"Shop at Thrift Stores"

Persuade people to shop at thrift stores because it saves you money and you can get name-brand clothes fairly cheap.

Intro: ((I will get my audience's attention by stating that clothing is a basic necessity, by pointing out just how much they spend on clothes on average, and by telling them what that money could've gone towards instead.))

Intro Continued: Everyone knows that, millions of years ago, before the manifestation of a global society; long before people started worrying about how others view them . . . man ran around buck naked and fancy-free. Now a days, running around naked is somewhat frowned upon by society.

Based on a class survey that I did a week ago, the majority of our class shops for clothes every 3-6 months and spends somewhere between $30-$50 dollars each time. Basically, every 4 months, we spend $40, which in turn adds up to $160. At the end of the year, having spend $160 every 4 months over the course of 12 months, this class would've spent

$1,920

According to the survey, this class would much rather spend the $1,920 on a well-desired vacation than on clothing. Hmm, does anyone want to go to Acapulco instead? According to http://www.mexicovacationtravels.com/mexico-cities/Acapulco you can spend 2 nights in Acapulco for $1,920. Now, I'm not here tonight to tell you to go naked and save $1,920 just so that you can go to Acapulco. No, instead, I want to persuade you to go to thrift stores -- that's right, thrift stores. And you can trust me when I say that shopping at thrift stores can save you even more money than that. I happen to work part time at a small thrift store called "Treasure Chest Outlet" north of the river.

Body: At many thrift stores, Treasure Chest Outlet included, you can get name brand clothing for nearly half off of the retail store price. "How?" you might ask. Many thrift stores get what is called "overstock" from the department stores - stuff that they have a lot of, but have hardly any room to store and they don't want to have to deal with it later on. At the thrift store, they go and reduce the price of the clothing (sometimes it's half off, sometimes it's up to 70% off; it really just depends on the store). So you get great name-brand selection at the fairest price. If that's not a bargain, then I don't know what is.

However, despite the good, many people still refuse to shop at thrift stores. Even during a struggling economy, they simply will not go to a thrift store because they think that there isn't a good selection, that the clothes are old and outdated, that the clothes were worn by dead people and smell bad. Well, I can tell you that - yes, while some people who have lost a person that they cared about will donate some of the pre-owned clothing - most stores carry new, name brand clothing as I stated earlier. There is an amazing selection of clothing at thrift stores because, as I mentioned before, they tend to get brand new, in style, in season "overstock" from the department stores. And there's nothing wrong with buying pre-owned clothing and if you're worried about how it might smell, then you can wash it and it'll look, feel, and smell brand new.

Let's take a virtual trip to Treasure Chest Outlet to compare prices. The first outfit I would like to show you consists of a nice red shirt and black pants. The J.C Penny shirt (size small) would've cost $44. The Old Navy black pants (size two) would've cost you $34.50.

So, the estimated cost of this ENTIRE outfit; if you shopped at the Department stores would be $78.50 (before taxes). Now, if you shopped at a thrift store and were able to find this exact outfit or one similar to it, it would cost you an estimated $39.50 (before taxes).

The beautiful blue prom dress would've cost (if you went to a department store) $150.00 (before taxes and not including the accessories). If you went to Treasure Chest Outlet, it would've cost you only $30 (before taxes and not including the accessories), saving you $120.00

The next outfit I would like to show you is a pretty pink prom dress from Morgan & Co. that would've cost (if you went to a department store) $140.00 (before taxes). At Treasure Chest Outlet, it would've cost you $30 (before taxes); saving you $110.

The final outfit I would like to show you is a white sweater, a pair of black pants, and a black purse. The sweater costs at a department store $19.99. The department store pants would be $32 even. And the purse would be $45 even; making your total $96.99 (before taxes). At Treasure Chest Outlet, you could get the complete outfit for just $31 (before taxes); saving you $65.99.

At the end of our virtual shopping trip to Treasure Chest Outlet where we have compared our pricing, you save $ 352.49 And if you were to shop at a thrift store for one full year and are able to save $ 352.49 or more each time, you could save up a grand total of $4,229.88 That could mean a special vacation to The Caribbean!

In closing, I hope you realize just how much you spend on clothing from department stores and how much you can save when shopping at a thrift store. In this troubling economy, can you really afford NOT to?

Be Smart. Be Cute. Be Thrifty. Save!

WORKS CITED

• Class survey administered by Jennifer Gray on 11-10-09

• http://www.mexicovacationtravels.com/mexico-cities/acapulco

• Picture of Acapulco in Power Point: http://z.about.com/d/gomexico/1/0/3/4/-/-/acapulco.jpg

• Treasure Chest Outlet in Lathrop Missouri for the pictures of the clothing

• http://www.wheretostay.com/caribbean/antigua_and_barbuda/property-451-overview-Jolly_Beach_Resort__Spa.html

• Picture of the Caribbean in Power Point http://www.portpromotions.com/regionimages/1235083235Caribbean%20Header.jpg

• Tags on the clothes mentioned in the Power Point