Beat your budget crisis; shop at the thrift store

Let’s not kid ourselves: being a student means living on a budget. The Topweek has taken a big chunk out of your budget and the university is also waiting to get paid. This leaves little room for new clothing and furniture.

Unless you won’t mind selling your dignity, you won’t be spending like you’re Bill Gates during your Tilburg time. That’s fine; it forces you to get creative. Luckily Tilburg is full of thrift stores, we’ve reviewed five of them. Read our review to make sure you know where to go for the authentic hipster-feel.

La Poubelle

Vibe: you can see why this is the most popular thrift store as soon as you step inside. It’s big, vibrant and clean.

Clothing: T-shirts for €2 and jeans for €5; the popularity isn’t matched by the pricing. The clothing department is fine, but make sure to check out the VERHIP! Corner. They sew discarded fabrics into new clothing and furniture. You’ll love it once you see it.

Furniture: The furniture isn’t stacked together like a couple of swingers during a game of Twister. It’s all neatly organized in different “living rooms” which makes it look a lot more attractive. It’s somewhat more expensive than the clothing, but they drop it off at your front door for a small fee.

Score: 5 out of 5: La Poubelle rocks. You know you’re visiting an awesome thrift store when they plastic-wrap everything to make sure nothing gets lost. Kringloop Tilburg

Vibe: La Poubelle might be the most popular of the thrift stores, but Kringloop Tilburg is definitely the coolest. The old skool warehouse near the canal has that fresh NY city vibe. 

Clothing: Their supply will keep you occupied for a while. The clothing department is, like the rest of the warehouse, structured chaos. Everything is somewhat organized and quite affordable.

Furniture: The whole store is jam-packed with seats, sofa’s, cabinets and other stuff to fill your tiny livingspace. Make sure to follow Kringloop Tilburg on Instagram or Facebook. They post newly arrived furniture, so you don’t even have to go down there to check the inventory.

Score: 5 out of 5. The guys of Kringloop Tilburg complain about a lack of space for their massive inventory. We on the other hand quite like that “treasure hunt” experience. PortAgora

Vibe: Messy and Cosy. The place is a lot bigger than you would expect. Don’t forget to take a look the second floor.

Clothing: Nothing exciting. You’ll probably succeed when looking for cheap shirts, but don’t expect to score a vintage treasure when visiting. They do have a large amount of baby clothing, so keep the store in mind for when you get accidentally pregnant during your Tilburg time.

Furniture: Inconsistent. They might have an awesome inventory one week, but it’s known to have nothing of value as well. They do seem to have an infinite supply of kitchen appliances though.

Score: Inconsistent but old school with prices to match it. 3 out of 5. Kringloopwinkel Tilburg-Noord

Vibe: Make yourself right at home; the smoking lady behind the cash register seems to do the same thing.

Clothing: It’s all cheap as hell. You can get an entire wardrobe for the price of a second hand condom. Like that condom, you might want to think twice before buying it though. The collection is a bit sad looking with all the boring colours.

Furniture: Nothing really springs out on the first go around. On your second tour stuff starts to pop out. Make sure to check the bookcases; you might find a hidden gem.

Score: 2 out of 5. Nothing special that justifies the bike ride north. When you are in the neighborhood however, it might be worth to drop by. Petra Used and Vintage Clothing formerly known as Listex Recycling

Vibe: An old factory hall full of clothing with Berlin-like feel to it. Not bad at all.

Clothing: The inventory is HUGE and it’s stocked up daily. The massive inventory is matched by the way the prices are calculated; you pay by the kilo. They seem to have literally anything you might need. Thus, an experienced shopper will most likely be able to score that vintage treasure he/she is looking for. Bonus tip: they have crates full of clothing for costumed parties or carnival.

Furniture: None whatsoever. Unless you feel like decorating your walls with pieces clothing.

Score: 4 out of 5. Fans might hate it that “their” hidden gem is named here, but so be it. During your stay in Tilburg you have to stop by at least once. Written by Danny Akdemir-Post from Go with the vlo

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