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Patience, shopping with a list, seeking thriftspiration – we’ve shared several thrift tips on this podcast that have helped us become smarter thrift shoppers. But we believe there’s one that will help tie them all together. We’re sharing our number one thrifting tip and how it has inspired us to make thrifting a way of life. Also, we podcast from two of our favorite thrift stores to share what we find in less than an hour.
The Only Thrift Tip You Need to Know is: Going Often
Stock changes daily, multiple times a day at the thrift stores but that’s not the only reason why you should go often. Going often helps you become more comfortable navigating a thrift store. Practice makes perfect, so going often helps you build your thrift skills in turn making you a smarter, more efficient shopper. And most importantly, going often creates a habit out of thrifting, therefore making it a way of life.
What does going often actually mean?
It means something different for everyone, depending on your lifestyle. We go about three times a week. However, in order to make thrifting a habit, we recommend at least twice a month to start. Note: going often doesn’t mean that you need to buy something every time! In fact, we strongly discourage that. It just means you’re building that “eye” for thrifting.
Don’t have time to thrift? Here are some solutions:
Not every thrift trip will last hours. The more you make it a habit, the less time you’ll find you spend in the store because you’ve created a routine and strategy. I rarely spend hours in the thrift store anymore!
Aimlessly browsing at your favorite retail store on a Saturday? Swap it with a trip to Goodwill instead. We love our Target runs but if you’re hoping to make thrifitng more of a lifestyle, make it the first place you go for your items on your wish list.
Create a thrift route. Make a list of 4-5 stores in areas that you frequent the most: work, school, soccer practices – and try to build time to go to these stores when you’re near them. Having a route will keep you from getting bored with the same stores and it will increase your chances of finding items on your thrift wish list.
Involve kids in the process. Thirfting with kids can be a challenge. Engage them in the process as much as possible. Check out this article for some tips and we have a whole series dedicated to thrifting for kids.
Prefer to shop online? You can still thrift! The key is to apply the same skill set online that you would shopping in person. Keep a list and browse often. Check out this source for everything you need to know about online thrifting.
You don’t have the patience for thrifting. Believe it or not, a lot of avid thrifters don’t have the patience for the thrift store experience. If this sounds like you, Shannon recommends knowing your limits. Set a time limit, stick to your list, and allow yourself some flexibility. Go often, keep your thrift route fresh, and spend shorter spans of time at each store.
Thanks, it’s Thrifted is a podcast about secondhand shopping hosted by two treasure-hunting friends, Dina & Shannon. Subscribe today.
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Follow on Instagram @dinasdays and @fatdontcrack.