Feeling a bit blah? Plan an op shop mission. Photo: Social Enterprise.

“Would you like the receipt?”

“No thanks. Hide the evidence.”

This was the invariable reply of one of my best friends when we went on one of our famous binges.

Our vice wasn’t alcohol (although we might squeeze in a cheeky cocktail) or other drugs; it wasn’t gambling, or even designer handbags.

Our big blowouts involved taking out $100 in cash and hitting the op shops.

We had our routine down pat. We knew which ones were the best for books, clothes, decor, furniture.

We knew where you could score an absolute bargain and where you’d find a K-Mart shirt marked up to $25.

Some of my favourite clothes were rustled up on our op-shop missions – a factory seconds dress worth $300 new for $60, a Kathmandu feather-down p

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