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My Good Day of Goodwill Shopping

1/31/2012

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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
!
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One of my finds! Bronze heels by Unlisted for only $4.99.
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"Practical" Clearance Rack Shopping!

1/18/2012

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End-of-season sales are here!  

As the hot, new spring merchandise rolls in, retailers everywhere are trying to shove most of their fall/winter merchandise out of the door. That's where we, the consumers, come in, of course! 

But how do we keep from "consuming" too much stuff that we don't really need? Like me, you have probably observed the clearance racks, and either a) shook your head and raced in the opposite direction, or b) decided to sift through, in the hopes of finding a great bargain. Am I right? 

For me, it really depends on the store and the upkeep of their clearance merchandise. (My experience as a department store manager has taught me a few things!) Anyway, I love a great bargain so oftentimes I am heading straight back to the clearance section to take a look. 

In the past, I would basically grab anything that fit, regardless of style or color-- I mean, it's on sale, right? Wrong. As a result, a lot of my clothing had what I call, "price tag" syndrome. You know what that is. Clothes that still hang in the closet or folded in the drawer with the price tag still attached. 

You may still be thinking, "Well, I didn't pay that much for it, at least!" That's true...but it's still taking up precious "real estate" in your wardrobe. Space that could be used for something fabulous that you will actually wear. 

So I came up with a plan for shopping clearance racks effectively. Since I did this, my clothes no longer develop the dreaded "price tag" syndrome!  

Here are my personal top 5 tips:

  1. Find your size. Sounds simple, but this is very important. Because merchandise is end-of-season, there are a lot of broken sizes. In other words, the most common sizes for that store's market may be sold out already. However, don't settle for a size bigger or smaller, just because you like the item. Proper fit is very important for whatever you buy, clearance or not.  After all, if it fits well, there's a much better chance that you will actually wear it!
  2. Look for flattering colors. Again, simple concept, but often one that is neglected for the sake of a "good sale."  Don't use clearance sales as an opportunity to "test" colors that could wash you out and drain the precious color from your face. Stick with your best colors. Otherwise, it's really not worth it.
  3. Bypass "fad" merchandise and look for pieces that can be worn again next season. I'm always on the look out for tailored slacks and jackets, vests, jeans, cute skirts and dresses, and layering pieces such as solid knit or cotton tops. In other words, always get things that won't scream "clearance rack" a year from now.  
  4. Ideally, the pieces that you buy should coordinate with something already existing in your current wardrobe. If it's not, you are just asking for the "price tag" syndrome diagnosis! 
  5. Check out the return policy, just in case. You don't want to be "stuck" with something that looks very different when you get it home. (I also recommend trying it on before you leave the store. Some things really do look different on the body!) 

Well, those are my top five, but I could definitely add more to the list. These have helped me tremendously to keep my wardrobe streamlined. And I have more clothes to wear because everything works-- clearance or not! 

The same concepts work for home decor accessories, too, as I will cover in a later post.

So what about you-- Are there any useful tips that you have for shopping clearance sales?
 


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    Practical Style and Spaces blog

    Tonya Speaks

    The proud owner of my own wardrobe and home decor consulting company-- Practical Style and Spaces!

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