Thrifting It Out with Some Girlfriends

I want everyone to like thrift store shopping like me, so I invited a girlfriends out for a few hours of shopping therapy!!  

My friends Tasha and Tiffany met me at the Belton Salvation Army Family Thrift Store.  Tasha brought her cousin, Bree, along with her daughter.  I asked each of the girls to give me a list of three things they were looking for.   I also gave them my top ten thrifting tips.  Last winter, I wrote an article for Salvation Army with my tips.  You can find them here and here. 

Here is a condensed version!!

1. Make a wish list. I keep mine on my phone - items for my house, my kids, and me. You also carry swatches of fabric and paint, or pictures of items you are trying to match/coordinate with.

2. Go with a friend!! It is fun to help each other find items. Sometimes friends can also convince us to try on something that we may not want to!!

3. Thoroughly check your items. Check the condition of items and the care info before leaving the store. When trying on items, take a 360 degree view in the mirror. Then check seams and inspect for holes.

4. Be a good patron. Get to know the employees at your local Salvation Army Family Store. There are some pretty amazing people that work there.

5. Give back!! I try to go through my clothing monthly to see if there is something I can weed out. I also do this when I am putting away seasonal items.

6. Shop for seasonal items year round. I tend to think of what I want to have for the next season.

7. Think outside the box!! If I see an item I am not quite sure about, I will carry it around the store with me to think about it. Then I try it on and decide if I love it!! 

8. Size does not matter!! Do not stick to your usual size. Remember items have been worn, washed, and may have shrunk or been stretched out.

9. Shop with your eyes and fingers!! I tend to start in a section and just visually browse the row as I go over items with my hands. I am attracted to pattern and texture, so when I find one or both of those things, I stop and examine the item closer to see if it is my size, a flattering shape, and/or in good condition.

10. Be open to surprise! If you are a newbie to the world of thrift stores, plan a time to just browse the store with no expectation of buying anything.

The girls had a great time and found a few things on their shopping list.

Then a few days later, I met up with my friends Debbie, Jenelle, Alex, and her daughter Phoenix.   We tried a little thrift store tour of three shops in the same vicinity.  We hit up Salvation Army Family Thrift at 115 & Metcalf, City Thrift on Antioch, and Goodwill at 135th & Metcalf.

Again, I asked each of the girls for three things they were looking for.

These girls could shop!!  I was blown away at the deals they found.  They were each thrilled with how much money they were saving.  I was even able to find a few goodies - you can find them here.

One of my ideas for the future, is to offer my services in taking a group of ladies out to a variety of thrift stores and help them navigate the thrift store world.  I asked these ladies to give me some feedback on how to get this service started.

Thanks ladies for your encouragement and feedback!!

Let me know if anyone would like go shopping with me!!