out on me, going, ‘OH MY GOD I LOVE your shirt, WHERE did you get it???’ and casually tossing out, ‘Thrift store,’ and have them frown and go, ‘Oh.’”

Over the weekend, I went to the Salvation Army thrift store at Poway. Everything was 50% off! And I was cruising down the men’s aisle and I happened to stumble across a velvet blazer. I tried it on and it fit perfectly. Compared to department store prices, that blazer would have been priced around hundreds of dollars and I got it for less than ten bucks. I also got a black tee shirt with a cat on it for a dollar. I also got a cute little nick-knack for less than fifty cents. It was a wooden cat and it looked like something you would get at Urban Outfitters for like thirty dollars. Overall my thrifting experience was a successful one and I suggest that my readers take advantage of the wonderful world of the thrift store.

I am from Chula Vista, way down south from San Marcos. Whenever I go back home to San Diego, I try to go thrifting. I usually go to Broadway and the whole street is filled with thrift stores. I budget my spending to about $20, and I usually come home with a trash bag filled to the rim with my purchases. Moving to San Marcos, I want to look for more thrift stores, and I know that there are plenty of them close by. I want to go to Oceanside and go thrifting.

I believe thrift stores are great places for students who are on a budget especially during the holiday season. Thrift stores are everywhere. No matter wherever you live, they are bound to be around somewhere.