5 Tips for Thrift Store Shopping

I’m a frugal living expert and a self proclaimed thrift store junkie for sure. I love thrift stores! Unlike a yard sale, they’re under cover and all in one place. There’s no driving from address to address, they have some great bargains and sometimes even a few treasures may be found like antiques or clothes with tags. 

In my area I drive an hour for a sale at my closest Value Village thrift!  Sound crazy? Well if you consider that I spend around $500 on clothing for my entire family of 6 in a years time, with the exception of undergarments,  then you’d understand that it is worth the drive.  Find your local thrift and ask questions. When are the sales each month? When are newly acquired items places on the shelves (every day or maybe just once a week)? Is there a return policy? Is there a wanted board where I can post a specialty item that I’m looking for like a pack n play or high chair?

So maybe you’re thinking well I shop consignments….. No!  The prices I’m paying on a sale at a thrift store are half price of what I’d find in a local consignment shop.  Yes I may need to pick through the clothes a bit more but I’m ok with that.  Over the years I’ve realized that I’m only willing to shop thrift on a sale day and that about 20% of the clothes I find still have the tags on them. Really! Plus, about 50% of the shoes that I find are only ever worn a few times judging by the condition of the shoe and tread on the bottom.

For these awesome savings I’m planning to keep on doing what I’m doing. Its worked for over 10 years now! I’ve prepared some tips below for you 1st timers.  If you’re planning to hit a thrift shop on a sale day be sure to be there when the doors open to get the best selection so you aren’t disappointed.

1) Be prepared to change out buttons to update a look if you find designer wear that is a little outdated.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. Value Village stores offer 50% off sales on holidays (Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day etc)

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.

 

Be sure to check out some of my frugal videos that will help you save too! Bookmark this site – to get more tips, ideas and more from Maggie the frugal living expert!  Don’t forget to “like” our Facebook page too! To find coupons for just about anything  go here to my coupon database and type in any  word (like candy, or paper towels) and all coupons available anywhere on the world wide web will come up!