Tips for Going Thrifting

I get a lot of questions about how I find such neat things in the garbage, at thrift stores, etc. I will tell you my secret: When I decide I need something, I spend a lot of time looking for it in search of the best deal. With that said, I don’t often report back on the duds, but that happens a lot too!

When I do shop, I have to be strategic — especially because 90 percent of the time I have my girls with me and if I’m going to endure the pain of loading and unloading kids into a vehicle and going somewhere, it needs to be worth it.

Last week, I went to the Salvation Army’s 50 percent off clothing sale. I always look for fun things for the girls, but I also needed some things this time around {thanks to Shaklee180 and dropping 5/6 sizes, I need an entire wardrobe}. I constantly hear from people “I never find anything.” All I have to say is it’s a treasure hunt and you have to dig! Here are some tips for going thrifting:

1. Join a local garage sale site on Facebook. These are fabulous — especially if you work and can’t get to the first day of a garage sale. I’m in a few from local mom2mom sites to an antiques buy/sell/trade group and a Freecycle group. They are like Craigslist essentially, except you only have to deal with people who live close to you, which is nice. There is an etiquette to follow on these pages, so always make sure you follow the rules.
2. Get up early. If there’s a big sale at a thrift store, or you’re heading to garage sales, estate sales or Mom 2 Mom sales, you must arrive early to score the good stuff. For example, my favorite days to shop at Salvation Army are on the holidays when they have their big sale of 50% off clothing. They bring out RACKS of clothing with the tags still on them! To me, these are like piles of money. On my most recent trip I scored a cute Calvin Klein top and Ann Taylor jeans for dirt cheap and still with tags. The new racks are always my first plan of attack
3. BARTER. Never pay full price for anything when it comes to a garage sale. You don’t want to insult the person, but offering them a buck or two less won’t hurt. Did you know you can barter in most resale shops and antique stores too? DO IT. I’m a big fan of grouping items and then offering less. I have yet to be rejected.
4. Do your homework. If you are in need of something specific, know how much it’s worth. I pull up eBay a lot when I’m out antiquing, and have found some awesome deals that way. I also have a rule that I don’t spend more than $4 on any type of clothing for my girls {unless it’s something reallllly awesome}. Make your own set of rules.
5. Have a budget and stick to it. Just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean you should buy it. Often, I will only bring $20 out with me. When it’s gone, it’s gone. Also, limited cash can be a great bartering technique 😉
6. Have a plan. If you are going garage saling, try to find as many as possible in one area. I love the gsalr.com website and its app for finding sales {this site pulls from Craigslist, EstateSales.net and more}. Don’t drive too far for a sale…Not worth it for the price of gas these days unless there is something specific they have and you need!
7. ABS. Always Be Searching. If you’re driving around and it’s garbage night, drive a little slower. You won’t believe what people throw away. Remember most anything can be fixed with a little TLC and paint!

Some of my recent clothing finds…2 skirts, 2 shirts {with tags}, 1 pair of jeans {with tags}, 1 pair of capris, 1 cardigan sweater {with tags} 2 pairs of PJ pants {with tags} and 1 Stella McCartney handbag {barely used}.

Grand total = $40

What are your favorite tips for thrifting?