Salvation Army

 I used to shop at Salvation Army stores. Also at Goodwill stores. It used to be inexpensive. I would buy 5 pairs of jeans for five dollars, wash them, and if I did not like the way they fit, donated them right back. Bought untold numbers of t-shirts when they cost a buck. I did not know if it was a California thing, those same 5 pairs of used jeans would cost $25.00. Or more. If i was going to spend ten or more dollars for used jeans, I would just go to a Kmart type store and buy new.

The aisles would be jammed packed, the racks hard to find my size. My logic was these items are donated to the charities. Selling everything for a dollar would generate more sales, help low income people and help clear out the racks. I am sure I am not the only one who stopped spending due to outrageous prices. People looking for vintage clothes or brands that no longer exist would likely be willing to pay more.

I went into a Vintage clothing store. I saw an Angel Blouse I liked. It was priced way beyond my means (I forget now, over twenty) and was practically thread bare. Supply and demand determine price. So maybe someone should manufacture nostalgic clothing, reasonably priced. Would probably not impact Vintage clothing stores. That flimsy over-priced Angel blouse is probably still hanging there.

Salvation Army sent me two sets of mailing labels along with 3 perforated donation options. $2.50 will feed X # of families for Thanksgiving. It may have mentioned homeless. I donated money to a local homeless shelter when I got a mailing using the same line ~ $5.00 provides meals for X # homeless people.

Problem is after that donation, they routinely send me more requests ~ like every week. So many charities so little money. I would likely send them more as I benefited from organizations that provided meals for the hungry. Once I was homed, I routinely donated food to one of those. I volunteered at a food giveaway place. I got lots of canned foods that I did not want, so dropped it off there. Even after I no longer drove. I would usually walk,sometimes take a bus.

Labels. So many charities started sending me requests for money. Most included address labels. I may now have enough labels to last my lifetime.

I got a second request from Salvation army. Two more sets of address labels, but without a name. The envelope was addressed to "our friend at" (my address.) They are Christmas labels. I am not a Christian. I would not celebrate it at all if family would let it go. When I was Christian I could not reconcile Jesus' birth with pagan traditions. Santa Claus? I would celebrate it as an American holiday, not a religious one. 

How much money did the Salvation Army spend to send me stuff that is going into the trash? Other organizations "we will send you this quilt" or T-shirt or mug as a token of appreciation for your donation. Excuse me my donation was to be used to feed people or help animals or build homes ~ endless list. I have, at times, put cash into the donation envelope to pay for the unsolicited greeting cards. Now the envelopes have a bar code and window, so I stopped doing that. 

Worse than mailing labels are the magnets. Our landfills must be filled with discard 'frig magnets. Another entrepreneur idea: find a way to recycle magnets. I not only have unwanted 'frig magnets I have regular bit size magnets. Do not recall where I got them.