My “go-to” for saving money is thrifting or buying items on sale whenever I can. I always look for alternatives to buying new or paying full price. I am the queen of the bargain and these are my Top 10 Thrifting Tips! Thrifting is helpful for the environment if we recycle or upcycle items (and find the items we need for a fraction of the price) instead of buying new, not to mention it is great on the pocketbook.
I could probably write a novel in itself when talking about my top 10 thrifting tips, thrifting is one of my favorite things! In my free time, I usually head out to the thrift store to see what is new, looking for items that I can reimagine and make mine. There is the feeling of the “thrill of the hunt”…looking through all the items and waiting to find that item that others overlooked, the vastly underpriced item. When you find it there is a feeling of glee and satisfaction. You want to yell “Start the Car!!!!!” and run to the checkout as quickly as possible.
There is an art to thrifting, the more you do it the better you get at it. It is a game of hit and miss, some days are full of treasures, and others not so much. It can be difficult if you are looking for something very specific to find, thrift stores are a magical mystery of unusual things, you never know what you are going to find. Below are my Top 10 Thrifting Tips to make your trip as successful as possible.
Top 10 Thrifting Tips:
Lets Get Started…
- Always Spend Within Your Means
It is critical to not get carried away in thrift stores. It is easy to go to a store, find something that is a great deal and be elated to take it home. The problem is, you have to be able to pay for it! It can be very tempting to buy things on credit and think ” Oh I will just pay for it soon when I have cash”, this is a huge No no. This can lead to a cycle of debt, paying a large amount of interest, and financial insecurity. The first rule of shopping: do not buy it if you cannot afford to pay for it in cash, period.
Purchasing with anything other than cash can lead down a very scary road, $1 of debt can easily and quickly turn to $100 which then can lead to thousands of dollars in debt if you are not careful. When living on a budget paying off debt can become a vicious cycle where you are paying interest on the amount owing but not paying off the actual debt. Please ensure that before you head into a thrift store you know your budget and what you can afford.
My motto is that I never pull out my credit card in a thrift store. This ensures that I only purchase what I can afford. It also helps curb impulse purchases and makes me think twice about the items I plan to buy. No deal is worth debt! If you have debt I highly recommend seeking professional advice to create a plan of how to pay off your debt as efficiently as possible and create a budget for your fixed and nonfixed expenses. - Make a List of Items You are Looking For
Thrift Stores can be overwhelming with the number of items they contain. It is easy to quickly get carried away looking at all of the pretty things and forget the actual items that you are looking for. To ensure that this doesn’t happen to you, keep a list of items to be on the lookout for. I do this on my phone in the notes section. As I go through my regular day-to-day activities when things pop up that I need or want I add them to my list. When in the store it is as easy as pulling out your list periodically to remind yourself what to look for.
To take it one step further you can organize your list. You can create headers on your list or organize them by department (clothes, shoes, furniture, home goods, home improvement, holiday, etc.). Having an organized list makes it fast to look up things and remind yourself while walking through each section of the store.
Lists also keep you focused on the things you need. Just because something is a “good deal” doesn’t mean that you need it. There is an endless supply of items donated every day, and if you thrift often you soon realize that you cannot take every good deal home (or you may be at risk of becoming a hoarder).
When you find something that you think is a good deal ask yourself a few critical questions: Is it on my list? Do I need it? Can I afford it? Is this something that will benefit me in the long run? - Know Your Prices
It can take some time but getting to know the thrift stores in your area is important. Once you visit them you soon learn how they can vary in pricing for the same object. I won’t mention specific store names, but some larger chains price their items very close to retail. Even though it is a thrift store, it doesn’t mean that everything is a good deal.
One great example of this is comparing 2 of my local thrift shops. One has set prices for clothing no matter the brand, another store prices certain desirable brands higher. Knowing this helps me make better shopping decisions. I only buy clothing at the stores that have set prices (unless I find a rare bargain at the other). This means that instead of paying the marked-up price for a name-brand sweatshirt for example of $20, I can buy the same brand at the store with set prices for $5. This is a HUGE saving and adds up dramatically over time. - Shops the Discounts
People don’t always know but in addition to thrift stores having lower prices, they also run sales and promotions. Being aware of the sales and promotions in your stores can add up to more savings for you while shopping. In my area, I know that weekly deals usually change on a Monday. We have a seniors day each week as well. Some stores have additional discounts on certain colored tags each week. Some stores even have dollar days or 50% off certain categories. This can lead to additional savings of 25-75% off items.
Larger stores also usually have mailing lists that you can sign up for to receive additional discounts via email or notifications of upcoming sales. I always check my email before I head out shopping to ensure that I know the latest deals in my area and can match them up to my list. Using these discounts and timing your shopping trips to coincide with deals can ensure that you get the best prices possible.
To learn more about deals and shopping tips to save you money visit Top10 Deal and Coupon Tips - Donate Unwanted Items
Peek around your home and see if there is anything that you no longer need. Do a closet cleanout of items you no longer wear. You can find A LOT to give away if you have not purged in a while. Ask your stores if they give discounts when you donate items. In my area, many of the thrift stores will give you a coupon for a certain percentage off your next purchase if you donate. This can add up! I always plan to donate something before thrifting. Donating at certain stores can give me at least an additional 20% off my items.
I also group/ split up my donations. If I have a large bag of clothing from the kid’s closet for example I will separate it into two donation piles, meaning that I will donate items twice and get a coupon each time. This gives me two coupons for two separate shopping trips.
Consignment stores also may provide you with in-store credit when you make donations. This can be a great way to get affordable items. Children’s clothing is a great example of this. When children as small they outgrow items very quickly, you can donate the items they have outgrown to a consignment store and use the credit you accumulate to purchase items in the new size they need. Each consignment store has its process and you should investigate and ask staff about their consignment policies and practices. - Know the Best Days and Times to Shop
Best times to shop can vary per location/ town. It is something that you may learn through personal experience. I do not like to shop when it is busy. I feel rushed and crowded when I am surrounded by people. I don’t want to have to reach around others to get items off shelves, it ruins the experience for me. Part of the reason I love to thrift is that it is “me time”, it is the time I relax, get to take a break, and enjoy myself, I can’t do that in a crowd. For most stores, the weekends are the busiest, and I rarely if ever go on these days.
Beginning of the week is usually a less busy time to shop. Monday and Tuesday are historically less busy (but Tuesdays are our senior days in many stores which makes them busier). I like to shop Monday mornings (when the new deals start), Wednesdays, or Thursdays. find that on Thursdays they are starting to stock up again for the upcoming weekend. Each store I visit has different stocking days/ times. I slowly have learned their patterns for restocking. Many staff will tell you the stocking schedule as well if asked. - Look for Quality and Durability
People that are pricing the items in the store often do not know the value of certain things. This is how you can score MAJOR discounts. It is important to know how to identify the quality of items. I plan on creating future posts to help with this in each area of the store, but for now, I can provide a few highlights.
Look for quality wood furniture pieces (solid wood can always be refinished). Look for higher-end brand-name home items or high-end store brands. Typically higher-end stores/ brands use higher quality materials that last longer. Know your clothing materials and makers. I am a firm believer that quality clothing is important, the more expensive fabrics/ stitching tend to wash better and tend to last longer. Look for quality names in shoes, look for leather or higher-end brands that are known for durability. Also, check each of the items over very carefully when you are in the store. Make sure that there are no holes, stains, bugs (gross), or damage to the item before purchasing.
My overall thought for items is that I would rather pay an extra dollar or two for quality and not have to replace it quickly. I want things I purchase to last me for a long period. When I purchase cheaply made items they never seem to last as long or work as well. Sometimes there is value in paying a bit more for something that will last much longer. - Keep in Mind Opportunities to Repurpose, Refinish, or Upcycle Items
When shopping it is sometimes easy to overlook items that have great potential. Maybe the item is the wrong color, or there are scratches on the furniture, etc. Many people do not buy items unless they are in very good condition. This is where I get some of my best bargains!
DIY and thrifting go hand in hand. Look at the shape of items, look at the structure, look at the material….could you transform it into something else? I have many examples of this that I will add to future DIY posts. The list a few below gives you an idea of DIY projects I have completed from thrifted items.
– Purchased a collapsible clothing drying rack and repurposed it to an outdoor cooking table by adding a simple top
– Spray painted frames, furniture, and lighting to change the color to fit my décor
– Refinished old wooden furniture to give it a new life
– Made a solar panel for our pool from an old hose and pond pump
– Purchased a retail display rack to use as a desk
– Recovered thrifted chairs and sofas with a drop cloth as the material
The limit to repurposing items is your imagination!
Additional details on furniture flipping: Upcycling Furniture Basics - Know the Best Deals
Typically there are better deals on certain items in thrift stores. I find furniture, mirrors, art, kitchen and home improvement supplies are where I find the best deals. I always look for these items when I am in stores. With thrift stores, you never know what you are going to find.
I am proud to say that most of the larger items in my home have been purchased second-hand or refinished. Not buying new has allowed me to furnish and decorate my home, I have spent only a fraction of retail prices for my furniture and décor. I also believe that I have more quality items than I could have afforded, as I may not have been able to purchase the items new in-store. By thrifting items, I was able to buy them at prices well under half of retail.
Deals can be approached by looking at the promise each item has. It is made well with quality materials, is there the possibility to recover it, or paint the item to match my décor? Is there damage that I cannot easily repair? Is it worth my time and effort to buy and restore the item? Does it have the right basic shape and size I am looking for?
In thrift stores another great deal to look out for fabric and crafting/ sewing supplies! In many of the DIY projects, you can use fabric to recover something or craft supplies to make something. Even at a discount in fabric stores, costs can quickly add up to purchase fabric/ trim/ buttons/ sewing and crafting supplies. I have found that thrift stores have proven to be the best place to find most of this at a very reasonable price. I always look in the fabric section and curtains sections for material I can use. If it is a great deal and high-quality material I may purchase it to tuck away for a future project. My “stash” of fabric and crafting supplies has come in handy over the years. I have used it for many projects. - Make Sure You Have the Time and Energy to Shop and Have Fun!
Thrifting takes time and patience. You have to be willing to look through lots of junk to find the treasures. It always amazes me the things that people throw away and the number of items in the stores.
Most thrift stores are full to overflowing and have many items to look through. The deals may not always be obvious. You need to take your time when going through a store, looking at the items, picking them up, and inspecting them. Maybe even pull out your phone and do a bit of research. If you don’t budget time for this thrifting can be frustrating, rushed, and not fun. Make sure that you have the energy and dedicated time to go through the store departments you are interested in. This makes for a much more enjoyable experience. Rushing makes for a stressful shopping experience.
There are days that I find many treasures and others where I come home empty-handed. Sometimes it is just is the way it is. Even knowing the Top 10 Thrifting Tips you still have to have patience and not give up. There are so many items being donated daily. The stock in thrift stores changes rapidly. If you don’t find what you are looking for, you can try again. Thrifting is as much about the joy of the hunt, the elusive treasure waiting to be found, the item that is a diamond in the rough as it is about the actual items you find. When I go shopping I always keep my expectations realistic. I ensure to enjoy the time no matter what I find. If nothing else I have had fun looking. You never know that next visit I may just find something extraordinary.
