DEAR READERS: We just love this post by Erika because thrifting is, well, a favorite hobby of our's. Most of the best items in this editor's closet are from thrift shops, mostly Goodwill and Savers. There are many awesome benefits to shopping at a second-hand shop. You get a totally unique wardrobe that suits your own style, all while saving a bundle! Also, almost all thrift shops are either independent stores or part of a charity organization: so you are helping small businesses and the community!
We hope that these tips form Erika encourage you to skip the department store mark-ups and check out that thrift shop in town that you just haven't gotten a chance to visit. You can save a bundle - and even impulsesave the difference!
by Erika of Newlyweds on a Budget
I know there are a lot of mixed feelings regarding thrift clothes, but the way I see it: you don't know where any of your clothes come from. Even that shiny new shirt from The Gap has probably been touched a hundred times by many different hands and who knows where their hands have been.
You wash it, and life goes on.
I've found a lot of great deals on clothes I wouldn't be able to afford if I hadn't shopped at a thrift or consignment store. Here are my tips on getting the best deals on thrift clothes.
Scour the high-end consignment stores. I rarely visit a Goodwill (although you can get great deals there too). When it comes to clothes, I visit higher-end consignment stores, where many of the clothes still have tags attached. At these stores, I can buy a designer pair of jeans for the same price as I would pay for a no-name brand from TJ Maxx.
Keep an open mind. One of the dresses I get the most compliments on is a simple black sheath I purchased for about $10 on sale at a consignment store. The dress was very simple, but I knew that if I just upped the hemline, it would look a lot classier. For another $5 hem, I ended up with a black just-above-the-knee very classy dress. Many items can be bought at bargain prices, making it a lot easier to spend money on hemming or alterations. Don't discard something just because you had a different vision.
Go on sale weekends. Almost all the consignment stores I shop at have an end-of-month weekend sale to get rid of all their extra merchandise. This is the time when rock-bottom prices are to be had. Goodwill and others almost always have a certain color "tag" for 50% off, and some weekends where the savings are even greater!
Bottom line: Keep an open eye and scour for deals. When thrifting, I can feel like I'm going on a shopping spree for $100 and get some great one-of-a-kind items that no one else has!
For more thrifting inspiration: check out some of these thrifting blogs. You can also look for the frugal fashion blogs on our "Blogs We Follow" tab! Happy saving!
