Although, I do keep a budget and stick to it… things aren’t that tight.
Oddly, we really don’t need central heat, here. On the few days that it gets kind of cold, I’ll make a fire in the fireplace (scrap wood from trimming the trees). I built a rudimentary heat exchanger out of scrap black iron pipe and an old centrifugal fan. It quickly takes the chill out of the house.
I had to look that up- I thought for a moment you meant Christ Reformed Baptist Fellowship
Then I found your meaning. 
I used to do quite well with men’s business attire when we lived in Scottsdale.
One of the first things folks jettison upon arrival in the valley of the sun are suits and ties and a whole lotta coats.
We used to make a run every 6 months or so up to the Bay Area where they found an eager audience.
I would never claim to know all of them, let alone the things Kids These Days use 
My latest thrift store score was a minty Kirby vacuum cleaner. I had to buy a few of the attachments, but the Riccar has now been relegated to the beach house.
In looking for attachments, there seem to be many one would not expect, e.g., a massager and sander!
What’s your next goal?
A Rainbow Rexair?
Maybe it should be. Hadn’t heard of Rainbow before. Thanks.
Like Kirbys, they were sold door to door.
Not sure anyone could talk Wahine into a cannister vacuum.
In my youth we were an Electrolux family.
Elecetrolux were the Cadillac of vacuums in those days. They have remained a cult product and are sought after even now, used.
The family of a close friend went Electrolux. I though his mom was leading around a Basset hound.
My son sold Kirbys a long time ago. He practiced his spiel on me, I was surprised how good he was. He didn’t sell me though, I can’t remember if he sold any. I remember they were very expensive.
And accessorize with gold. Cufflinks, nose ring, studs, etc.
I’ve found some pretty nice items at an Arlington, VA thrift store not too far from the site of the Scarpa vase. But out here on the west coast, I frequent one of two thrift shops on my commute home from work, probably 3 times a week for 10 minutes per visit. I’ve remarked previously that if I jogged instead, I’d be thin.
I have a routine: I check the cookbooks, the glass case, the rolling bins with newly arrived items that haven’t been put out on shelves yet, and then the kitchen stuff.
I try to leave without buying anything, in order to discourage myself from accumulating good quality items that I already have or don’t need. This way if I buy something, it’s more likely to be both a good find and also put into use.
I am definitely ashamed of thrifting. I’ve never bumped into a friend at the thrift store, which makes me think people in my income demographic don’t thrift as often as I do. This gives me the self perception of being pathologically parsimonious.
I freely share items I buy thrifting on HO, but I’d be embarrassed to admit it to friends.
So why do I thrift?
To find high quality kitchen tools at reduced prices so I can try them with a low upfront investment, and freely re-donate if I don’t use them often enough to justify the kitchen space.
Getting nice kitchen tools at a low price adds to the joy of using them for me. Paying a premium often inspires me to be cautious of an item or even to not use it and preserve its newness. There must be a name for this perverse psychology.
They just don’t make things like they used to. I value top of the line vintage kitchen devices.
The treasure hunting aspect of unpredictable timing of reward has me addicted. The next big score could be at the next thrifting experience!
Reduced carbon footprint.
But, if I ever bump into a friend at the thrift shop I would sure feel ashamed. Especially if I was caught buying casual clothing, which is a personal affect and relatively affordable new. But I do a fair bit of that from time to time, too.
That is interesting. I’m pretty close to you in Alexandria and I frequent a few thrift stores for many of the same reasons, especially reduced carbon footprint and unexpected treasures. No shame at all here - IMO what is shameful is buying box loads of cheap clothing from SHEIN, Temu, and the like
I agree with part of this. I don’t feel any shame about it (your enumerated reasons for thrifting make perfect sense to me, plus the other rationale in my paragraph below). But yes, it is very rare that I see anyone in my demo thrifting (guessing from casual appearance, clothing etc.). Most are either immigrant families or (again, just a guess from appearance) lower middle class folks. But hey, I grew up somewhere between dirt poor and lower middle class.
The rare one I do see who appears to be in a similar demo is the mom with young adult daughter in tow, trying to outfit a college apartment. Which is kind of why your other thread inspired me to start going, as I have 4 kids in 4 apartments. But most of your enumerated reasons apply here, too. They don’t know yet what kinds of things they’ll enjoy using, don’t have to worry about scratching a “new” item, etc.
So I mostly kitchen thrift. I started skimming the male shirt row, though, when a daughter pulled for me what appeared to be a completely new Tommy Bahama short sleeve, button down shirt. Since then I’ve found a second new Tommy Bahama shirt. Two new TB shirts for $10.
