This past Saturday I went thrift store shopping. We have some amazing thrift stores in the Birmingham area and I made out like a bandit. I got clothes from the Gap, Old Navy, Ralph Lauren, Limited Too, Lane Bryant, Land’s End, Children’s Place, St. John’s Bay and more and I didn’t pay over $4 for a single article of clothing. My most expensive deal of the day was $7 for the complete set of Pottery Barn blocks. They retail for $49! Try to guess how much I spent on everything pictured above…. (I tell you at the bottom of this post).
80% of my children’s wardrobe comes from the local thrift stores. I love the price and I love the thrill of the hunt. We are very blessed to have really nice, large thrift stores. The clothes are all hung on hangers and 90% of the time they are stain and tear free.
Here are my best tips for shopping at the thrift store:
- Go early! You don’t want to be digging for a bargain when it is crowded. Plus it won’t be so picked over.
- Find out what days your store puts items on the floor. Most of our stores put items out 6 days a week (they are closed on Sunday).
- Find out if your store will sell you an item if it doesn’t have a price tag. Most of my stores do not. So the first thing I do is make sure it has a price tag, if it doesn’t I put it back before I get attached.
- Make sure you look at the item from all sides. You never know where a crack or a stain might be hiding.
- Shop ahead of time and make frequent trips. You aren’t going to find everything you need in one trip.
- Find out if they mark down certain colored tags each week. Our stores all have big signs hanging from the sky with 3 colors displayed. One is 30%, one is 50% and one is 70% off!
- Find out if your store offers a discount for Senior citizens.
- Keep your eyes peeled for Disney items! I found 2 tops from Disney ($1.48 and 99c) and a Minnie and Mickey doll (39c each) on the above trip.
My tips for buying clothing:
- First look at the price tag. If it is over $3, I usually skip it (unless it is a 2 piece outfit, etc).
- Then look at the label. If it is Walmart, Target, or Kmart brands and it is priced over $1, I skip it.
- Check the front, back and sides for stains. Lift up the sleeves and look on the underside. I once paid $6 for a warm up suit from Old Navy for Emily only to find paint stains on the underside of each arm. Talk about frustrating.
- Check all the seams to make sure they are still in tact.
- Check all the buttons to make sure they are still there.
- Check to make sure the zipper zips (and that it’s still there!).
- Check to make sure the snaps snap shut.
- Smell them to make sure they don’t smell funky. I always wash mine twice with extra fabic softener before we wear them.
Also don’t forget that that thrift store is a GREAT place to get books, especially early readers. I have only purchased my kids 4 books at shelf price over the past 6 years. Every other book has come from the thrift store.
Now for my grand total from the above trip….. $148. And I got myself an entire spring wardrobe!
Wonder how I Coupon to Disney? Be sure to check out all my tips on how to get the most out of your dollar.
I love thrift shops too!
However, PLEASE be aware that thrift stores are also a good place to pick up BEDBUGS! Inspect the clothing and items thoroughly for bedbugs. Especially in the seams of clothes and other cloth items. Washing along won’t kill them. AND I thought I was safe by closing off my plastic bag of clothes for a week before washing and using, but the pest control guy that inspects my workplace said that they can live up to a YEAR without feeding! You WILL spend a ton of money getting rid of bed bugs if you get them and ANYONE can have them, even the cleanest of donators.
I love thrift store deals! A local thrift store often has dollar days on all clothing. I love to stock up on jeans and pants for family members. One downfall to by pants is that clothes are not always true to size. I always compare the pair of pants that I am buying especially mens to others of that size to prevent from major size differences. I used to live near an American Thrift Store, and it became addicting. Every few days they would change their percentage off, and I would always enjoy browsing for the 70% deals!
I don’t know if anyone will read this since this post was from yesterday, but I forgot to mention, Goodwill is one of the thrift/resale shops I frequent, and at all of the ones I shop at (DFW, TX area) give out these little cards that give you a free $10 for every $100 worth of stuff you buy. You have to keep up with them, if you don’t spend $100 at once, but it is awesome to get a free $10 every now and then…at goodwill that can buy a lot!
Wow, you did well! Are thrift stores like resale shops? I’m not sure I’ve ever been to a thrift store, but we have three children’s resale shops in the area that I really like. My husband first got me interested in resale shops when I got pregnant. There is a resale shop that sells fine men’s clothing in Austin which he loves, and that is where most of his suits are from. There are no men’s resale shops where we live now, though.
Anyway, I didn’t try it for myself until I got pregnant. I didn’t want to spend a bunch of money on clothes just for a few months. So that’s when I started going to the children’s resale shops (which is where maternity clothes can be found as well). I love the resale shops, but I haven’t gone recently, because I’ve found something I love even more: garage sales!
My favorite version of the garage sale is an online “swap shop” we have at work. I’ve bought and sold numerous times through that site. My last big find was a few weeks ago. A woman was selling a bunch of her granddaughters’ old clothes. I asked to look at the 12 and 18 month sizes. We sat down in the lobby of my company, and it took me about an hour to go through them all, but in the end, I got a very large Pampers box full of clothes for $25! And that included an Old Navy heavy fleece winter coat … that coat alone probably sold for at least $25 new.
Wow! You found some lovely things! I’m a thrift shop fan too — plus it fits my “save the earth” sensibilities. I’ve got my son convinced that used clothes are better since Mother Earth likes them best (he’s also a yard sale fanatic, which is great except I like to buy for birthdays/holidays at yard sales and it’s getting harder to hide my finds from my 6 year old spy).
Love it! At our goodwill here in our area that opened, if you went online and gave comments on the store the gave you a coupon! WOW! I love thrift shopping – I am doing that more now to save even more. It is amazing what you find!
Awesome haul! I’m impressed.
I love thrift stores. The local salvation army has 1.00 days on Saturdays. I love the great deals. A dollar for a dress shirt….who can beat that!
I don’t shop at thrift stores but went the other day with my friend. I found the children’s clothes to be very expensive for what you can get them on a regular clearance sale. Check out Children’s place when they run their Monster Sale. Most times their sales coincide with a 15% coupon so shirts and sometimes sweathers can be brand new and around $2 or $3. If you have a Children’s Place outlet near you, they often have racks for 99 cents and up to $2.99. I use coupons there as well.
I also get my daughter’s clothes at Target. Here Target marks down childrens’ clothes on Monday, toys on Wednesday and shoes on Friday. I am usually able to get most of the things we need at 75% off. I also buy a year ahead and off season and have had success with pretty much everything.
I also love the outlet stores. I go to prime outlets in Orlando several times a year. But you dont always find what you need. I love to do thrift stores in between and as play clothes. I can get childrens place for .50 cent on the 50% off days at salvation army. Great for play clothes. They are adorable but you dont freak if they get dirty like I do if they get a $5 shirt dirty. I never pay more than $5 a shirt and $10 for pants brand new and no more than $2 shirts and $4 pants used
I absolutely love thrift storing. My husband and I went to Nashville for the Dave Ramsey event last weekend and I spent the day at the American Thrift Stores; they are great. We have the Unique Thrift stores in Louisville and they are similar. Mondays and Thursdays are 25% off days for the entire store. On Monday holidays it is 50% off entire store. I buy all 90% of my kids clothes at thrift stores. I find lots of Gymboree, Gap and Old Navy. My 18 year old gets Holister, American Eagle and many other name brands. He loves when I come home from thrift store shopping.
Looks great! My husband and I go “mouse hunting” at our local thrift stores. This is where we have found awesome resort wear, as well as cast member only items. In addition, we have added to my “classic” Disney collectibles. :)
I love thrift stores. Our salvation army has 50% off all clothes 2nd sat of the month! love to go stock up on shirts for my 2 year old. I literally go once every 2 months and buy like 30 shirts because shes soo rough on clothes. I go through and buy all the ones that are marked .99 making them .50 cent! I love it!
I actually went shopping today at my Goodwill and other store. Did okay. Got a few great buys i’m still excited about. Goodwills in my area sell Target close outs.
I also love thrift stores. I have gotten some great deals there. I love your blog!!
I love lovelady thrift store!! I got three pairs of jeans that I desperatly needed since I’ve lost so much weight. And spend $14. Kmart has their winter coats on sale too. I got my son a coat for next year regular price $24 I paid $9.
I too, love thrift/consignment shops for my family. Here (Long Island, NY), they are few and far between and people don’t speak too kindly of you if you advertise that you shop at them. They save my family a fortune and with three boys, we need all the help we can get, when it comes to clothes :)
As for my big guy (15), I just don’t tell him where it’s from when I buy him something there – I toss it in the wash and stick it in his drawer – no complaints. When I once told him where an item was from, he balked and asked why I was shopping, “THERE!”. Good opening to a conversation on reducing environmental waste, which he got, but he never really wore that shirt…
Its so funny you wrote about this, i wrote about this on my blog last week. My hubby and we have challenged ourselves to thrift shop more this year whilst we “coupon to london” so to speak. I love goin to consignment sales for my 14mth old daughter. I frequent consignment stores but only when they are changing out for the next season. The last time, one store had it so that you could fill a shopping bag up and ur total would be only $5.
Keep saving!!! My tip is always ask if there are sales going on…
We have an awesome thrift store here by me, only name brands, almost new, many still have price tags and she takes trade ins on clothes that are in very good shape. Separates are usually 2 or 3 dollars, sets are 4 and then the toy prices are extraordinary. I got 3 Doug and Melissa wooden puzzles for a dollar each!!!! With so many thrift shops to choose from you can save a fortune by shopping there.
I always thrift store shop for my 2 younger kids. The older ones every now & then but they “dont like thrift store stuff” so, they never get as much as the little ones! Last week I got a bissel Steam mop for $5! I got replacement pads on amazon.com for $6. I also got my son 6 pairs of gap & old navy jeans for $2 each and my daughter 6 summer dresses for .65 each and a terrycloth cover for .50!! I LOVE the thrift store!! I go about 1 time a week :)
I recently discovered that our Goodwills put their color of the week clothing and shoe items on sale for 99c on Sundays!
I bought my hubby a brand new pair of Dockers for 99c! Also got my son a pair of Children’s place pants, myself a Tommy Hilfiger Shirt, New york Jones shirt, Banana republic and Ann Taylor…for 99c each! Awesome! I just go early…to avoid the crowds and get the best selection!
All my family’s clothes come from the thrift store! I cannot see spending big bucks for kid’s clothes just to have them get dirty/ripped, and I don’t feel so bad when I only spent $1 or $2 for that pair of jeans! Plus kids grow so fast, and I love getting the better brands for less than the price of sale Walmart junk. We shop the thrift for Disney t-shirts before trips (and other Disney stuff), school clothes, play clothes, PJ’s (just got my DD cute Eeyore PJ’s for the summer), band recital clothes – everything!! My DH is in vo-tech and must wear a khaki shirt, khaki pants, and boots – got ’em all at the thrift! We get other household items there too.
I’m a thrift store fan! :) Way to go!
It is the thrill of the hunt…If I was a millionaire I would still go to thrift shops..don’t let anyone give you trouble for shopping at thrift stores…if they want to put more of their money in someone else’s pocket, let them…I want as much of the money I earn at two jobs in my own pocket….God Bless..
Wow, what a score! You have inspired me to check out our area thrift stores again! Why anyone would give you a hard time about shopping at a thrift store is beyond me!! It is giving an extra life to previously used items so they don’t get trashed, and you save money for your family for the more important things – like Disney!! A win-win!!
Plus all of our thrift stores support a charity. :)
Which stores do you recommend in your area. We will be down in late March and I plan to thrift at least 1 day!
America’s Thrift Stores in Pell City and Centerpoint, LoveLady in Irondale and the one in Bessemer…. I don’t remember the name since I don’t get to go there too often.
Oooo, I love thrift stores too. Almost all of my husband’s very nice business wardrobe (dress shirts and khakis mostly) come from thrift stores. I get his dress shirts for about $4 each and they are brands from Izod, Nautica, Banana Republic, etc. I only buy him expensive name brand shirts at the thrift store because I can! :) They always have plenty to choose from…
We also buy almost all of our children’s clothing at thrift stores and Kohl’s (and there I only buy things that are 80% off or more). They wear mostly name brands also. We also buy almost all of our books at thrift stores. My favorite one sells kid’s books for 50 cents and sometimes even have a 10 for a dollar book sale if they are overstocked!
I also check zippers to make sure they zip and snaps on shirts/pants because I have bought items where both of these are broken at one point in time.
Thank you for sharing your find!! Love it!
Great tips!! I added them to the post. Thank you!
you read my mind! i went to goodwill on saturday to drop off the items i had leftover from my yard sale. and i wandered into the store (didn’t have much time) and said, i have GOT to come back here! there were tons of great things! i have never shopped at a thrift store before. but i think with some of the proceeds of my yard sale i will now! thanks for the tips!
i love thrift stores…. all my kids clothes come from there…. they have one here on saturdays you can buy a 13 gallon trash bag and fill it w/ clothes and shoes for only 10 bucks…. or buy a bag of toys for 5 bucks…..and its good stuff!
Ooh! I’m so impressed with the deal you found on those Pottery Barn Kids blocks! We bought them at (gasp!) full price… and I’ll tell you, they’re worth every penny. My son has played with them every day for the past two years. No joke. Enjoy!
I could not believe it! I looked up the price before I bought them on my iPhone and I about fell over. They even had the cardboard still in the package.