Here in the valley, we have a great amount of Thrift Stores. These stores are so exciting because every day, they have something new. No matter what you are looking for, you have a good chance to find it at your local thrift store.
At one time, Thrift Stores were viewed as “poor” or “trashy”. Times have changed and often, you will not find anything broken, ripped or stained. Thrift stores such as Savers and Goodwill look over things and only put out on the sales floor what they think is good quality. Also, people often view Thrift Stores as a place to go and by used clothing. Little do people know, that clothing is only a percentage of what Thrift Stores have to offer.
Here are just some of the items thrift stores have to offer:
- Wedding Gowns
- Books (current, older and vintage)
- Small Appliances
- Housewares
- Jewelery
- Furniture
- Sporting Goods
- Music (cds, records, cassette tapes)
- Movies (dvds and vhs tapes)
- High Quality Clothing
- Holiday Decor
All parents know that kids go through clothing very quickly. Either through stains, holes or just by growth and it’s hard to keep up on keeping kids clothed. One luxury of shopping at a thrift store is finding clothing for children where another child has grown out of and has barely worn. Often times you can find new or like new items like children s clothing at the thrift stores. Also, how often do children wear that outfit they got for Easter, Christmas or a family wedding? Once, and items such as dresses, suit jackets and ties for children are pricey when they are bought brand new. These can easily be bought at a thrift store for at least 75% of what they were originally purchased for and they are in great condition.
Getting married? Another item that just gets worn once is wedding dressed. Brides pay high dollar for these dresses and often time get rid of them because they don’t know what to do with them after the big day. Even if you altered the dress, you can use the shell of it with the fabric and save money.
If you are an avid reader, Thrift Stores are almost a must! Book stores charge full price for books that most people often only read once. Why pay retail when you can find current books for around $2.00-$3.00. Even if you aren’t a fiction reader, Thrift Stores often offer cookbooks, how to books, self help books and more. If you go in there with just a genre in mind, you will most likely find a book to purchase.
If you like to cook, you will love checking out the small appliances, pans and cookware they have. Bread machines, muffin pans, skillets and cake pans are just a few items you can hunt down at a Thrift Store.
If you live here in the Valley, you probably know of at least one thrift store in your area. Most thrift stores offer “sales” on their merchandise. Usually what this means is they will have a featured colored tag on sale. At Savers, on Mondays you can find a certain color tag (to be determined by the store) for only .99 cents a piece! At Goodwill, Thursdays are dollar days where they will also offer certain colored tags for only a dollar. Often times Thrift Stores will also offer 50% off days. This means either the whole store or a certain colored tag is being offered at half off the original Thrift Store price.
If you have a Goodwill close by, check out their current promos: http://www.goodwillaz.org/shop/store-specials and http://www.goodwillaz.org/shop/store-coupon
If you have a Savers close by, check out their current promos: http://www.savers.com/Promotions.aspx
Not only are Thrift Stores good for consumers, they are great because they recycle and often give back to the community.
Good luck finding your diamond in the rough @ your local Thrift Store!
I’ve posted this on Life as Mom for Frugal Friday here: http://lifeasmom.com/2010/02/be-my-frugal-valentine-frugal-friday.html Be sure to check out her post on being Frugal for Valentines.
Lori @ Couponomic Stimulus Package says
Great ideas!
LaVonne says
I love the thrift store! Thanks for the great tips. I linked your post to my own Frugal Friday post. Stop by anytime!
http://www.longwaitforisabella.blogspot.com
Coupon Teacher says
I need to get the hang of the Thrift stores in my area!
karenelisef says
Love thrift stores! You might want to also check out http://www.thredup.com/kids it's a place for busy parents to exchange kids clothing online. Think: netflix for kids clothes. If you sign-up now for the upcoming launch you'll have a chance to swap your first box of kids clothes for free! karen@thredup.com if you have any questions. Thanks 🙂