The Thrifty Thriver

The feeling of satisfaction after scoring a high-ticketed item for a fraction of the cost is truly incomparable!

Thrifting is not only a popular hobby right now but a very beneficial way to shop on a budget, foster your own personal style, and contribute to the environment by reducing waste.

I’ve put together a list of some of my top favorite online and brick and mortar places to snag high-quality items at a fraction of the cost of a traditional retail store.

1. Goodwill Industries– Goodwill has over 3,300 retail locations in North America including various outlet stores aka goldmines for thrifters. People donate unused or unwanted items keeping them out of landfills and extending the life of the item. Goodwill is a non-profit organization who uses the revenue of each sale to assist local community members with skill training, job placement, and support services. The beauty of thrifting at a Goodwill store is that you never know what gems you might come across. I find it an adventure with each visit!                                                 *Tip: When visiting a Goodwill store be on the lookout for the color of the week tag that indicates 50% the items with that color tag. Some locations offer a senior day for those 55 and older with a 15% discount for that day, a military discount of 10% off, and a student discount of 15% off with a valid ID. Be sure to ask about the Good Perks Email Loyalty Program that offers a 10% Coupon Upon Signing up to receive news about promotions, sales, and discounts.
2. Goodwillfinds.com, Shopgoodwill.com, and Goodwillbooks.com are all online thrifting options that offer a wide selection of new and used clothing, jewelry, toys, home decor, books, media, collectors items, and more.
3. The Salvation Army Thrift Stores– The Salvation Army Thrift Stores offer donated new and used clothing, furniture, household goods, and more. Proceeds from items sold are used to fund Adult Rehabilitation Centers for people suffering from drug or alcohol addiction.                                                     *Tip– Like Goodwill, The Salvation Army offers color tag discounts for special pricing offers. Be sure to check which color tags are on sale during your visit. If you are donating to The Salvation Army Thrift Stores, be sure to ask about a coupon that is usually 20% off your purchase.
4. Poshmark– Poshmark is a social and sustainable commerce marketplace for new and used secondhand clothing, electronics, and homegoods. Poshmark is especially loved due to the high-end and trendy fashion pieces available at a fraction of the retailer’s price. With over 80 million users, this platform has something for everyone. Sellers have virtual closets in which you can shop for affordable items.  You simply search the item you are looking for and browse through available choices to find your treasure.  You can also follow your favorite closets to ensure that the updates such as new listings and item price drops are visible in your feed. Poshmark allows the buyer to either buy  the item outright or send an offer to the seller. The seller has the ability to send offers as well usually including a shipping discount.                                                      *Tip– You can create bundles of multiple items within a closet to save on shipping costs and make an offer.
5. Mercari– Mercari is a marketplace with millions of users across the US who sell new and used clothing, electronics, homegoods, toys, collectibles, beauty items, art and crafts, and more. Similar to Poshmark, you search the item you are looking for and choose from the many listings available. You have the ability to but the item outright or make an offer. The seller also has the ability to send price drop offers on this platform, however, shipping is based off of the weight and dimensions of the package and therefore, shipping discounts are not an option. The seller does have the option to cover the shipping costs for the item, though.                                                    *Tip– You can create a bundle of multiple items from the same seller to save on shipping costs and make an offer.
6. Consignment Shops- Consignment shops are a great option for thrifting! People bring in their new or gently used items to have them sold for them by the consignee. The consignment shop profits a small portion from the sale and so does the owner of the items. Usually there are a set of rules for what is accepted focusing on condition and age of the item as well as what is trending. The consignee usually agrees to handle, market, and display the item for sale for a period of time and the owner of the item usually has the option to accept the item back or donate it if it does not sell within the alloted time frame.            *Tip– The consignee may drop the price after a period of time if the item does not sell.

1. Garage Sales- “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” You never know what you will find at a garage sale. Sometimes people are looking to simply declutter and are not interested in hauling items away or making money from the items. Garage sales are a fantastic way to thrift! Never underestimate what deals may be amongst the tables or racks and what you might end up saving money on.                                                            *Tip– Don’t be afraid to offer less then the asking price of an item. Most times the person is just wanting you to take it off their hands.

I could honestly list quite a few more places to thrift but I will end here. I’d love to hear about your favorite places to thrift and any tips or tricks that you might have in the comments section! Happy Thrifting!!