My Good Day of Goodwill Shopping

Well, folks, there is a new Goodwill store that has recently opened in my area.  Thrift stores like Goodwill have really peaked my interest in the past few years. I like to shop "smart" AND land some great bargains in the process, of course! 

But one thing that I've learned about thrift stores is that you have to have a lot of patience!  There are usually some great finds inside, but you must know how to weed out the good from the bad. Otherwise, you will just end up with a lot of unnecessary "stuff." In my business, that's trouble! 

Thankfully, my experiences with thrift stores in the past, have been pretty successful. I have found great home decor furnishings and accessories, as well as some fantastic clothing and shoes. But that was only when I had a plan!

So today, I went pretty early in the day, which is what I typically like to do, if possible. But even so, there were people EVERYWHERE! Remember what I said about patience, earlier?  

Despite all of this, I still found some great stuff! My plan (this time!) was to scan the entire store. Sometimes, though, I will just plan to hit one section, like children's or home furnishings.


When I plan like this, ahead of time, my focus is narrowed from the moment I hit the door.   Thrift stores with all of those rock-bottom prices can be very distracting! So stick to your plan and stay focused! 

Another tip: If you see something that peaks your interest-- grab it and put it in your cart! If you leave it, thinking that you will come back, it may very well be gone when you come back!  You may end up putting it back, but at least you wouldn't have lost something you really wanted--to another buyer. Remember, the lady behind you is looking to bag a bargain, too.

So what did I get for under $50? Well, in under a hour, I was able to find things from The Gap, Banana Republic, GUESS Jeans, Limited Too, Aldo, JCPenney, Lee Jeans-- great buys for my entire family. This included three pairs of genuine leather shoes! Check out one pair in the pic below.

Be sure to use the same tips about efficient clearance rack shopping (from my previous post) in thrift stores, as well. When you do, shopping just doesn't get much more "practical" than that!

One of my finds! Bronze heels by Unlisted for only $4.99.