College students need to be thrifty. Between textbooks, transportation and food expenses add up quickly. Buying anything new, especially clothes, is difficult to justify. $30 for a polyester tee? No, thank you.
Luckily for you, I’ve been around the block in a quest to find the cheapest and best thrift stores around. Several blocks, actually. In my journey, I’ve ranked some of my go-to haunts in the Boston area.
Each store has three criteria: cost, location or proximity to Simmons, and selection or range of clothing. Each of these is ranked on a scale from 1-10, then averaged to find the top-scoring thrift stores.
#1 – Goodwill, Roxbury – 8/10
- Location: 7/10
- Price: 10/10
- Selection: 8/10
Even without my incredibly scientific ranking system, the Roxbury Goodwill is my favorite. While Goodwill has a great range of clothing, it also has a wide selection of household goods. As someone who is always keeping an eye out for cute furniture, new plates and kitschy decor, this location is my favorite. It scores high in location, too. While it’s in Roxbury, several bus lines go straight from Simmons to a less than five-minute walk.
#2 – Goodwill, Cambridge – 7.3/10
- Location: 7/10
- Price: 10/10
- Selection: 5/10
While there aren’t as many options as its Roxbury sibling and it’s a little farther, the Goodwill in Cambridge has some of the best prices around. You might have to sift through a good chunk of clothes, but there are definitely winners to be found. Some great news – it’s right on the 47 bus line.
#3 – The Garment District, Cambridge – 7/10
- Location: 5/10
- Price: 7/10
- Selection: 9/10
If you don’t plan on buying anything, the Garment District is the perfect place to ogle at the range of clothes. From Halloween costumes to authentic vintage clothing, the multi-story thrift store is a treasure trove of wonders. While the store scores high in the variety section, the clothes can be pretty pricey. However, the Garment District boasts its famous “by the pound” system, where select items (ceremoniously dumped on the floor) can be bought for $2 per pound.
#4 – Buffalo Exchange, Coolidge Corner – 6/10
- Location: 9/10
- Price: 4/10
- Selection: 7/10
This is actually my favorite store for selection. It’s much smaller than the Garment District, but employees are picky about the clothes they take, so most of the selection is in fashion. Still, it loses points for price. Buffalo Exchange can be pretty spendy.
When you’re trying to save money, spending $40 at a thrift store on a few items isn’t very appealing. However, Buffalo Exchange does buy clothes, so if students are looking for some fast cash or store credit, they can always bring in-season clothes here.
There aren’t many cheap thrift stores around anymore. Thrifting is trendy (although it has been for a while). Since it’s become more of a hobby, prices keep going up. Still, students can find good deals if they know how and where to look!
