Thrifting 101

Happy Wednesday! I'm back for the second day in a row with a post! A question I get asked commonly is how I find such good stuff at the thrift store?! Well, today I'm going to take you to my "thrifting 101" class to share 15 of my personal tips and tricks for having success at thrift stores. I have been thrifting since I was a little girl so I'm basically a professional at this point, lol. 

I love thrifting so much! I love the thrill of the hunt and never knowing what kind of treasure you might find is just so much fun! I focus most of my time on hunting for home decor items, either for myself or to resell in my Instagram shop. I absolutely love having a space that is full of treasures that I have collected throughout the years. My favorite items in my home are pieces that I have thrifted! I have also been asked how I avoid having a cluttered home since I go thrifting all of the time and my answer is that I get rid of stuff. If it's not serving our home anymore, it's got to go! Bring something in, take something out. 

I also get at least 50% of my kids clothing from thrift stores. I have had really great luck finding items for them and now that they are older, they have gotten really good at spotting great pieces, too! Also, like I mentioned yesterday, I have gotten back into thrifting clothing for myself as well. I am being super selective about pieces that I add to my closet by focusing on quality, fit, style, and uniqueness. I love finding one of kind, vintage pieces!

Ok, now for some of my tips and tricks for maximizing your thrifting experience...

1. Go often! To find the best stuff you have to go thrifting on a regular basis so that you don't miss out on any great finds. I'm pretty lucky and my favorite thrift store is less than five minutes away from my house. I always go at least once a week but sometimes I go three or four times in one week depending on my schedule. My store restocks multiple times a day so there's always something new to find.

2. There is usually a "best day" to go. For many of my thrift stores it's Mondays. A lot of people make donations on Saturdays and often the new stuff isn't put out until at least Monday. I have the least luck finding great items on Saturdays because that's when most people are out shopping at thrift stores.

3. There are certain times of the year to be sure to shop. I always go the last couple of weeks of December. Everyone is cleaning out their home for tax deductions. I've found amazing clothes, toys, home decor, and more! Also, spring is a great time to shop at thrift stores. Particularly around March when most people are doing their "spring cleaning." Their trash is your treasure.

4. Shop for the whole family! I find amazing clothes for the girls at thrift stores! Their entire outfits above were thrifted. We have found such cute things at the thrift store!

5. Look out of season. This especially works well for children because kids clothes don't ever really go "out of style" plus I try to buy classic pieces for my girls. I buy summer clothes in the winter and winter clothes in the summer. I've had such great luck with this! I bought so many gorgeous summer dresses for the girls this past winter. I've also found great coats in the heat of the summer.

6. Find out if your local thrift store has a customer savings program. For example, Goodwill has a Preferred Customer program. For $15 per year, you can save 10% every time you purchase donated goods! It will pay for itself in no time if you shop regularly. There's also certain days where your savings double and you get 20% off!

7. See if your thrift store runs any sales. Many thrift stores will discount certain color tags or items that have been in store for an extended period of time. I love a good sale!

8. Have something in mind that you are looking for to focus your search. It can be really overwhelming to enter a thrift store if you aren't used to digging through stuff to find a bargain. Focus on jeans if that's what you need or a certain item that you need for your home.

9. This one might seem silly but I have found it to be a helpful reminder: look up and look down. I have found some of the best items when I looked up at the very top shelves and when I've squatted down to see what's on the very bottom shelves. There are treasures hidden everywhere!

10. Sizing is so different from brand to brand so don't be afraid to try on a large if you typically wear a small. I've found some really great items by giving an item that wasn't my size a chance. The top in the picture above is 2-3 sizes bigger than what I normally wear but it fits me perfectly in this style!

11. Most people say they don't have the patience to go through all of the stuff so here's a trick I use. I look at the fabric. You can tell a lot about the quality of an item by just looking at the fabric. I don't bother even looking at anything that looks worn out, faded, or the fabric doesn't look like it's of good quality. Josh makes fun of me for this one, but I also just go down the aisle and touch the fabric to see if it's good quality. Good quality = good feeling fabric!

12. Look everywhere! I've found women's clothing in the men's and children's sections of the stores.

13. Check out the racks and carts of stuff that hasn't been put out yet. I always find amazing stuff there because no one has looked through it yet. My local thrift store always has these racks and carts out. The staff at my store never mind if go through them.

14. Styling your thrifted items is the fun part. I love mixing my thrifted items with items that I've found at regular retail stores. You can make a thrifted item work with the latest trends but more importantly it's such a budget friendly way to fill gaps in your wardrobe. If you know you need a pair of shorts or a black dress, key an eye out for those items to get them secondhand.

15. Being patient is essential. You won't find a ton of stuff that works for you or that you love every single time but don't get discouraged. A piece or two at a time is fantastic and sometimes I leave with nothing. Don't buy it if you don't love it because it will just hang in your closet and end up back at the Goodwill in a few months. Sometimes it's so tempting to buy it because it's cheap but if you don't love it then leave it!

Do you have any other great thrifting tips?! Be sure to share them with me if you do and thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you have a great day!