March 19, 2013

Tips from Blogger Simply Chic for Cheap

I love how thrifting can be a rewarding experience for both the customer and for the community. Allow me to elaborate. Shopping at thrift stores gives people the opportunity to save money, recycle, and support a local business, but it also helps the community! Thrift stores, such as Arc’s Value Village, give back by using proceeds to help charities and non-profits. Now that’s what I call a win-win!

Throughout my years of thrift shopping, it’s safe to say I’ve learned a thing or two. And on that note, today I am sharing with you my top five thrift tips.

1. 1.  Be patient. Don’t expect to score an awesome find every time you go to a thrift store because you are setting yourself up for failure if you do. It simply takes time and well, luck! It can also take some savvy searching, which brings me to my next point…
2. Look… hard. Items aren’t always going to pop out at you like they might at your typical retail store, so it often times takes digging, sifting, and double-checking. But when you find that perfect item – you will realize it was worth both the effort and the wait.
3. Pay attention to store specials. To get this biggest bang for your buck, check to see which days thrift stores offer special half-price tag days, or my personal favorite – .99 cent Sundays at Arc’s Value Village!
4. Get picky. It can be easy to get wrapped up in all the deals at thrift stores and find yourself buying items just because they’re a great price. But ask yourself – “Is this something I will actually put to good use?” If not, pass on the item and let it be someone else’s exciting find!
5. Give back. Being an avid thrift shopper myself, I personally strive to donate something every time I buy something in order to keep the circle of “reduce, reuse, recycle” going. As soon as you find yourself no longer wearing or using an item, donate it to the thrift store and know that it will be put to good use by someone else and that you’ve helped support your local community.

Once you get the hang of thrift shopping and discover the remarkable deals you can snag (plus knowing you are doing good by supporting a small business rather than the big retail giants), you may very well get hooked! As I always say, high style doesn’t have to come with a high price tag!

Bio: Jeanette is the author of SimplyChicForCheap – her personal style blog that emphasizes going green by way of thrifting, repurposing and making a variety of eco-conscious living choices. She’s also a sucker for interior design and a good DIY project.