It's National Thrift Shop Day

Shopping at a thrift store is both eco and budget friendly; find out how to make the most out of your shopping trip.

Fri, Aug 17 2012 at 11:37 AM

Related Topics:

Shopping at a thrift store is a great way to expand your budget. As a bonus, buying gently used goods is a better environmental choice than buying new products. Do your kids need back-to-school clothes? Stop by the thrift store for some back-to-school savings. Do you want to redecorate your house? It’s time for a visit to the thrift store.

In honor of National Thrift Shop Day I’m going to share some of my favorite how-to articles.

How to find the best thrift stores

If you’ve never been to a thrift store before then this HGTV.com article is a great place to start.

“Some of the best items are found at thrift stores that are located a few miles outside of major cities. I was working in a small town about 45 minutes from my home. There was a junk shop that housed a lot of old items. This is also the place where I found an authentic Saarinen Knoll Tulip table and four tulip chairs.”

Thrift store shopping tips

Kori shares her favorite thrift store shopping tips in her post on the Real Moms Guide. Her first piece of advice, “get over it.” Throw away any preconceived notions that you have about buying used clothing and you might be surprised by what you find.

What items should you leave at the thrift store?

Thrift stores are filled with a plethora of items but not all are good deals, regardless of the rock-bottom prices. Does a nice upholstered love seat catch your eye? You may want to skip by that due to the possibility of bed bugs, fleas or other small critters that could infest your home.

More items on the “Do Not Buy” list

Bike helmets, cologne and cribs are three items on Sammy Davis Vintage’s list of 10 Risky Things Not to Buy.

“Thrift store shopping can save you a few bucks on expensive necessities but without you even knowing it at time of purchase, eventually cost you big on the safety scale.”

How to clean thrift store clothing

You’ve scored some trendy fashions at the local thrift store but now what? Now it is time to properly clean your new (to you) threads.

“There’s nothing I like more than a shopping spree at my local Salvation Army. I never really paid much attention to disinfecting the garments, until I learned that a fashion editor friend of mine received a nasty infection from not cleaning her thrift store purchases properly. This post gives you tips on cleaning and disinfecting your thrift store purchases.”

The opinions expressed by MNN Bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of MNN.com. While we have reviewed their content to make sure it complies with our Terms and Conditions, MNN is not responsible for the accuracy of any of their information.

Previous Post
Facedeals: Cool or creepy?

Next Post
A mancession or a momcession?

You might also like:

Join the conversation

Comment: 1

obbopp Aug 19 2012 at 7:09 PM

As the greedmeisters atop the socio-economic hierarchy send an ever-growing number of us despised commoner class folks face-down into an economic quagmire thrift stores can be a true friend. I buy most of my clothing at thrift stores and outfitted my shanty with various thrift store goodies. Some thrift stores exist for charitable reasons with funds used to assist folks with various needs. Save money and do some good at the same time. The few bucks I spend at thrift stores may be a pittance compared

.... More

to what the uberwealthy can offer but my research shows that frequently those HUGE charitable donations from the upper-crust go to city-based operas and art museums or to have a university building at an already very wealthy private school named after the donor etc. BUT... my indirect donation assists individual folks.