A Basic Guide to Thrift Store Shopping

Part of my game plan for living frugally, that I have put into practice over the last forty years includes the tips presented in this guide to thrift store shopping. Thrift store shopping might seem like regular shopping, but there really is a big difference! How is shopping at a thrift store unlike making purchases in regular stores? Well, because most of the merchandise is used and each item is unique, you need different strategies to make thrift store shopping more effective. 

The merchandise in thrift stores has been donated usually and is generally not new. It is therefore important to inspect the merchandise to see that it is complete and functional without imperceptible imperfections. For clothing you want to make sure there are no holes, stains, ripped seams, malfunctioning zippers or botched alterations. Do the snap buttons all work? While it is fine to buy something defective, make sure you are able and willing to do what it takes to fix it.

I once found a beautiful virgin wool coat made in Germany for under $10. The hem had been completely taken out as if someone meant to change the hemline, but abandoned the project. I bought the coat, re-hemmed it and repaired the top stitching. I now owned a quality $400 coat for just under $20, after I paid for the dry cleaning.

It is important then, to check the clothes before you buy them. Pay special attention to the collar, cuffs, underarms and front of the garment where people tend to spill things. For slacks, check the zipper area, back seam and the hemmed areas. If clothing is synthetic, you want to check it carefully for burn holes.

To land a good bargain, be prepared to buy items out of season, e.g. skates in spring and summer clothing or lawn chairs in winter. They are at the second hand shop because people are cleaning out items they do not want to put in storage and the thrift shop will likely want to clear them out as well because they are not in season. It is possible to get items at a deep discount this way.

While shopping, when you see something you like, put it in your basket or cart. If you decide ultimately not to buy it, you can put it back before you go to the till. Keep in mind that merchandise in thrift stores is not restocked like in regular stores and when you visit again, the item you passed up will likely not be there anymore.

Some thrift stores put merchandise out daily though out the day. Others have a set time when most of the merchandise is brought out. They will often have a day where the store is closed and volunteers stock the shelves. When the shop reopens is the best time to shop to get first dibs at the items. Other opportune times are when the weather is exceptionally poor, keeping folks home or when it is hot and they are opting for the pool or the beach.

Trying to pop in for a quick look when others are preoccupied will give you an advantage.

Due to the nature of thrift stores you will not likely find bargains or things you need each time you visit. The trick is to get in the habit of making a quick scout of the store on a regular basis and you will find amazing stuff. For years I had one hour while two of my children were in music lessons. This one hour every week netted me so much on a regular basis, that the savings helped pay for the lessons. Here is a smattering of what I found: children's clothing and outerwear, yarn and embroidery thread, patterns, kitchen items, a vacuum cleaner and lamps, encyclopedias, books and magazines, gold and silver jewelry, shoes and boots.

Shopping second hand can save you a lot of cash in the long run. Applying these tips can save you even more. I hope this guide to thrift store shopping has helped you progress in the living frugal lifestyle. Have fun shopping!

Learning the Frugal Life

Learning the frugal life approach to help us save and live simply might not come natural for many of us. After all, we live in a society where we are bombarded with advertisements to spend our hard earned income with psychological ploys that tell us directly or indirectly that we have a low sense of self worth if we do not recognize that we deserve it. With many around us striving for instant gratification and the push to do as our peers do, the frugal mindset is something that we need to cultivate. How do people who live frugally manage their finances and what do they do differently?

A case in point that comes to mind due to being in the news recently is the example of 98 year old Verna Oller, a resident of Long Beach, who on May 10, 2010, passed away and left a legacy of $4.5 million - to the amazement of most people who knew her. How did she do it?

Clearly, she avoided spending money and worked hard. Not only did she work at earning money, she worked at hanging onto it and investing it too. To save the expense of getting her hair cut, she cut her own. She did not shrink from acquiring stuff secondhand, whether it was clothing, the Wall Street Journal or getting free meals. Flaunting her wealth or spending money frivolously to impress her friends was not part of her lifestyle. She kept a careful record of her investments and learned about investing. How does her life give us principles about learning the frugal lifestyle?

1. She lived debt free, a simple life devoid of accumulating interest charges. How many of us can say the same?

2.Like her, we should not be too proud to accept hand me downs or used items we have a use for. They can help us build up a bank account quicker in our current climate of rising prices.

3. Honest labor has its rewards, and it pays to hang on to our earnings and find legitimate substitutes for spending money. We could trade services with a friend, to avoid out of pocket expenses, such as babysitting, hair care, housecleaning, baking, the list goes on.

4. Educating ourselves about financial matters pays off. It is essential that we know how much of our earnings we are spending, so we can budget and plan our savings strategy.

5. True friends will value us for who we are and what we mean to them, not for the money we spend to impress them. Leaving a legacy of value to our fellowman is far more impressive than flaunting money to win their approval.

Verna's life provides us with many clues how she accomplished surprising her community with a wonderful gift.
Learning the frugal life from Verna Oller and her amazing legacy is a genuine inspiration to save and live a simpler life.