Thrifty Thursday: Thrifting Tips - Look at Everything

So you want to pinch your pennies, but you're afraid of thrift stores. How do you shop cheap without looking it? 

If you want to find something worthwhile at Goodwill, you will have to search for it. For me the local Salvation Army is a Store Of Adventures. But if you have to take half a Xanex before going into Ross, you may want to avoid the jumble. Thrifting isn't hard, but it does take finesse, and a lot of patience.

First off, it's best not to look for anything too specific at a secondhand store. If you go in looking for a Yellow Peasant Blouse, you'll probably be disappointed. Instead, keep an open mind. What could you use more of? Dresses? Skirts? Tops? When I walk into a thrift store, I head to the section I'm looking to boost (skirts, jeans, dresses), I start at the front, and then I look at every. single. item. All of them. Generally, there is no organization in these places - forget S, M, and L racks. Even if a thrift store claims to have sizing sections, they are probably all messed-up. 

Also, thrifted items are usually inexpensive, so if you find something in a fabric you adore, you might want to get it even if it doesn't fit. Sometimes I'll buy an ill-fitting dress and use the fabric to make a hair bow or a throw pillow. 

I found this a few months back, and though it hangs on me like a sack, I'm excited to alter it, or use it for scrap. 

The moral of this post, and my first official Thrifting Tip: Look at Everything.

Oh, and just in case you haven't heard it yet, here's the best song ever written (NSFW):