Thrifting can be a very fun and rewarding experience to try. With the increase in the number of thrifting shops, the least you can do is look good. For reduced prices, you get to buy high-quality stylish clothing. This means that overspending on clothes is reduced and you can now successfully have a balance in your monthly budget. Exciting Right? You, however, have to be careful when thrifting if you want to ensure that you get the best of the batch you are buying from. With this in mind, here are some tips that will help you to successfully thrift.
Have a budget
The thing about thrifting is that you never know what to expect. If you see a lot of pretty things, it may be very easy to buy a lot of clothes impulsively under the pretext of thrifting being cheap. However, if you combine all the inexpensive items you would have bought at the end of the day, you may notice that you ended up overspending unnecessarily. Therefore, you need to have a budget for your thrifting exercise. Avoid carrying access money as this will direct you into impulse buying. If you want to have a successful thrifting experience, without having to worry about overspending, have a budget.
Go Early into the Day
The truth about thrifting is that the early bird is the one that gets the best worm. Early in the morning, new items will be there in abundance and there will be a lot of items to choose from as compared to going later in the day when only rejects are left. Strive to wake up early and visit the shop in the early hours of the day for a better choice.
Exercise Patience
Thrifting is like picking your favorite sweets from an assorted pack. There are so many items that you might have to go through that are not necessarily your type and style before you get to the good items. It's more or less shopping without knowing the probability of finding an item that will match your pallet. Nonetheless, you need to be patient. After all, the perfect item for you may be just around the corner so don’t give up on finding your hidden gem.
Know Your Sizes
Unfortunately, most thrifting locations have no changing rooms. This means that you have to be able to measure your sizes by eye measurements. You don’t want the thing that stops you from getting that previous item to size, do you? That’s why you need to master all your clothing sizes and ensure that you get the right size of clothes. Otherwise, the shopping experience becomes less appealing and successful if you just end up buying clothes to give away due to the wrong sizes.
Go with A Friend
Going thrifting with a friend makes the experience fun and it also helps you choose your items quicker. Take your friend on thrifting dates with you and enjoy picking and choosing items together. This will help you see past some things that you may overlook and that second opinion can only be beneficial to the success of your thrift experience.
Cross Check Your Items
Although you may find very valuable items while thrifting, it is also highly likely that you may encounter damaged items and torn clothes. Before making a purchase, you, therefore, need to ensure that you cross-check all the items you intend on buying so that you don’t regret the experience. Most thrifting stores have no return policy, so make sure that you torch your items and ensure that they are in good condition before leaving the store.
Be Open Minded
Thrifting gets you out of your comfort zone as you are faced with different styles than what you usually go for. If you want to successfully enjoy the experience, just make sure that you are flexible and open-minded. You never know; maybe your next favorite piece is right there. Consider items that you don’t normally consider and try them out. This is the perfect experience to experiment with different tastes, colors and styles. Just make sure that you are not pre-biased but open-minded to all the possibilities that await you at the thrift experience.
Don’t focus on Seasonal Items Only
People usually just go for thrifting in search of items that can be used in the current season that they are in. What you may not know, however, is that buying off-season items at thrift shops is much cheaper and will save you a lot of money. At the end of each season, items are placed on discounts in a bid to clear them for the new season. Don’t focus on seasonal items only as this may be the perfect opportunity to buy the right clothes for the next season.
Don’t Overdress When Going There
Some thrift items do not have prices written on them. This means that the owner reserves the right to change the prices as he or she pleases. If you then go for thrifting while overdressed, the impression will be that you have more money to spare. Instead of saving money while thrifting, people will take advantage of you and overprice their items. Make sure you wear casual clothes that are not too over the tip when you are going thrifting. This will save you from being scammed and it will allow you to successfully enjoy your thrifting experience.