Floridians getting thrifty with it: Buying used to dodge tariffs

As tariffs push clothing and shoe prices up nearly 40%, Tampa Bay families are turning to thrift stores to stretch their budgets and avoid what experts call a "hidden tax" on consumers.

At the Goodwill store on 34th Street North in St. Petersburg, shoppers like Richard Horton are finding creative ways to save money.

"I hit all the thrift stores," Horton said. "Five bucks, sometimes three, if it's on sale, you know, got a red tag on it."

According to Yale's Budget Lab, a nonpartisan research group, tariffs are hitting consumers hard, with shoes up 39% and apparel 37% in the short term. The analysis reveals that the average household is losing approximately $2,400 in income, with tariffs potentially pushing up to 875,000 Americans into poverty.

"This is just the nature of any tax increas