5 Tips for Thrift Store Shopping

Value Village will likely be having their 50% off sale this Labor Day holiday along with many other thrift shops. Do you really know how to go shopping at make the most of your dollars at the thrift store?

First of all if you’re heading to Value Village for their holiday 50% off sale day please know in advance that you’ll need to be there when the doors open!  The deals go fast and there is even a line to get into the stores on some holiday sales.  Its really appealing to be able to snag your child’s entire back to school wardrobe for under $100 bucks – rain coat, boots, jackets, pants sweatshirts all included in that price! The prices are already cheap but 50% off makes it incredible and worth the trip.  I travel 1 hour to hit my local Value Village when there is a 50% off sale and I NEVER regret the trip.  Its better then a yard sale…. much larger and more options.  The only difference is that I can’t haggle over the price like I can at a yard sale but 98% of the time the price is so low that its an easy decision.

You can find designer apparel, brand new items with tags still on them and everything in between.  I’ve had great luck at my local Value Village (Glen Burnie/Brooklyn Park area).  On my last trip I found a great pink bike with training wheels, just like I needed, for just $7.50 – Of course it was half price which is why I was able to snag that really cheap price!  Great savings!  Where else can you go & tell your kids “go pick out anything you want” except at a thrift store? ☺

Here are some tips for thrift store shopping:

1) Be prepared to change out buttons to update a look if you find designer wear that is a little outdated.  You may even wish to remove a pocket to update an 80’s blazer to a new chic fashion so invest a couple of bucks in a seam ripper.

2) Check zippers, buttons & seems.  Unless you find designer wear or a really awesome coat, zippers usually are NOT worth the cost to have replaced.

3) Shop on sale days… Even thrift stores have sales!  Sign up for their newsletter and “like” their Facebook pages so you can stay informed of the sale dates and promotional events.

4) Wash the clothes really well and avoid buying intimates.  After I make a thrift store purchase I was the clothes on my super cycle that washes them for 59 minutes.  If you’re a person that is borderline germ phobic but need the savings of a thrift store us a germicidal wash.

5) Invest in no sew  hem tape.  Hem tape is so easy to use and its a really quick fix to hem trousers, jeans, skirts etc so you can customize to your height.  You just apply the tape and iron! You can even add a cuff liner to update a blazer all using hem tape. Below is a quick You tube video on how to use hem tape.

 

I’m Maggie Miller and I run Family Frugal Fun. We post about all kinds of things frugal, family issues and offers, and fun stuff too!  Be sure to “like” us on Facebook – I want to help you develop a frugal living plan so you can save more money to have more fun with your family and give less of your income to the grocery stores, restaurants etc!  Click on any category in the right side bar to see all of the offers for that category.