Thrifting Tips That’ll Save You Tons Of Money
19 money saving, thrifting tips from a frequent thrifter that you haven’t heard before. Not your every day tips.
Why Thrift
Lately, for just about all of us, money has been a bit tighter. It seems like the price for everything is going up and we’re all trying to find ways to save. One way we can do this is by getting the most out of our shopping.
There are so many great reasons for you to take up thrifting. Some of my top reasons include:
- No taxes
- I can get itmes for my home for a lot less then retails
- Good for the environment
- I’m big into DIYing and thrifting gives me tons to work with
Thrifting Tips For When To Shop
To get you started I thought we would take way back to the basics. This blog post is all about ways to save money using methods that thrift store offer their customers. To get the most out of your thrifting: some pro thrift shopping tips.
Coupon Catastrophes
Ok, maybe catastrophe is a bit of a strong word. But I think we can all agree that there is nothing worse then having the perfect thrifty, money saving plan only to find out at the register that your coupon is a dud.
Here are a few things to look for when using your thrift store coupons:
- Check days of sales. Often thrift stores will have particular days for their regular sales. So double check with your thrift store which day is their sale day.
- Check for what is on sale. Don’t assume that everything in the store is on sale. Sometimes the sale is only for clothing and accessories.
- Check the dates on the coupons. You’ll often find an expiry date.
- Check for minimum purchases requirements. Sometimes to get a percentage off you need to spend a minimum amount.
- Are new items excluded? Double check this. Often tags are colour coded and the coupon or sale is only good for older items.
- Check for any black out days. There may be rules about when gift cards and reward cards can be used (such as Boxing Day.
Insider Thrifting Tips That’ll Save You Money
Shopping at a thrift store is a great way to save money. But you want to save even more money. I get it, every dollar matters. Here is a list of all the ways that you can save even more money while thrifting:
Coupons
Almost all thrift stores have coupons. They will hand them out at the cash register. You can often find them on their web sites. There are a bunch of ways to get coupons that we’ll go over. Remember to read the fine print and to keep these handy for when the mood to thrift hits.
Sale days
These tend to be the same day each week The days can differ store to store and franchise to franchise. So make sure that you first find out which days your thrift store holds their sales. Again, check the fine print. Sometimes they have only certain items on sale for that day.
Donate
Almost all thrift stores give it a coupon for donations. This is usually a percentage off for a certain amount spent. Simply bring in any items you want to get rid off and drop it off either at the front desk or sometimes their will be a drive through donation. Once you hand over the items they will hand you the coupon. Check for any restrictions before using.
PRO TIP: I like to keep a donation basket in the bedroom. Once I have enough items to fill a bag, and I need something from the thrift store, I donate it and then use my coupon for shopping.
Become a member
Many thrift store now have member clubs. You will often receive a coupon when you sign up. You will receive emails with exclusive discounts. Plus, notices for upcoming events and sales. Sometimes they will have reward systems that are for members only. The percentage that you receive off items is often higher than regular coupons. It costs nothing to join.
Get their emails
Most often this happens because you signed up to become a member. Again, it cost nothing to sign up for emails. In addition to the exclusive discounts and announcements, you’ll also find ideas for upcycling, styling tips, and insider “secrets.”
Birthday coupons
Personally, I’ve only come across this at Value Village but it’s worth asking for at other stores. Who knows, maybe they will adopt the practice.
Basically, when you sign up for their Super Saver Club, in addition to all the other perks you also receive 20% off any minimum purchase of $50 during your birthday month. You must spend the $50 at one time.
Get a job there
If you’re looking for work and you love thrifting this might be a match made in heaven. Thrift stores can have excellent employee perks including sometimes up to 30% off your in store purchase. Plus, you’ll know when all the good stuff comes in and when all the good sales will be held. Something to think about.
Seniors, post secondary students or military discounts
Many thrift stores will offer special discounts for certain groups. These sales are most often held on specific days. Usually they are offering around 20% off. If you fall into one of these groups it’s definitely worth inquiring.
Frequent shoppers card
Some thrift stores will offer frequent shoppers a way to save even more money with a stamp reward card. Basically, every time you make a purchase you receive a stamp on your card. Collect enough stamps and you’ll eventually receive a discount. Usually it’s 10 stamps equals a few dollars off your next purchase.
Monthly draws
Some thrift stores that offer a frequent shoppers card will also offer monthly draws. You fill out the card and enter it for a draw. If you win you will get a decent coupon. It can be as high as $25 off. Definitely worth looking into if you are a card carrying, frequent thrifter.
Give a gift card
Give the gift of thrifting and receive a little loving back. Sometimes you will receive a coupon when you buy a gift certificate. These coupons are usually worth around $5 off when you spend a certain amount. Check for any additional fine print.
Even More Ways To Save Money Thrifting
Believe it or not, there are even more ways that you can save yourself some money when thrift shopping. These are all practical thrifting tips that when applied, add up to big savings. So the next time you’re thrifting remember to:
Jenny’s Finishing Thoughts On Thrifting Tips To Save You Money
Thrifting is a rewarding way to shop. You can find so many wonderful things there. It does take some time and effort. Fortunately for you, if you combine the money saving ideas shared here with these pro thrift shopping tips you’ll be saving yourself a ton of cash and shopping like a thrifting pro in no time.
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