subject: How To Be A Successful Thrift Store Shopper [print this page] Shopping at secondhand stores is gaining popularity as our culture moves away from materialism towards sustainability. Thrift store shopping also saves a heap financially compared to buying new. Read on to learn some tips to make your next shopping trip more successful.
To save the most money possible, make sure to know your local sale days. Grab a sales calendar for each of your thrift stores so you know when to shop. Lots of thrift stores have half off days at regular points throughout the year to help clear out their inventory. It's also common for a store to have a sale day for a certain item each week. For instance, some stores have half off shoes on Fridays. Other stores feature senior citizen discount days.
A tip to save you time is leave your young children at home. Thrift shopping effectively takes time and kids tend to get bored. Older children are easily entertained by books but youngsters grow tired quickly.
Another tip is to go in knowing what you're looking for. You can even make a list. Think about what each family member needs and wants. Don't forget to include the things you need on that list! Housewares a great buy at thrift stores, too, so if you're running low on silverware, bath towels or coffee mugs you can jot that down on the list, too.
Even if you know the sale days at your stores, smaller shops have random sales, too. These unscheduled discount days occur as needed, for instance if there has been an increased amount of donations. Take a look around the register when you walk into a secondhand shop to see if any surprise discounts are happening that day.
A great way to find what you're looking for is to look outside of your size range. Everyone knows that a size 8 to one designer could be the same size as a size 10 or 6 to another label. Since thrift stores have such a variety, you will have the most success looking in the section for neighboring sizes.
Planning ahead will also help you get deals when thrift shopping. Buy up winter clothes in the spring when they are on sale and store them until the fall. This works great with holiday dcor, too. You won't believe the deals on swimsuits in November! Being aware of the changing seasons and sales is key to getting the most for your money.
Because a thrift store offers an ever changing variety of unique items, it's important to visit your favorite stores on a regular basis so you have first dibs on the cool stuff. Remember to think in a way that makes shopping for used clothing even more convenient and affordable.
