For the past week, I've been soaking up the sun in Charleston, S.C. The beach, 80 degrees and a bikini are my perfect idea of winter.

With all the warm weather, it's hard to remember that Christmas is right around the corner. And when you're on a trip, it's hard to avoid buying all the touristy junk that ends up burried in the back of closets never to see the light of day again (no one needs a magnet, keychain, add your own useless item in here, etc. with the name of a city on it).

While I was in Charleston though, I stopped into a thrift store to scour for some good finds and walked out with a slew of Christmas gifts.

Thrift stores are a great place to find used items in great shape. And the more you visit, the more you can find.

To support local churches, check out the Grey Nuns Thift Shop at 25 Marshall St. in Nashua or First Church and Pilgrim Church also have shops you should check out.

For good charitable causes check out Goodwill in Nashua at 55 High St. or the Salvation Army at the same spot or at 217 W. Hollis St.

Feel free to post other thrift stores in the comments below.