A Mom and More

Shopping is a great de-stresser and getting good finds at a fraction of their real value is a big bonus.

For me and my daughter Aei, going to second hand shops has an extra benefit — it is a good bonding time for us since we are both thrifty (or rather, we have a small disposable income nowadays), prefer unique, one-of-a-kind clothes; not brand-conscious (unlike the men in my family); patient enough to rummage through an array of (sometimes) dusty and smelly clothes; and care less for wearing hand-me-downs from whoever.

In the 1970s (my high school years) I never experienced buying and using clothes from second hand stores like Eloy’s. My mom frowned upon using segunda mano and relief goods from the USA since she was afraid that the clothes might come from a sick or dead person and negative energy or bad luck may be passed on to us. Thus, to be able to wear stylish clothes on a shoestring budget, mom encouraged us to recycle and sew our own clothes out of her retazos (scrap cloth) or else, rip off gently worn, outmoded dresses and recycle them into new ones.

It was in 1989 that I experienced buying and using second hand items. Then, I bought and used winter jackets, kitchen utensils, lamps and furniture from second-hand stores as a government scholar to USA — to budget the limited stipend I got for school and living expenses. During this brief stay in the USA, I frequented Goodwill stores, flea markets and yard/garage sales where I bought very cheap antique home decors which still adorn our home through this time. Shopping in these bargain stores served as my pastime and antidote to homesickness (for the two toddlers I left in Manila). This experience also paved the way for my interest in ebay trading, initially to rid of my idle stuff and overstocked purchases.

For over a decade hence (since I was earning enough), I skipped going to thrift shops and just bought from the malls during sale season. However, 3 years ago, Aei re-introduced me to local second-hand shops called ukay-ukay (UK) or wagwagan meaning dig and shake, respectively. She developed a fondness for these UK shops, her supplier of almost new leather boots, rare bags, unique clothes and branded castoffs at 1/10 their cost in the malls. My son followed suit as he found a favorite Japan anime store from which he got original pre-owned plushies, mini resin collectibles, unique trading cards and posters.

Over the years, shopping for second-hand clothes has developed into an art trip for Aei and me. We have learned to scrutinize details on the items for sale, to take our time in spotting a treasure out of some junk, and to squeeze our creativity in reconstructing used clothes to suit our fancy.

Today, our unscheduled visit to a UK shop has proven to be an essential part of Aei’s therapy for her toe callus surgery – a diversion which helped her re-focus her mind away from the pain on her toe which to date still has an open hole the size of a Philippines peso coin. Believe me, her toe didn’t ache as we shopped for almost two hours while she writhed in pain with just a slight toe bump when we are at home.

From today’s ukay-ukay shopping, after haggling with the store owner, Aei and I happily went home with two plastic bags containing six skirts, seven tops and a new sweater all for 680 pesos – that’s less than the cost of a single F & H shirt for my son.

Do you also like to shop and save on seconds? Or, would you like to give it a try soon?

I’ll let you sneak at my new wardrobe from UK next post. Shhhh …