I love a bargain. The thrill of getting a week’s worth of clothes for less than I’d pay for one outfit makes me giddy.
Sometimes so giddy that I justify getting six weeks worth of clothes.
Which we totally don’t need. It seems fun at the thrift store, but ends up being a curse when our dresser drawers won’t close.
Since clutter (even clothing clutter) is my nemesis, I’ve come up with some strategies to keep myself from over-buying at thrift stores.
But first, a joke. It’s from my cousin Michelle Miracle, a professional comedian. She didn’t even remember it when I asked if I could use it, but she posted it on Facebook a while back. My kids still ask me to tell it over and over.
I’ve realized there’s a Thrift Store Fairy who visits all the thrift stores across the country, sprinkling her special scent on all the clothes.
“Psssst. Hey Fairy, I think you pooped in your pants!”
Har-dee-har-har-har.
OK. Now on to the tips:
1. Know what you have before you go shopping.
Unfortunately, I don’t mean glancing in my kid’s closet.
Purge the dresser drawers of things that don’t fit. This naturally helps me also see how much we already do have that does fit.
Sort laundry. No, I’m not going to get all crazy here and say DO laundry before you go. (You might never make it to the store.) Just sort laundry. Like, every piece in the house. Dig through the kids’ rooms and find those stray clothes you forgot existed. This will help you see how many clothes your kids actually have.
Personally, I don’t grasp how much we have until I see it all in one place. When there are a few outfits in the laundry basket and a few in the dresser and a few on the floor (and a few in the suitcase from last month’s trip to Grandma’s house . . . ) I tend to mess up my mental math and overbuy because I’m only remembering one of those places with a “few” outfits.
2. Be ruthless about checking for holes, tears and stains.
It’s ever-so-frustrating to get home and THEN discover a big hole in your thrift store find. Weed those out at the store so you won’t end up having to decide what to do with them once you’re home.
3. Create outfits before you buy.
Generally, I grab whatever catches my eye in my kids’ sizes and stick it in my cart. Once I’ve made it through all the Treasure Racks, I then go back through and decide if I really need it.
One of the best ways to talk myself into putting something back is to create outfits. I grew up as the daughter of a Queen Mix-and-Matcher, but honestly . . . I LOVE an already-matched outfit. And I can’t count the times I’ve purchased a single, unique piece only to never use it because I never found anything to use it with.
I don’t always follow this rule, but even just trying to create outfits helps me be more realistic about things we don’t need.
How do you keep from over-buying at thrift stores?
Here’s Michelle’s YouTube channel. (Not everything is appropriate for children, but she sure makes me giggle.)
I had to laugh at the fairy joke because my hairdresser always calls it “stinky store shopping.” What is with that smell? Blech. Anywho…..I find going into the store with a budget helps me.
My best bet for overbuying, is reminding my husband that we are already tripping on 347 pairs of little girls shoes, and I don’t care how great the price is, we don’t need one more pair. I don’t even worry about overbuying on clothes. My girls are so hard on their clothes that I am constantly purging the stuff that isn’t fit to be worn.
I do not look at cloths unless I am looking for something. Same with other departments of the store. If money is tight I stay away from the thrift stores. Sometimes I get in a cheap mood, ( my husband used to say it did not hit me often enough), I will not go into the store. I do most of my shopping in thrift store and am schocked at prices when I go into “real” store.
So smart! And yes, “real” store prices boggle my mind sometimes!
I go thru the clothes at at home each “season” and make a LIST of what to look for . for my grand daughter, I list colors of pants/skirts that need tops and a list color of pants/skirt I am looking for. Then I only select from things in the colors I need (cuts out looking at EVERYTHING, as I am a recovering hoarder who KNOW how to COMB a store for everything cute!!) also use the in/out method for my self (85% of my wardrobe is purple, because it’s my fave color) so when I find a new item I like, I have to think about what Item I am willing to let go of, since it’s almost all purple. LOL
Love the list idea! I know that makes a HUGE difference!
I love this! I, too, have fallen victim all too many times.
Also, we have the same technique: I put everything that I think we might need (I mean EVERYTHING – you don’t want that little old lady next to you grabbing your bargains while you think it over!) into the cart. I have done it this way for years. Then when my cart is heaping and I’m secretly panicking about telling my husband that I spent the rent money on MORE little boys’ pants or such, I sort through and see which ones I still love. Chances are, by the time I’ve moved through the store, I’ve sort of lost my zest for some of the items. In my family, the technique is known as “The Grab & Sort”!
Oh and yes, I’m a nice shopper and I put the discards back. 🙂
My technique exactly….impulsiveness gives way to practicality in the end!
Facing this right now as I really need to switch over my girls’ dressers to all summer clothes. I really struggle with the mismatch issue. And it doesn’t help that my 5 year old is SO picky about the way clothes fit, but it totally depends on the day whether or not a given item will bug her.
I had been justifying my thrift store purchases because I was donating to the thrift stores as I cleared my house. My 4-year-old is very slender so we have difficulties finding him pants. One day I found a great pair of black dressy slacks for him at the local thrift store. My enthusiasm was dampened when I realized those great pants were ones I had donated the past week since the waist was too huge & there was no adjustment to be made. Since that day, I have seriously cut back on any purchases as I recall the issue of buying the pants, finding out they didn’t fit, donating them and then considering buying them again! I have become much more selective!
That is so funny!
I never shop at the store that I donate to. The closest drop box is for a store I don’t like because their prices are too high.
I have totally gravitated to actual items I did donate, or twin items I had donated before.
One was my grandmother’s sweater. It was so weird to see it in the store.
I had forgotten I had given it away. I still have several of the best pieces that do fit & aren’t scratchy, haha!
It’s crazy how our brains are trained to recognize the familiar!!
You don’t know how happy you make me when I read your posts….I’m so glad that I’m not the only one who thinks this way! I used to go to consignment sales and buy all the cute deals for my girls only to get home and discover that nothing matched! So, I make sure I have an outfit before I leave. The last consignment sale I went to, I didn’t buy one item of clothing because I couldn’t find anything to make an outfit! And besides, my girls didn’t need anymore clothes. 🙂 Thank you for your posts!
We have a thrift store that doesn’t sell clothes but rather furniture and household items. Their used stuff makes mine look really, really bad. But it’s a good thing my car is small and none of it will fit! 🙂
I enjoy shopping at thrift stores. My tips as a mother of 9 are:
1) Measure the widths/lengths of each youth’s shoulders, chest, waist, hips, and waist to knee.
2) Take the list of measurements to the store along with a flexible measuring tape and leave the kids at home!
3) Buy for the personality preferences of each child: floral, stripes, solids…and stay away from “great bargains” that the kids will never wear.
4) Take a phone camera and snap shots of the “maybe” outfits or any item that makes you gasp with “treasure-found wonder” at the artistic creativity of all the other things that you didn’t expect to find and would love to take home.
5) Discuss the pictures with people at home before going back to buy unbudgeted items.
6) Keep receipts and honor the return policy and in-store credit conditions for future purchases.
7) Attend 50% off Saturday sales for unexpected surprises, but remember that touching a fine item that makes your heart dance with joy (like holding a perfect china dinner plate circa 1930’s on sale for $1.00 that resembles Grandma’s tea cups) is better than taking the item home to serve no purpose…(hence the camera idea).
8) Have a time limit for the thrift store visit and prioritize searching for what is needed vs. what is for browsing enjoyment.
9) Enjoy the outing alone as “Mama’s time away” and go back home rejuvenated for viewing/holding fun/beautiful things as you get your Swiffer out to clean the floor. Smile.
Alot of those tips are great and I’ve used them myself!
but remember that touching a fine item that makes your heart dance with joy (like holding a perfect china dinner plate circa 1930’s on sale for $1.00 that resembles Grandma’s tea cups) is better than taking the item home to serve no purpose. LOVE this sentiment!!
I use this everywhere I shop, but I never look at prices when I wander the aisles, just look for clothes I like. Then as I try them on, I determine how much I would feel comfortable paying for the item based on the fit and how it fits into my wardrobe. THEN I look at the price. If it’s under that dollar amount, I can (but don’t have to) buy it. If not, it’s an automatic no. This helps me from getting sucked in by sale process or clearance items!
What a terrific idea. I am totally stealing this.
my favorite kids’ consignment shop has a “bag sale” every month where you can buy as many clothes as will fit in a paper grocery sack for only 8 bucks. and the price goes down witheach bag you buy until the fourth bag is …. freeeeeeeee. oh yea, i have come out of there withwaaayyy too much stuff.
I (try to) keep a WRITTEN (vs mental) inventory by size.
I have a (bad?) habit of buying “great finds” at consignment sales/stores that are bigger than their current size. But so cute and inexpensive that “I just can’t leave it there!”
One page per size with different sections for types. Pants/ shorts/ short sleeves/ long sleeves/ dresses/ pjs/ jackets, sweatshirts.
I do something similar.
I use a notes app that works even if there’s no Internet connection, so I always have it, if I have my phone (which usually is a sure bet)
I have a note of Needs/Thrift store.
And when the kids tell me they need something, I first shop my house, and go through a section of their drawers.
Pulling down bigger clothes if warranted.
Then if we still need more, the size, kid & specifics of the item are added to the list.
I do pretty well at sticking to the list. But I still over buy sometimes.
Thankfully, there’s not too much guilt, as the prices are considerably lower than an overbuy at a new item store.
And I don’t buy trendy items.
Only classic type looks.
This way I justify keeping the hand-me- downs for the youngers and any others that God may bless us with in the future.
I have 3 gorgeous teen daughters who way exceed the budget that my own sister and I had for clothes growing up. I always wanted them to look nice and have the somewhat newest styles. So, thrift store shopping is both a blessing and a curse. If I don’t REALLY think they will love it/wear it, I don’t buy it. I often take a pic of the item and if they’re available (like not at work), I send it and ask if they want it. This tactic prevented me from buying a gorgeous name-brand leather jacket for $10 bec kidlet #3 wasn’t interested, even though it was “her color”. I figure, if they don’t immediately love it, why bother? We’ll be purging it in six months. I have found that we don’t really sell things to consignment or thrift shops, so I don’t even get out of it what I paid for it.
I just dropped a box of t-shirts off at goodwill this afternoon. I had drawers that wouldn’t close because they had too much junk in them. I don’t even care that there is a little bit of space in there. I’m afraid to go into the store. I don’t want to undo the great dresser purge.
The interesting thing about the purge is that I re-discovered some items and I’m wearing one of them today.
I’ve found great things while purging my closet, too!
My tip….for those who regularly frequent a shop….go deep for one item or type of item.
Well, because the AWESOME thrift shop/s near me are huge, if I go in for sandals, I cover the entire shoe selection, sizes be damned because people put things everywhere. same for pants, or shorts, or dresses. I never combine searching for shoes AND pants, or dresses AND bags. My tip also is to bring stuff to donate. Maybe you only have one red tee shirt, but get real: you’re never gonna sew a decorative button over that moth-eaten hole! Besides, getting rid of it is an excuse to go thru the store for red items!
I just don’t thrift unless I have something in mind. Otherwise, you can drop 10 dollars for no good reason except how pretty that bowl is and those shoes that might match. Or not.
For clothes I DO try to know what we have and what we need.
For other things I figure that there was a reason it was donated. I am ruthless in checking for cracks, tears, obvious or less obvious flaws. Does it work, is it a “one job wonder” that only makes quesadillas etc? Is it something that I always see there (hello, I’m talking to you Pampered Chef bread tube!)?
I also TRY to have a one in TWO out rule. When my DH is shopping with me and finds something he can’t live without I try to have him think about where it is going to go. “We’ll find a spot.” is not an acceptable answer. 🙂
Here’s my problem: after reading all these helpful tips, I really want to go to the thrift store! 50% off most items today…
Instead, I should probably purge my dresser so the clothes I already own fit in there.
I like to always bring a donation bag with me so I can justify things have left. I stay focused on the best condition. If it’s a unique non clothing item I will ebay search it right in the store compare price and how readily available it is if I leave the store without it.
We have a thrift store list. We figure out what we will need from the thrift store, go there, and buy it. Mom also makes sure to check the cleaning instructions on the clothes so we buy fewer “dry clean only” things.
Yes, know what items you are shopping for. The one item I bought recently was a wool insulated coat from a Junior League Thrift Store. Their members were required to donate a certain number of items each year to help with their missions. Best $15 I ever spent.
I only wear neutral colors from the waist down. Skirts, slacks, belts and shoes are all neutral colors. This rule helps me to always look pulled together. I no longer have an overstuffed closet and I like it that way. When I lost a lot of weight I had to resort to thrifting. I started going to thrift stores when my slacks nearly fell off of me. I was humiliated.