10 Secret Tips to Thrift Shopping

Are you a thrift queen/king? Do you want to have the cutest outfits while spending little money and saving the planet? Here are my top 10 tips in getting the bang for the buck: 

1) Take Your Time

Don’t go thrifting if you know that you do not have much time. You will end up getting frustrated at not finding anything and end up not enjoying the beautiful habit of thrifting. Make sure that you have at least one hour because thrift stores are huge and should be flipped upside down (not literally, those employees work hard to keep the store clean). Make sure that you have enough time to go through every aisle, yes, even the furniture!

Most thrift stores are huge, hugeeee, so make sure you plan your day accordingly to find perfect affordable outfits.

2) Be Patient

This is another important aspect of thrift shopping. Whatever you do make sure you go there with a clear mind or clear your mind while you do the shopping. It is a good activity to put your mind at ease, especially after a long day. However, keep in mind that it requires patience, so do not go there if you are in an eery mood ready to punch someone—just go to the gym if you are that mad.

Remember to be kind to the employees, it is not easy to maintain a big store like that clean.

3) Go to the XL Section

This is my favorite section of the entire thrift store. The one where all the MEN XL shirts are displayed. Let’s be honest? Who does not live in extra-large t-shirts? I know I live, eat, breathe, dance, sleep, and repeat in XL thrifted men shirts. These are super cheap! For as low as .75 cents you can get a whole vacation! JK, it’s not really a vacation, more like a shirt souvenir from any country that you haven’t been to. You will be surprised about the number of shirts donated to thrift stores, and they need a new home and owner!

4) Look in the Purses

Okay, this may not be the smartest thing to do, but sometimes you can find money in purses! I am not telling you to go around the store looking into all the purses to find the money. But, you could go have a peak in that section to see if it is your lucky day. I encourage you to give the money you find to a charity or even donate it to the thrift shop that you are at!

Please don’t go around making a mess in the store, but if you happen to pick up a purse with money in it, go ahead and DONATE it!

5) Dont Buy it Because it is Cheap

Now seriously, do not buy a ruined, ugly pair of jeans just because it is seven dollars. Do not buy things that you do not need just because they are inexpensive because you will most likely never wear them and certainly not be able to sell them. If you find a couple shirts you like then that is different, but if your reasoning is “cause its cheap,” then put that thing back where you found it!

The price should not be your reasoning. You will literally waste the money, even if it is 5 dollars, it is still 5 dollars wasted.

6) Go Often

If you have time, go thrifting often. I would suggest going at least once a week. They get deliveries every week and they also put clothes on sale on a specific day of the week. For example, one store that I go to puts all its green tagged items on sale every Wednesday and get a delivery of new clothes every Sunday. So, yeah, go often and keep a lookout.

I also suggest going to more than one thrift store when you do. You might go to the same store on repeat and find the same grandma dress every time you go. SO make sure to be variable when you pick a store.

7) Look Through Everything

LOOK THROUGH EVERYTHING YOU ARE INTERESTED IN WHEN THRIFTING! If you are going for jeans then I would suggest going through every single pair of jeans in that thrift store. If you are going for large oversized shirts, go through every single shirt in the section that caught your eye.

See Also

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8) Put it in your Cart

If you like something, put it in your cart- just toss it in there. Remember, do not just buy it because it is cheap. You should go through everything in your cart at the end to make sure the clothes in there have potential and can be worn.

9) Trial & Error

Thrifting is not easy, just like regular or online shopping it is not easy. To find clothes you love, you must buy them, try them and find a place in your closet for them. If you do not, you could always return the clothes or even donate them once more—continue the cycle.

You will not always buy clothes that you enjoy. You will buy something that you like at the moment and end up hating it when you get home. It happens. Some thrift stores sometimes do not even have fitting rooms so it may not fit! Trial and error!

10) Donate

Now I know this doesn’t aid your personal thrifting experience, but donating your clothes will make other people happy whilst also liberating your closet—and life. When you donate, you give your clothes a whole new life, it’s their rebirth. Someone, besides you, will get to enjoy the clothes that you do not love enough to wear!

Donate all the clothes that you no longer want to charities and thrift stores and donate to help make the world a better place.

I love thrifting and I hope these tricks will help you find your treasures! Which trick will you use next time you go thrifting? Comment down below!