Thrift stores used to have a connotation (to me, that is) that they carried nothing but the dregs of clothes and furniture that no one wanted anymore. But, due to a desire for more clothes without any extra money coming in, I found myself willing to take the plunge.
For all of you out there finding yourself in any “unforeseen circumstances” or absolutely love a great deal- here are a few suggestions from me that I hope help you out, even if just a little.
1. I started out by going in with my nose turned up- but I willed myself to just look. Nix the worry about someone seeing you in there that you don’t want to see you. Besides, they’re in there for a reason too, they aren’t in there scoping out who has to shop at those places. They are there for themselves.
2. I started buying stuff not to go on my body but for the house. I’ve always tried to repurpose items I already have but sometimes you run out of stuff to repurpose! I’ve found lamps and picture frames so far (more to come on that later) that have turned out really well. These small steps got me hooked.
3. Take note: there are okay thrift stores and there are better ones. Trust me on this. My local Goodwill is great for furniture but that’s it. I’ll still browse the clothes and the occasional gym will pop out but for the most part- I stick to the back of the store. On that note, the Salvation Army is my friend. I mean best friend for clothes. I think it’s because of how they organize the clothes and are sectioned by color. I actually go to another county that is by a nice section of town and have found clothes in amazing and brand new (tags still attached) condition.
4. Some Goodwill, Salvation Army and/or thrift stores have some days with special offers. Since I’m a Salvation Addict, I can explain how they work better. Every day they offer 50% off on a certain tag color and every Wednesday they have 50% off the entire store.
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| Very nice brands and the clothes are in AMAZING condition! Just take half off those tags, and that's what I spent. |
5. Check all clothing of holes, rips or tears before buying. Some things can be fixed, but if the cost of repair is exceeding what you would realistically spend if it were new- skip it. It’s not worth the hassle. Sometimes the gamble pays off- I’ve removed paint from a shirt with Acetone and immediately washed it- like new! Win-win.
Hugs,
A.
P.S. I went today (I typed this up this past weekend initially, but the Pumpkin Walnut bread won) since it was “½ Off Day” and actually heard an older lady on her cell phone telling the listener that she saw So-and-So there and as soon as So-and-So saw her, she high-tailed it out of there. This lady thinks she skedaddled because of where she was and didn’t want anyone seeing her there.
This story just proved my point- everyone is there for their own reasons! This lady on her phone was checking out entire racks- she was shopping!
And for the record- I bought 8 tops for myself and D. for $16.42- SCORE!
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