Thrifty college students are always looking for more ways to save money, whether it be getting a great deal on inexpensive UCF apartments, using reward programs, or buying used clothes. For students at the University of Central Florida who love to explore and get creative, thrifting used clothes is a great solution to save your clothing budget. Not only can you find clothing in great condition, but the vintage styles found in the aisles of thrift stores provide creative shoppers with material they can transform into something new or use to transform their own wardrobe. Unfortunately, like a rare accessory found in the back of a dusty thrift store, the best spots to thrift are often stumbled upon when you're not looking for them. Fear not, brave students; if your busy college schedule spares no time for adventuring through used clothing stores, this article will provide some recommendations of spots where you can thrift by apartments near UCF.
Thrift Spots Near Your Orlando Apartment
There are three locations in the thrifting scene to highlight in Orlando. The first is Out of the Closet on Mills, a chain dedicated to raising funds and awareness for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. In addition to offering excellent deals, each location also offers safe HIV testing services. This store is great if you're looking for clothing that can be considered more colorful and adventurous than your average thrift store.
Nearby you can find my second recommendation, Dechoes. This store is on the pricier side, but it's a must for thrifters who are looking for vintage items of good quality. The store also purchases vintage items for flipping and accepts trades, so bring any vintage items you're looking to get rid of!
Finally in Orlando, I recommend Plato's Closet. Many used clothing shoppers view this chain as their old, reliable fallback; I remember my mom taking me there to get clothes when I was a kid. There's generally something for everyone at a Plato's Closet, and if you're lucky, your cashier may be open to some haggling to get your clothes for even less.
Oviedo
Just a hop, skip and a jump away in Oviedo you can find two more quality thrifting locations. If the first location didn't have what you're looking for, consider visiting the other Plato's Closet off of Alafaya Trail for more options. Oviedo is also home to HOPE chest, a thrift store and boutique started in order to prevent and reduce homelessness in Central Florida in collaboration with HOPE's Interfaith Coalition in Seminole County. My favorite part of thrifting is combining good deals with community outreach, and students at the University of Central Florida can rest easy knowing that all proceeds from this thrift store go to a good cause while you're poring over their racks looking for your wardrobe's next accent piece.
Casselberry
For students living in UCF apartments in Casselberry, your closest options are Salvation Army and Omg! Thrift. Both located off the FL-436, these stores will also give you a warm, fuzzy feeling about your purchases with their dedication to local community needs and sustainability respectively. Omg! Thrift gets a special shoutout for having extremely thrifty prices paired with daily discounts on certain items to make the shopping experience that much more exciting.