There are plenty of thrift stores in Billings, many of which have a charitable aspect, but those "feel good" reasons aren't the only cause of the recent boost in donations.  Some of the increase is being attributed to a downsizing movement which a new show on Netflix is helping to popularize.

For some reason, I watched an episode of this show, "Tidying Up" with Marie Kondo.  I had never heard of Marie, and have no idea what possessed me to try watching a show about someone cleaning someone else's house; however, I did just that.

Some of the things I saw (e.g. thanking a shirt for its service before you discard it) were not for me. They just seemed silly. However, after watching the show I felt compelled to throw things away. What Marie is preaching isn't really just "tidying up", but getting rid of anything in your life that doesn't bring you joy or serve a purpose.

Apparently, I'm not the only one who has been affected by this show. There are various reports suggesting that thrift stores across the country are seeing big boosts in donations as people follow Marie's teachings.

If you are a compulsive bargain shopper and check the thrift stores for pennies on the dollar stuff, you should be happy to know that your downsizing counterparts are currently slopping the stuff trough with their throwaways.

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