Best Thrift Store Shopping Tips

Goodwill can be daunting, and each thrift store is different.  I term it as Goodwill, because that is where I usually shop, but in CA I really liked Savers and DI has hidden treasures all over the place (and plenty of great laughs if you don’t find a treasure).  Here are some of my best thrift store shopping tips and don’t miss all my other great thrift store posts at the bottom!

1.  Figure out how their sales work.  Our Goodwill has dollar Thursdays, half price every other Saturday.  I tend to go on those Saturdays, but I wonder if I shouldn’t go on other days too – -especially when I’m shopping for myself.  You can also print a 20% off coupon that can come in handy, and get you a decent discount as well.

2.  Shop a few of them.  We have Goodwills all over the place here.  It’s fun to try two or three in a day to really see what’s out there.  You might even find a new favorite!

3.  Do you need it?  This isn’t hoarders people.  Shop with a list, and don’t come out with a bunch of crap.  Have a budget in mind of what you’d like to spend that day.  That isn’t to say that I haven’t broken the budget when I’ve found great furniture or something we could really use, but most of the time cash is king for me and when I’ve reached my limit, it’s time to go home!

A few other thoughts that didn’t fit in any other post:

• Toys are a great thing to buy at Goodwill.  I will often ask to open the boxes at the counter.  I want to make sure all the pieces are in there and it’s in good, working order.  I’m hoping to find an American Girl doll there someday.  Fingers crossed, but probably unlikely.  I bet that might be something I save my pennies to buy new for princess P.
• We’ve gotten a TON of great games there also.  We have found a couple of Harry Potter Scene It’s, and I will give you 3 guesses as to who was SO happy when we did. 🙂
• We’ve gotten great furniture at Goodwill.  Sure, a lot of it is crap, and I am not a re-finisher.  I think, even if I was, a lot of it is crap.  BUT, a lot of it is REALLY great and i’m happy to give it a new home.  The boys have a SOLID dresser.  It’s all wood and can take all the clothes they want to stuff in it without the bottom falling out of the drawer.  I got it for like 30 bucks.  Who could ask for more?
• I love me a new purse, and Goodwill gives that to me.  Yes, a lot of the bags are WORN and GROSS.  But, just like all things, if you give it some time you’ll find a great one.  I’ve gotten a few cute handbags and some great backpacks/other bags.  I could spend a lot of time in the bag isle.  I try not to. 🙂

Anyway, I’m sure some of you are horrified at this week’s entries, but I hope some of you found it helpful to maybe take the leap into thrift store shopping.  I think it’s REALLY fun.  Sometimes I see really cool things there, things I wouldn’t buy, but things that are interesting to look at.  It’s one of our very favorite date night activities.

Some other thrift store posts you might find interesting, be sure to check out my family finances page too!

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