I love finding a good deal. Something about finding a steal on a rare or unique item makes me so giddy. Since having kids, I’ve gotten more into thrifting. For starters, it saves money. But also, it’s good for the environment & it’s kind of like a game- trying to find good deals on things you might normally not want to spend the money on new.
I’ve found so many wonderful items for my kiddos like name brand clothes, shoes, wooden toys, etc. I’ve also found furniture for our home & some staple wardrobe pieces for myself. My husband and I went to Stillwater last month and got some books from a used book store as well.
Here are some things I keep in mind before and during thrifting:
- Have a list of things you’d be happy to find/are on the lookout for before heading in. Sometimes I head in without a plan, but I always try to think of anything the kiddos or I might need that I can keep an eye out for.
- If shopping for clothes for myself, I always check out the men’s section too. Sometimes women’s clothes get put in the wrong section, but mainly because men’s t-shirts especially, give a nice oversized fit which is nice. And just in general, men’s clothes are sometimes thicker and better quality at thrift stores.
- I search for name brands. Especially when shopping for clothes for my kids, I look at the brands before anything really. The reason is, I know the brands of clothes that are super good quality and cute, but most of the time, I don’t want to spend the money to buy clothes from those stores new. I search for H & M and Zara specifically. Typically, I don’t want to spend the $ on something that is only slightly cheaper than the new version of it (like Target clothes, for example).
- Look at everything, even if you don’t think you’re interested. If you have time to browse, wandering around the entire store can be beneficial. In thrift stores, it’s not uncommon for things to be a bit more scattered all around. A lot of times, you find the best gems when you’re least expecting it. And usually, those items are not in the correct location in the store.
- Thrifting works best when you have the time to sift through things and not feel rushed. It also takes patience. If you’re trying to find something specific, know that it may take multiple different trips and/or stores to find something similar to what you’re needing to find.
About a month ago, I thrifted all of my son’s winter snow gear, and I was so excited! I also thrifted my kid’s Halloween costumes. You’ll never know the amazing things you can find until you go out and look. 🙂
Tia Marie
tia marie 