Saving money and spending less is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. January is often a time where people are pulling on their purse strings and putting their money away. But every once in a while, the yearning to buy something shiny and new pops up, and it’s so hard to say no — they don’t call it a shopping addiction for nothing!
You don’t need to give into the temptation though.
In fact, there are plenty of ways to curb your desire to spend every last cent in your savings account. From swap meets to consignment stores, exchanging your items — particularly clothing, shoes, and accessories — is a great way to add “new” items to your wardrobe without spending your hard earned cash.
But if you’re not willing to part with your precious belongings just yet, you’ll be happy to hear this: there’s a store where everything is free in Toronto.
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The Free Store at York University offers everything in-store for free.
Open every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m, the store was opened as an initiative to reduce landfill waste and offer up items to those who need them. In addition to clothing, The Free Store also offers common household items, books, and much more.
While the store is mostly visited by students and faculty of York University, the wider community is welcomed to take and exchange items at no cost.
The Free Store is open until the end of February.
Get your shopping fix at The Free Store. Each customer can take up to five items, however, you can get a sixth item by following The Free Store on Instagram. Alternatively, if you’ve hopped on the KonMari bandwagon, this is a great place to unload some of your stuff and feel good about it, too.
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According to CBC Marketplace, the average Canadian buys 70 new pieces of clothing a year which contributes to the 12 million tons of textile waste North America produces. There’s an endless onslaught of textile waste, and while there have been many initiatives put into place, we’ve all got to start rethinking about the way we consume if we’re going to make a difference.
The Free Store gives items the opportunity to be appreciated or used by another instead of being tossed out.
If you’d like to visit the free store, head to 104 Scholars Walk #431, North York, Ontario. The shop is open every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will be closed February 19, 2019 for reading week.
Don’t forget to follow The Free Store on Instagram to see what items are up for grabs!
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Featured image: Instagram/@freestore_regenesis