Hey earth muffins! I hope everyone is having a wonderful day 🙂 In trying to live a more sustainable lifestyle, I have been thrift shopping quite a bit recently. There are so many awesome items I have found, so if you all want to see a thrift haul just let me know! To help any of you would might be interested in giving thrift shopping a try, here are my top ten tips!
1. Don’t fall for any stereotypes about thrift shopping – I have heard so many things about thrift stores from “they are dirty” to “you are taking away from the poor”… None of these are completely true. I feel like there are so many stigmas about thrift shopping, when really all you should do is give it a try before judging those who do.
2. Go early and often (at the beginning of the week) – New donations usually come in during the weekends after yard sales are over, people have spent free time sorting, etc. The earlier in the week you can get to the thrift store, the better the finds! Plus, try to shop early in the day too (aka close to when it opens).
4. DIG – You won’t find the best items if you don’t spend time doing lots of sifting through racks of clothes. Look through ALL racks – sizes don’t mean as much (things could be stretched out or shrunk) and things can be misplaced in the wrong sections.
5. Don’t go in with an item in mind – You will usually be disappointed. Go in with an open mind and you will feel even happier when you find something totally unique!
6. Only buy what you need – Sure the thrift store has great prices, but do you really need the 20 items in your cart? While thrift stores are sustainable, try to only purchase what you really need to save on waste later down the road. 🙂
7. Thoroughly look over the item – To avoid buying a defective object, make sure to look at the possible purchases in depth! For clothes, look for snags, rips, and worn seams (in areas like under the arms and near the crotch). For hoome decor or applicances, make sure all the pieces are included!
8. Look at items with a DIY mindset – This especially holds true for wall decor and furniture. Turn your apartment into exactly what you envision by doing some DIY transformations.
9. Have a separate reusable bag for thrift stores – Using reusable bags isn’t just for the grocery store! I suggest having a separate reusable bag that is set aside for thrift shopping… Some clothes can be dirty, so you wouldn’t want to put fruit in the same bag.
10. Wash items right away – While some thrift stores wash all their clothes before putting them on the rack (or the people who donated them wash them before donating), it is still important to wash all clothes bought at ANY store. I usually thrift shop on laundry day, so I can just pop in the laundry as soon as I get home.
Love,
Jenna ♥
