Why is some workout apparel so expensive?
It’s hard enough to dish out $70 for a respectable pair of pants to wear to the office/a court appearance/your nephew’s baptism, let alone for a single neon tank top that you’ll only wear an hour or two at a time and only in extreme sweating situations. (Not including, of course, those mornings when you get dressed for bootcamp or a morning run and then decide your time is better spent flipping through morning news programs and eating tortilla chips.)
Still, ever since a running coach informed me that “cotton is the devil” (at least when it comes to breaking a sweat), I’ve tried to buy smart – wicking underlayers and synthetic fabrics that will let my skin breathe, even when I’m panting.
And that stuff can be pricey. Perhaps you’ve noticed.
I’m all for spending good money on the things that matter (quality running shoes and a hard-working sports bra, for example). But for basic wicking shirts or yoga pants or fleece zip-ups, I frequently turn to Goodwill.
Sure, you have to be okay with the fact that you’re buying clothes someone unknown to you has probably sweat in at least once, maybe many times. I’m totally fine with it, especially when those gently used tanks and shorts only cost $5. And I often find workout apparel with the tags still on (tags still on = no stranger sweat). Someone else’s failed New Years resolution is our gain!
Like anything else at Goodwill, you’ll need to do some sifting, but it’ll be worth the effort when you get to brag about your bargain discoveries to all your yogi friends who can’t go out for nachos later because they spent all their money on pants. (And you can give the used duds a soak in white vinegar before washing, so they’ll be clean and fresh and nearly like new.)
Also worth noting: You can often find other tools of the exercise trade here, too, like dumbbells and yoga mats and jump ropes and resistance bands.
Now the question is, what will you spend all your savings on? Something edible, I hope.
Get thee to Goodwill
Find a Goodwill store in your neck of the woods.
