Top 5 Tips for Thrifting // Streamline the Experience
We've all been there. The thrift store. It's a such an enchanting place. Words can't explain that moment when you find that gem of an item, you know... That perfect shirt that still has the tags on it and it fits you perfectly, not to mention it also happens to be your favorite color! Or you find that Pottery Barn piece of furniture that's in nearly perfect shape for a fraction of the price. It's these treasures that keeps us coming back for more.
Sometimes, though, our thrift store shopping experience can be less than appealing. Sometimes it can be extremely stressful and overwhelming. Thrift stores are overflowing with stuff and taking the time to look through all that stuff can be a bit of a challenge at times.
Below are my top 5 tips to streamline your thrift store shopping experience... Let's get started!
For a video tutorial click the video below.
1. Adopt the Habit of Intentional Purchasing
This phrase is something I developed through our experiment with Project Unboxed. Project Unboxed is a year long experiment where my family is exclusively shopping local. Because we are shopping local, thrift store shopping has played a key role in finding certain items for our home. When it comes to Intentional Purchasing, basically what I mean is shopping with purpose. Taking every item that we are about to buy and STOP. Think about it.
Do I need this?
Can I borrow the item instead?
Can I make it?
Is it possible to do without it?
Will this purchase bring joy to my life or cause stress?
We should be evaluating every single item we bring into our home and ask ourselves these questions. From first hand experience in trying to adopt this mentality myself.... it's not easy! It's a lot of hard work in the beginning and this mindset has brought to light a few spending habits that I'm not too proud of, but all in all, is it worth it? YES! Not only am I making WISER choices in my purchases, but I'm bringing less STUFF into the home, which all around reduces stress because now I have less to clean, maintain, organize, and use.
One way I put this to practice is by keeping an ongoing list in my wallet at all times. On this list are things we need around the house, clothing items, etc. That way when I have some extra time and I pop into a thrift store I can pull out my handy-dandy list and now I'm shopping with purpose. Rather than aimlessly shopping in a thrift store (which usually leads to unnecessary purchases) I now have a plan and can shop more efficiently and use my time more effectively.
So make that list and stick it in your wallet or put it on your phone somewhere!
2. Know Your Thrift Stores
Every thrift store has a strong suit when it comes to their goods. Some are great for clothing, while others serve better in the furniture and home goods department. The key thing here is to concoct a list together of 4 to 6 thrift stores in your area and learn their strong suits. Also learn when and how often they get new shipments/donations. How quickly do they move their product? Pay attention to how well the store is kept up too... this is a good indication of how much they care about their store, products, and their clients. Gathering this list may take a little time, but it will save you loads of time in the future!
3. Know Your Style Before Thrifting Clothes
There is nothing worse then shopping for clothing when you don't have a good handle on what you like. When I say "KNOW YOUR STYLE" I'm not implying trendy here. What I mean is know what you like versus what you don't like in clothing. Every person has a style that should reflect their personality. Know what colors look nice on you. Know how to dress your body-type in a tasteful manner (there are no wrong body-types...all are beautiful!). Having a good handle on these key factors when it comes to clothing will make thrift store shopping for clothing a thousand times easier. For example, I don't particularly like to wear reds, oranges, yellows, browns, and tans so I avoid all those colors when I go into a thrift store. I don't even waste my time. Knowing these key factors when it comes to choosing clothes for yourself will take the guesswork out and allow you to enjoy the experience and have fun!
4. Don't Forget Your Online Thrifting Options
In today's world of the internet we have so many different options for purchasing. When one thinks of second-hand shopping online, what comes to mind might be websites such as Ebay, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace. All are good options, but my favorite has been Facebook Marketplace. I've purchased several things through this avenue and have been satisfied with the experience and product each time. Online shopping for thrifting is a great option when 1) you're trying to find a unique item such as an antique, 2) You want something Like-new, but don't want to pay that "brand-new" price, or 3) You don't want to visit 10 thrift stores for that one item you want or need.
One online company I just recently tried is called Thred Up. This website is a second-hand store for women's and children's clothing. What I loved about the whole experience is you feel like your purchasing brand new clothes! I was very satisfied with my experience and found exactly what I was looking for... Another great option for those hard-to-find items you'd like to add to your wardrobe.
5. Relax & Have Fun
Thrifting should be a fun experience! I've always looked at it like a scavenger hunt... searching to find that really unique item. One way to ensure that your shopping experience is fun is to not rush yourself. Whenever we put ourselves under a time-crunch, mistakes often happen. Shopping under pressure will result in ill-fitting clothes, poor quality furniture, and the list goes on. Now if you follow rule #1 listed above and make a list of things you need around the house then yes you can shop with less time, but for those moments when you go into a thrift store with no specific needs... take your time.... try things on...enjoy every step of the experience.
Another way to have fun with thrifting is to take on the day with a shopping buddy. Grab your girlfriends and make a day of it or do a mother-daughter date. Go to lunch and hit several thrift stores. Having others with you will also encourage smart shopping meaning you'll have other opinions to help you make better decisions about your purchases.
I hope these top 5 tips enhance your shopping experience and take the stress out of shopping, so you can use your time wisely and shop to your full potential!
What about you? Do you have any suggestions, tips, or tricks?
REFERENCES:
Some photos in this blog were used under CCO Creative Commons by:
https://www.pexels.com/
https://pixabay.com/
Sometimes, though, our thrift store shopping experience can be less than appealing. Sometimes it can be extremely stressful and overwhelming. Thrift stores are overflowing with stuff and taking the time to look through all that stuff can be a bit of a challenge at times.
Below are my top 5 tips to streamline your thrift store shopping experience... Let's get started!
For a video tutorial click the video below.
1. Adopt the Habit of Intentional Purchasing
This phrase is something I developed through our experiment with Project Unboxed. Project Unboxed is a year long experiment where my family is exclusively shopping local. Because we are shopping local, thrift store shopping has played a key role in finding certain items for our home. When it comes to Intentional Purchasing, basically what I mean is shopping with purpose. Taking every item that we are about to buy and STOP. Think about it.
Do I need this?
Can I borrow the item instead?
Can I make it?
Is it possible to do without it?
Will this purchase bring joy to my life or cause stress?
We should be evaluating every single item we bring into our home and ask ourselves these questions. From first hand experience in trying to adopt this mentality myself.... it's not easy! It's a lot of hard work in the beginning and this mindset has brought to light a few spending habits that I'm not too proud of, but all in all, is it worth it? YES! Not only am I making WISER choices in my purchases, but I'm bringing less STUFF into the home, which all around reduces stress because now I have less to clean, maintain, organize, and use.
One way I put this to practice is by keeping an ongoing list in my wallet at all times. On this list are things we need around the house, clothing items, etc. That way when I have some extra time and I pop into a thrift store I can pull out my handy-dandy list and now I'm shopping with purpose. Rather than aimlessly shopping in a thrift store (which usually leads to unnecessary purchases) I now have a plan and can shop more efficiently and use my time more effectively.
So make that list and stick it in your wallet or put it on your phone somewhere!
2. Know Your Thrift Stores
Every thrift store has a strong suit when it comes to their goods. Some are great for clothing, while others serve better in the furniture and home goods department. The key thing here is to concoct a list together of 4 to 6 thrift stores in your area and learn their strong suits. Also learn when and how often they get new shipments/donations. How quickly do they move their product? Pay attention to how well the store is kept up too... this is a good indication of how much they care about their store, products, and their clients. Gathering this list may take a little time, but it will save you loads of time in the future!
3. Know Your Style Before Thrifting Clothes
There is nothing worse then shopping for clothing when you don't have a good handle on what you like. When I say "KNOW YOUR STYLE" I'm not implying trendy here. What I mean is know what you like versus what you don't like in clothing. Every person has a style that should reflect their personality. Know what colors look nice on you. Know how to dress your body-type in a tasteful manner (there are no wrong body-types...all are beautiful!). Having a good handle on these key factors when it comes to clothing will make thrift store shopping for clothing a thousand times easier. For example, I don't particularly like to wear reds, oranges, yellows, browns, and tans so I avoid all those colors when I go into a thrift store. I don't even waste my time. Knowing these key factors when it comes to choosing clothes for yourself will take the guesswork out and allow you to enjoy the experience and have fun!
4. Don't Forget Your Online Thrifting Options
One online company I just recently tried is called Thred Up. This website is a second-hand store for women's and children's clothing. What I loved about the whole experience is you feel like your purchasing brand new clothes! I was very satisfied with my experience and found exactly what I was looking for... Another great option for those hard-to-find items you'd like to add to your wardrobe.
5. Relax & Have Fun
Thrifting should be a fun experience! I've always looked at it like a scavenger hunt... searching to find that really unique item. One way to ensure that your shopping experience is fun is to not rush yourself. Whenever we put ourselves under a time-crunch, mistakes often happen. Shopping under pressure will result in ill-fitting clothes, poor quality furniture, and the list goes on. Now if you follow rule #1 listed above and make a list of things you need around the house then yes you can shop with less time, but for those moments when you go into a thrift store with no specific needs... take your time.... try things on...enjoy every step of the experience.
Another way to have fun with thrifting is to take on the day with a shopping buddy. Grab your girlfriends and make a day of it or do a mother-daughter date. Go to lunch and hit several thrift stores. Having others with you will also encourage smart shopping meaning you'll have other opinions to help you make better decisions about your purchases.
I hope these top 5 tips enhance your shopping experience and take the stress out of shopping, so you can use your time wisely and shop to your full potential!
What about you? Do you have any suggestions, tips, or tricks?
REFERENCES:
Some photos in this blog were used under CCO Creative Commons by:
https://www.pexels.com/
https://pixabay.com/
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