It’s no secret that shopping at thrift stores is an amazing way to save money!! However, recently I was invited to a lunch at Goodwill and asked to write a sponsored post about the things you might not know about Goodwill. One of the many things you might be surprised to learn is that Goodwill has an online storefront!
I love to dig for treasures at Goodwill and I love the thrill of the hunt for a bargain. I know it’s not for everyone but it’s something the kids and I have always loved to do. You can hunt for the elusive hidden deal, the sale tag color, and of course the item you always wanted but wouldn’t pay full price for. I had never given much thought to where the money actually goes, just on how much money I was saving. I was surprised to find out that the Goodwill location near me was one of the busiest donation locations in my area.
4 Things You Didn’t Know About Goodwill:
Job Training- I know I have seen the signs while in Goodwill but, I never really gave it much thought. I was amazed to learn that $.91 of every dollar spent at Goodwill goes back into their job training programs! How amazing is that?! It’s not just job training but career growth as well. I was amazed to learn about all their various programs and that Goodwill sees it as a chance to help find a first job or a second chance in life.
- Culinary skills
- Construction Skills
- Barista
- Job Prep
- Resume Assistance
- Computer
- Hazardous Material Training
- Veteran Transition
- Financial Programs
- Plus, coming soon: Healthcare Programs
Restaurant- I had no idea that they had a restaurant here in Tacoma, WA!! We were lucky to have lunch served to us by the culinary program and I have to say, the food was on point and amazing. We could see what everyone was ordering from the restaurant and it all looked great. I had no idea that Goodwill had such a thing but, it’s how they train the culinary program. As you can see above, our food was amazing!! We had a bowl of delicious creamy chicken soup, a lamb slider, a shrimp taco, a gyro, and apple bread pudding before we went on our tour of the warehouse.
Tax Prep- How cool is it that here in Tacoma, WA, Key Bank has teamed up with Goodwill to offer free tax prep help!! You can head on over -> here to find out more information on Goodwill’s tax prep program! Plus, they are hosting a special event called “Super Refund Saturday” on Feb 3, 9 AM-3PM. It will be held at Goodwill’s Milgard Work Opportunity Center to kick off the tax season with Key Bank.
Online Shopping- I bet you are just as shocked as I was to learn that Goodwill has an online auction!! No going to the store, you can hunt for treasures at home on the computer. I have started to develop a bit of an obsession with the older vintage Purex, but to find them in stock at Goodwill is next to impossible.
In addition to vintage Pyrex, I love finding good deals on cast iron. Between my kitchen, the grill, and camping, I like to have a couple on hand and have been shopping for some new ones. I was so excited to find these deals with the gift card that Goodwill gave me! I chose to pick mine up and it was so easy to do!!
Tips For Shopping Online:
- Sort auctions by ending soon
- Wait until the auction is almost over
- Sort for $.99 shipping
- Insider tip: Most of my local stores keep their shipping at $.99 and build handling costs into the item cost
- Use local pick-up to lower the cost if necessary
- Look for “buy now” options to avoid losing items in an auction
- Use advanced search to find more details
- Use the personal shopper for new notifications of items for sale
I love Goodwill’s mission statement, but they help so much more than people with disabilities!!! I loved the fact that during all the presentations they talked about second chances at life and that those are what they love to give.
What are your favorite finds from Goodwill? Have you shopped Goodwill online before??
Sheila Forster says
Great article. Thanks for posting.