By Heather from Domestic Extraordinaire

I’m not sure when I hit my first thrift store, I think it was probably when my oldest was a toddler.  I was amazed at all of the stuff and the prices!  I love shopping and finding a good deal and in my mind I had hit the jackpot!

90% of my wardrobe has come from thrift stores and resale shops.  The other 10% has come from clearance racks.  I hardly ever pay full price for an outfit and truth be told, I have a hard time paying full price at the thrift stores.  My teenage girls mock me unmercifully about this fact.

Many people compliment me on my outfits and are very surprised when I tell them either where I got it or how much the outfit cost.  They always proclaim that they never find anything worth while anytime they decided to pop into a thrift store or resale shop.  So today, I will share my thrifty secrets with you, so you too can have a killer wardrobe at a fraction of the cost.

First of all, 8 times out of 10 I walk out of thrift shops with nothing. Other times I walk out with a piece or two.  My wallet actually groans a bit when I hit a mother load of clothes in my size that someone has recently donated.

I wear coordinating colors most of the time instead of being all matchity-matchity.  I tend to stick to jewel toned colors so that I know that the things I purchase will go together.  I also know what clothes look good on me and what clothes to stay away from; although from time to time I will try something that I am sure won’t flatter my shape only to be pleasantly surprised.

Which leads me to my next point, make sure you can try on your clothes. Most thrift shops have some sort of dressing room and if they don’t you can always wear a long skirt, a cami, and find a quiet corner in the store with your potential purchases and try on stuff quick.

Learn your thrift stores and resale shops in your area and pop in whenever you have a chance.  There are three in particular that are close to me and whenever I am out that way and have an extra few minutes I will stop in and peruse, especially on their discount days.

Now that you have your finds, make sure you inspect them throughly.  Check hems, zippers, look for stains and snags; while the item in question may seem perfect in the store, when you get it home it may have some glaring defect that will cause you to toss it in the trash.  An extra few minutes before you check out can save you lots of heartache later.

So, do you frequent thrift stores and resale shops? What purchase has made you extra giddy?

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