Tips to Thrift! 10 Do's and Don't's of Thrifting!
That time of the year is here! The weather is getting cooler and garage sales are beginning to cease. But have no fear, thrifting is here! I know, I know, corny but I had to. On a serious note, I am going to talk about my 10 tips to thrifting that I believe will help anyone become a true bargain shopper. Of course, there are tons of thrifting tips but these are my go to tips to anyone trying to utilize their second hand stores.
Tip #1: Make a list of what you need. Don't get me wrong, there are days when I just want to step into a thrift store just to browse and there is nothing wrong with that; sometimes that is when you find the most amazing deals. However, having a list can keep you focused and can make you plan for certain deals in your areas. Example, my Goodwill does $2 Tuesday on clothes so when I am looking for clothes items I tend to try to go on those days.
Tip #2: Do the research in advance! Check out your local thrift store deals and coupons. Check out the weekly color. However, don't get tricked with clothing size tags and the color tags. I have done it before and was really disappointed.
Tip #3: Sign up for weekly ads for your local thrift stores. A lot of times they will have sales that they don't advertise in the store clearly. Signing up for the weekly newsletters will allow you to know what stores are having what deals and will allow you to plan your thrifting adventures.
Tip #4: Be prepared to spend a lot of time in one thrift store and be prepared to thrift for more than one day. In order to save money, you have to put the time in. There is a technique to thrifting but thrifting also is about pure luck; not everyone is lucky everyday. ( I Know I am NOT!).
Tip #5: No matter what, GRAB IT! If you see something that you like but are debating on, grab it and put it in the cart. Just because it is in the cart doesn't mean you have to buy it. BUT if it is in the cart it means that if you do decide to buy it you have it before someone else picks it up. Trust me on this one! I have done it before and beat myself up for not keeping that item in my possession. This tip also applies to clothes. Grab it then try it on. You can always put it back. This leads into my next tip.
Tip #6: Do not fixate on sizes too much because you know what will fit you. Brand sizes are all different. You won't know until you try it on.
Tip #7: Check for spots, rips, and tears. Another clothing tip... before you buy it check it. Sometimes when people donate they get rid of something with a small tear not thinking that it will get larger with time. Sometimes there is a reason to donate clothes other than you just don't wear them anymore. Always check for spots, stains, missing buttons, tears, or rips when you are trying them on. Check in the mirror and investigate every seam!
Tip #8: Rummage through everything because you never know what you will find. I was looking at toys for my classroom the other day and lifted something up and found a brand new metal collar for my dog. I grabbed that fast. If you don't go through things you will miss the hidden treasures!
Tip #8: This is a personal opinion tip but go thrifting ALONE or with someone you know will want to spend all that time in the store with you. When I go thrifting I usually go alone or with Ally when I know she is in the mood to spend a lot of time in there. It helps if both of you are looking for the same types of items. Going with someone who isn't in the mood to truly thrift will being your mood down and make you feel rushed to get your shopping done. We all know when we rush is when we miss something good.
Tip #9: Have a spending limit on items. My spending limit for clothing is $5 per item. No More! My spending limit on books is $1. Now, you can have your own limitations but I suggest comparing how much you would pay for something that is brand new in a store and how much you really need something. When you put a limit on items you really start to save money and utilize thrift stores.
Tip #10: My last tip for thrifting is think outside of the box. Items can be upcycled to be more your style or they can be made into something completely different. Just because it is used doesn't mean it can't be beautiful. Also, don't dismiss items at the thrift store as gift ideas. ( I will be doing a gift ideas blog closer to the holidays!)
That is all I have for this post! Comment below and tell me some of your thrifting tips because I know there are many many more!
Stay Tuned for the next informative blog on What Not To Buy At Thrift Stores!
Tip #1: Make a list of what you need. Don't get me wrong, there are days when I just want to step into a thrift store just to browse and there is nothing wrong with that; sometimes that is when you find the most amazing deals. However, having a list can keep you focused and can make you plan for certain deals in your areas. Example, my Goodwill does $2 Tuesday on clothes so when I am looking for clothes items I tend to try to go on those days.
Tip #2: Do the research in advance! Check out your local thrift store deals and coupons. Check out the weekly color. However, don't get tricked with clothing size tags and the color tags. I have done it before and was really disappointed.
Tip #3: Sign up for weekly ads for your local thrift stores. A lot of times they will have sales that they don't advertise in the store clearly. Signing up for the weekly newsletters will allow you to know what stores are having what deals and will allow you to plan your thrifting adventures.
Tip #4: Be prepared to spend a lot of time in one thrift store and be prepared to thrift for more than one day. In order to save money, you have to put the time in. There is a technique to thrifting but thrifting also is about pure luck; not everyone is lucky everyday. ( I Know I am NOT!).
Tip #5: No matter what, GRAB IT! If you see something that you like but are debating on, grab it and put it in the cart. Just because it is in the cart doesn't mean you have to buy it. BUT if it is in the cart it means that if you do decide to buy it you have it before someone else picks it up. Trust me on this one! I have done it before and beat myself up for not keeping that item in my possession. This tip also applies to clothes. Grab it then try it on. You can always put it back. This leads into my next tip.
Tip #6: Do not fixate on sizes too much because you know what will fit you. Brand sizes are all different. You won't know until you try it on.
Tip #7: Check for spots, rips, and tears. Another clothing tip... before you buy it check it. Sometimes when people donate they get rid of something with a small tear not thinking that it will get larger with time. Sometimes there is a reason to donate clothes other than you just don't wear them anymore. Always check for spots, stains, missing buttons, tears, or rips when you are trying them on. Check in the mirror and investigate every seam!
Tip #8: Rummage through everything because you never know what you will find. I was looking at toys for my classroom the other day and lifted something up and found a brand new metal collar for my dog. I grabbed that fast. If you don't go through things you will miss the hidden treasures!
Tip #8: This is a personal opinion tip but go thrifting ALONE or with someone you know will want to spend all that time in the store with you. When I go thrifting I usually go alone or with Ally when I know she is in the mood to spend a lot of time in there. It helps if both of you are looking for the same types of items. Going with someone who isn't in the mood to truly thrift will being your mood down and make you feel rushed to get your shopping done. We all know when we rush is when we miss something good.
Tip #9: Have a spending limit on items. My spending limit for clothing is $5 per item. No More! My spending limit on books is $1. Now, you can have your own limitations but I suggest comparing how much you would pay for something that is brand new in a store and how much you really need something. When you put a limit on items you really start to save money and utilize thrift stores.
Tip #10: My last tip for thrifting is think outside of the box. Items can be upcycled to be more your style or they can be made into something completely different. Just because it is used doesn't mean it can't be beautiful. Also, don't dismiss items at the thrift store as gift ideas. ( I will be doing a gift ideas blog closer to the holidays!)
That is all I have for this post! Comment below and tell me some of your thrifting tips because I know there are many many more!
Stay Tuned for the next informative blog on What Not To Buy At Thrift Stores!
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