I was probably 10 or 11 years old when I started saving my school feeding money to buy thrifts. No, my mom didn’t know and still doesn’t know about this. I had realized the importance of being financially independent as a girl. Now let me tell you my definition for financial independence at that age: Being able to afford cute tops, denims, cute boots, and cute outfits for parties.
Come on! Don’t laugh at me, what were you expecting? I was entering my teen phase.
My mom normally did all my wardrobe shopping at the time and bought everything that I needed as a teen but as a very popular and fashionable person in basic school, my friends were expecting more than just those average outfits my mom used to buy for me.
I had to take matters into my own hands but I didn’t have so much money to spare and that was when I got introduced to secondhand goods or thrifts, what we call “fose”, “buy it low and wear it high“ or “pre-loved” in Ghana.
It was truly a delight to know I could change my whole wardrobe with very less amount of money. Since then, thrifts and I became best of friends.
Fast forward, after the Covid 19 pandemic, I wanted to change my shoes collection because we hadn’t gone to church in about 2 years and of course, you know what happens to shoes when you don’t wear them for a long time. I needed new shoes and looking at my budget, I had no choice than to stick to “fose” shoes.
I decided to go thrift shopping one Saturday evening. Just when I entered the thrift session at the market, I saw a single stiletto pump. What? It was love at first sight. The speed at which I rushed to take that one so I could look for the other one was unmatched. After I found the other pair, my joy knew no bounds. It was too good to be true. No single scratch, no damage, no nothing. I was now thinking that the seller made a mistake and mixed a brand new shoe with thrifts but that wasn’t the case.
Oh and you know the price? 1.5hbd!!!
I was so shocked because the shoe was so fine. I bought it without even thinking twice and just left the market before the seller changes his mind about it. The first thing I did when I went home was to search for the prices of stiletto pumps and to my outmost shock they were 38hbd+. I wore it to my friend’s wedding ceremony the next day and I wish you all were there to hear the compliments I had that day.
Indeed I really “bought it low and wore it high”. I have so many pre-owned items but those stiletto pumps are my absolute perfect find and it’s been over 2 years now but they still look very brand new (I just wanted to give it a new look so I painted the soles black). The best friend relationship between thrifts and I is actually a forever deal.
All Images are mine