thrifty: tips

My thrifty tips for finding goodies at thrift stores...

• 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 go at least once a week to my regular thrift store.
• 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.
• Check out the racks of stuff that hasn't been put out yet. I always find amazing stuff there because no one has looked through it yet.
• Find out if your thrift store has a customer savings program. For example, Goodwill has a Preferred Customer program. For about $15 per year, you can save 10% every time you shop! It will pay for itself in no time if you shop regularly.
• 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 brands = good feeling fabric!
• Speaking of brands, I have a list of brands on my phone that I look for. This list would vary depending on your taste in clothing but some of my favorites are J. Crew, Gap, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Lucky, Guess, and anything from Anthropologie. These brands generally have great quality clothing so even if it's second hand, it's typically going to be in good condition.
• Look everywhere! I've found women's clothing in the men's and children's sections of the stores.
• 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.
• See if your thrift store runs any sales. I have a favorite thrift store that has daily deals but they also take 50% of all clothing on Mondays. I love a good sale!
• Shop for the whole family! About 80% of our wardrobe is from a thrift store. I find amazing clothes for the girls at thrift stores!
• 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!
• Being patient is essential. You won't find a ton of stuff that works for you every time but don't get discouraged. A piece or 2 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.
• Look out of season. This especially works well for children because kid's clothes don't ever really go out of style. 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 Julianna this past winter.
• There are certain times of the year to be sure to shop. Always go at the end of December. Everyone is cleaning out their closet for tax deductions. I've found amazing clothes, toys, and more! Also, spring is a great time to shop at thrift stores. Particularly around March when most people are doing their "spring cleaning."
• 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 particular pattern that you love.

Feel free to e-mail me at emily.soto@live.com if you have any thrifting questions!

Happy Thrifting!

My thrift store find today- this brand new Fossil jacket for $5! So perfect for fall!

thrifty: jewelry holders

I picked up this silver bowl and tray at Goodwill today.

They were each less than $1 with my discount card. I wanted a fun way to display and store some of my jewelry on my dresser so I scooped these up. I cleaned them with Tarn-x to remove the tarnish and they look brand new now!

I added one of my favorite necklaces to the tray and a set of bangles inside of the bowl. I can change the jewelry out frequently and I can add more pieces since there's still more room. 

 

A successful DIY project for about $2! 

thrifty: this week at Goodwill

I stop by Goodwill once a week. I generally have something in mind that I'm looking for. Today I needed a pair of jeans so that was my goal. I lucked out and found a pair that fit perfectly! One of my secrets is to ignore sizes and try things on. I just looked for style and wash of the jeans. Found 3 pairs all completely different sizes and only one of them worked for me. You've got to try things on or you'll leave with something that might work and you may be wasting your money, even if it was inexpensive. I don't like to waste money!

I always browse the children's clothing too. I only look for Julianna's current size or the next size up. I never look for Olivia's size right now because she wears all of Julianna's hand me downs. Almost all of their clothing is thrifted unless it was a gift. Kids grow so fast and are rough on clothes so I don't pay full price. There's really no reason to thanks to thrift stores. Today I found 4 dresses from Target, Crazy 8, and Janie and Jack. 

I also look in the home goods section every time for a DIY project. Today I found these pieces of silver for 99 cents! I can't wait to polish them and use them for jewelry storage on my dresser.

I was at the register and spotted these red wedges. They are brand new and can still be found in Target stores. My size! So they came home with me too. 

A successful day of thrifting!

thrifty: shopaholic

I love to shop. That's definitely not a secret. I've always enjoyed shopping and I get it honest. My mom is big shopper too. I learned to be thrifty from my mom. We've shopped in thrift stores together since I was very young. I remember hunting for good stuff at the thrift store as a child. It was just as thrilling then as it is now. My mom always taught me how to be a smart shopper in regular retail stores, too. Shop the clearance racks or wait for something you love to go on sale. I can be impatient but I've gotten good at waiting for a sale. I did some regular retail shopping this past week and it was so much fun. Julianna talked to the mannequins and momma found bright neon pink shorts. Fun was had by all!

Here are a few of my lastest outfits...

 Top: Target

Shorts: Old Navy, thrifted

Necklace: Groop Dealz

Sandals: Target

 Shirt: Target, thrifted

Pants: Target, clearance

Necklace: American Eagle (old)

Sandals: Target

 Shirt: Target, thrifted

Shorts: Old Navy

Flip Flops: Rainbows

Necklace: Groop Dealz

 Dress: Target, clearnce

Shoes: American Eagle (old)

Necklace: NY & Co. (old)

 Shirt: Old Navy, clearance

Shorts: Express, thrifted

Sandals: Target

Bracelet: Groop Dealz

Necklace: Old Navy (old)

 Cardigan: Ann Taylor Loft, thrifted

Shirt: H&M, thrifted

Jeans: Target, thrifted

Shoes: Target, clearance

Necklace: Groop Dealz

Shirt: Anthropologie, thrifted

Jeans: Target, thrifted

Necklace: Groop Dealz

Flip Flops: Rainbows

thrifting 101: updated

Thrifting 101:

• 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 go at least once a week to my regular thrift store.
• Check out the racks of stuff that hasn't been put out yet. I always find amazing stuff there because no one has looked through it yet. Last week, I found brand new Target and Gap items on that rack- with tags still on!
• Find out if your thrift store has a customer savings program. For example, Goodwill has a Preferred Customer program. For about $15 per year, you can save 10% every time you shop! It will pay for itself in no time if you shop regularly.
• 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 brands = good feeling fabric!
• Speaking of brands, I have a list of brands on my phone that I look for. This list would vary depending on your taste in clothing but some of my favorites are J. Crew, Gap, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Lucky, Guess, and anything from Anthropologie. This brands generally have great quality clothing so even if it's second hand, it's typically going to be in good condition.
• Look everywhere! I've found women's clothing in the men's and children's sections of the stores.
• 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.
• See if you thrift store runs any sales. I have a favorite thrift store that has daily deals but they also take 50% of all clothing on Mondays. I love a good sale!
• Shop for the whole family! About 80% of our wardrobe is from a thrift store. I find amazing clothes for the girls at thrift stores!
• 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!
• Being patient is essential. You won't find a ton of stuff that works for you every time but don't get discouraged. A piece or 2 at a time is fantastic and sometimes I leave with nothing. Don't buy 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.
• Look out of season. This especially works well for children because kid's clothes don't ever really go out of style. 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 Julianna this past winter.
• There are certain times of the year to be sure to shop. Always go at the end of December. Everyone is cleaning out their closet for tax deductions. I've found amazing clothes, toys, and more! Also, spring is a great time to shop at thrift store. Particularly around March when most people are doing their "spring cleaning."

thrifty: Easter weekend outfits

I try to incoporate something thrifted into my outfit everyday. It's really not that hard for me to do because so much of my wardrobe is thrifted. My outfits for Easter weekend are a combination of thrifted and non-thrifted items... but if I buy something that isn't from a thrift store, it's always on sale! I never pay full price unless it's something I know I will use a lot.

Good Friday:

Shirt: Old Navy, clearance
Jeans: Target, thrifted
Shoes: American Eagle, old
Necklace: Groop Dealz

Julianna and I made a quick stop into Goodwill before getting groceries on Friday and I found this beautiful floral tulle skirt. I paid about $3.50 for it!

 

Saturday Egg Hunts:


Shirt: Target, thrifted
Jeans: Target, clearance 50% off
Shoes: Target, clearance 50% off
Jacket: Gap, thrifted
Necklace: Groop Dealz

Easter Sunday:

Shirt: J. Crew, thrifted
Skirt: Coldwater Creek, thrifted for $1 on Dollar Day at Goodwill!
Necklace: Sassy Steals
Boots: Dexter, thrifted

thrifty: purple & yellow

Today's outfit is similar to Friday's- skinny jeans, bright colors, boots, and a bubble necklace. Since the temperature isn't Spring like yet- I'm using color in my outfit to make me feel like it's actually Spring.

The sweater in today's outfit was one of my thrift finds when I went to Goodwill on Friday. It's from the Prabal Gurung collection for Target. This sweater is actually still available at Target for $29.99 but I paid about $3.50 for it! I recognized the sweater from seeing it at Target, saw that it was my size, and quickly threw it into my cart. Such a bright color and it's so comfy, too!

The purple jeans are also from Target- clearance for about $8.00, boots were a birthday gift last year, and my necklace is from Groop Dealz for only $10! Even when I buy things that aren't thrifted, they are on sale!

This bright yellow and purple outfit makes this rainy day a little brighter. Happy Sunday!

thrifty: thrifting 101

I love thrifting and you definitely know that if you follow me on Instagram (http://instagram.com/emily_soto). I love posting my daily outfits to show off how I've styled my thrifted items. You don't have to spend a fortune to dress fashionably! I get asked pretty often what my "secret" is to finding good stuff so I'm going to share a few tips.



Today's outfit of the day: thrifted Gap sweater and Target leopard print jeans with a bubble necklace from Groop Dealz, boots from Belk, and a t-shirt from the Target clearance rack.

Thrifting 101:

• 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 go at least once a week to my regular thrift store.
• Check out the racks of stuff that hasn't been put out yet. I always find amazing stuff there because no one has looked through it yet. Last week, I found brand new Target and Gap items on that rack- with tags still on!
• Find out if your thrift store has a customer savings program. For example, Goodwill has a Preferred Customer program. For about $15 per year, you can save 10% every time you shop! It will pay for itself in no time if you shop regularly.
• 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 brands = good feeling fabric!
• Speaking of brands, I have a list of brands on my phone that I look for. This list would vary depending on your taste in clothing but some of my favorites are J. Crew, Gap, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Lucky, Guess, and anything from Anthropologie. This brands generally have great quality clothing so even if it's second hand, it's typically going to be in good condition.
• Look everywhere! I've found women's clothing in the men's and children's sections of the stores.
• 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.
• See if you thrift store runs any sales. I have a favorite thrift store that has daily deals but they also take 50% of all clothing on Mondays. I love a good sale!
• Shop for the whole family! About 80% of our wardrobe is from a thrift store. I find amazing clothes for the girls at thrift stores!
• 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!
• Being patient is essential. You won't find a ton of stuff that works for you everytime but don't get discouraged. A piece or 2 at a time is fantastic and sometimes I leave with nothing. Don't buy 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.

And here are my thrifted finds for today:

J. Crew button up for Josh and a floral Izod button up and a yellow Prabal Gurung sweater for me. All for less than 10 dollars!

Happy Thrifting!

thrifty: new finds

My parents had Julianna on Saturday evening so it was just Olivia and I. It's much easier to go thrift shopping with one child rather than two so I took advantage of my one baby time and went to Goodwill. I didn't need any clothes for the girls. They are stocked up very well for awhile but I needed a few things for myself since a lot of my fall/winter clothes do not fit or they were maternity since I've worn maternity clothes during the fall/winter for the last 2 out of 3 years.

I really wanted a long sleeve light weight denim button up top. I had seen them online from J. Crew, GAP, Old Navy, and a few of my other favorite retailers but I'm not paying full price. I like going into a thrift store with a game plan. It helps me stay focused and not walk out with a bunch of stuff that I really don't need and won't actually use. So I went to the long sleeve section first. I found a cute plaid long sleeve Tommy Hilfiger shirt that I loved and then went down the next aisle. And guess what I found?! A denim top that was exactly what I was looking for! It was my size and from the GAP. Both tops were about $8.00 so I'd say that was a successful thrifting trip!

Thrifty: pretty purple dress

I got this dress on Friday during my mini thrifting trip to the local Goodwill. It's Calvin Klein and was only $5.00. Like I said in my last thrifty post, it almost didn't come home with me due to it's size label. It says an extra small and this mommy of 2 babies is not an extra small! I typically wear a medium so I almost didn't try it on. But I remembered a really important thrifting rule- don't listen to the label, try it on! So glad I did! I wore this pretty purple dress to church this morning.

Dress: thrifted; Calvin Klein
Tank Top: Downeast Basics
Earrings: The Jewel Box
Sandals: Target

Thrifty: new finds!

My husband came home earlier from work today so after I fed Olivia, I headed down the street to the Goodwill- by myself! I haven't been anywhere alone in a long time. It felt good to just get out of the house without the diaper bag and a sippy cup. I browsed for about 20 minutes. Tried out several things but walked away with one dress, one skirt, and one shirt for just over $12.00. For my next 3 thrifty posts, I'm going to show you "thrifty" outfits featured my new items. This is what I got...

This shirt is Under Armuor...in case you couldn't already tell by the logo on the front. My husband is a huge Under Armour fan. So when I walked in the house and told him I got an Under Armour shirt he got all excited thinking it was for him... sorry, honey, this one is all mine! These shirts retail at about $25 so I got a great deal at $3.75- it looks good as new.



This skirt is from Lilly Pulitzer and I paid just $3.75 for it! Woo hoo! I love Lilly Pulitzer clothing but let's be serious... it's too stinkin' expensive! Their skirts usually range from $70-$100. No way! I'm too cheap for that so I was so excited to find this pretty blue skirt in my size!



This is a Calvin Klein dress and I almost didn't try it on. It's an extra small so I didn't think there was anyway it was going to fit. Thank goodness for trying it on! It actually runs big and fits me perfectly! A great thrifting tip: never pass up on an item just because it doesn't say "your size"... try it on anyway! I got this pretty dress for just $5.00.