Eleven Thrifting Commandments

I love overalls. I buy all of mine at Deseret Industries Thrift Store for four to six dollars. Though you can't see them in the picture, I'm also wearing my favorite Danish clogs that I found at a yard sale for two bucks. My do rag is a re-purposed piece of material from a worn bedspread. Quite often when people compliment an outfit, I mentally tally how much it cost me. Often it's under twenty dollars, shoes included! 

I've been dying to share thrift shopping tips with someone. Perhaps a few of you out there might be interested? Here goes:

Behold, the laws of thrift shopping according to Susan:

 

 

Try on Everything Before You Buy

Even if you are absolutely sure that pair of orange corduroy bell bottoms will fit you just like they did when you were in college, try them on. I cannot tell you how many times I couldn’t get a pair of jeans over my hips even though they were “my size.” The same goes for shirts. You may be a medium, but that medium blouse in your hand might have been shrunk in the wash and that’s why it’s at the thrift store. You also may think you will look great in something—until you see yourself wearing it. You will save a lot of money and closet space by not buying clothes that don’t look good on you, even if they are really cheap. This tip brings me to the next one…

 

Wear Simple Clothing and Shoes

Because you will want to try on everything before you buy (see tip #1), wear clothes that you can easily slip out of. This means slip-on shoes, not lace ups, and a t-shirt and pants that you can whip off in seconds. (Better yet, opt for a skirt that you can leave on while you try on pants.) Tie your hair back so it doesn’t get all static-y from putting on and taking off shirts. Please don’t try to accessorize. You are on a serious mission to find bargains. This is not the time to look cute--unless of course you’re on a date, in which case you can wear earrings. Studs, not hoops.

 

Leave the Purse and the Coat at Home

Admittedly, I don’t follow this rule very well. But when I do remember to wrap my driver’s license and credit cards in a rubber band and stick it in my pocket rather than carry a purse, it makes the shopping trip all the easier. Ditto on the coat. The less you have to haul around and drag into the dressing rooms, the quicker you can get in and out.

 

Check for Stains

A lot of thrift-store clothing ended up there for a reason, most often not a good one. The most common reason for clothing abandonment is yellow armpit stains. I’ve had some success brightening white shirts by soaking them overnight in Oxy Clean and hanging them to dry in the sun. But this doesn’t work on dark yellow stains that look as if they’ve been there for years. No matter how cute the shirt, if the pits look like dog tinkle in the snow, pass it up.

 

Also check for rips, moth holes, bleach spots, and makeup stains on the collar, sleeves, cuffs, and arm pits.

 

People don’t always donate clothing because it’s damaged. Sometimes people gain or lose weight and change sizes, then donate the clothes to make room for their new purchases. You can find some great deals in this scenario, sometimes even new stuff. However, even if the heavens part and a ray of sunlight illuminates a mother load of Eddie Bauer jeans in your size, don’t rejoice just yet. Remember, try everything on before you buy!

 

Look in the Men’s Department

When I was shopping for a new pair of snow pants, all I could find in the women’s section was a one-piece number that looked like something you’d wear on a Seventies sitcom. So I headed over to the men’s department and found just what I needed. There are other unisex items you can find in the men’s department, say sweatshirts and jackets. Plus, it’s usually not as crowded there. Most of the men sit on the furniture or rifle through the bikes and broken vacuums while the women in their life shop. 

 

Try the Men’s Dressing Rooms

Saturdays are busy at thrift shops and lines for dressing rooms can get long. If you don’t want to wait, mosey over to the men’s department. Their dressing rooms are always open.

 

Take a Shopping Nazi with You

If you have a sibling or a friend who isn’t afraid to give you an honest opinion, take her with you. That way when you slip on that one-piece snowsuit and ask, “How does this look?” you can count on your companion to be honest and say, “You look like Chrissie on Three’s Company. Except you don’t have a chest.”

 

Many times my own sister has prevented me from making foolish purchases, like the time I almost bought an ankle length black dress that did nothing for my figure except cover it. She has also gently pointed out that my house cannot accommodate many more purchases.

 

Thrift Shopping Can Be Addictive

Last week as I browsed old China sets at Deseret Industries, our local church thrift store, a woman came barreling down the aisle, her basket full of who knows what.

 

“I buy all my dishes from Deseret Industries,” the woman told me as she clattered through a pile of dessert plates. “But you know what?” She stopped rummaging and leaned in close. “It can become addictive. Like you can’t stop buying even though you have enough,” she said in a conspiratorial whisper.  With that, she stepped back and resumed shopping.

 

Because everything’s so cheap you might be tempted to buy everything in sight. This is fine if you also plan to get rid of a bunch of stuff before you even set foot in the thrift store. If, like me, you find yourself buying seven teacups and saucers  when the day before you had no use for such things, step back and ask yourself if you’d be willing to pay full price.  If things get really bad and you find yourself at Deseret Industries every day, you might need to start bringing cash to limit your spending. Or go to the library instead!

 

Do Not Go Every Day, But Do Go Often

As I said, you should not go thrifting every day. If you do, soon your house will get too cluttered and you’ll wind up with a house that looks like a perpetual yard sale. That said, you do need to go often. People donate to thrift stores every day. It’s worth your while to stop by frequently even if just for a few minutes. For example, last week I decided to buy a pizza pan with holes in the bottom. But the local cooking store wanted fifteen dollars for it, which I was not in the mood to pay. So I stopped by Deseret Industries on my way to All Seasons Market with the sole purpose of browsing the kitchenware. Lo, I found the exact pizza pan I wanted for one dollar. And it looked good as new.

 

Dig It

Think of yourself as an archaeologist on a major excavation. From my years of thrifting I have learned that it’s impossible to find what you’re looking for with a cursory glance at the shelves. You must move things around. You must look under things. You must look twice. Just when you think you’re never going to find something, you’ll dig through a pile of tea trays and find a perfectly good pizza pan.

 

When in Doubt Don’t Buy It

Nothing’s a bargain if you get home and decide that it really doesn’t fit and puce is really not your color after all. Listen to your shopping Nazi if she’s with you. If you’re alone, listen to the little doubting nag who sits on your shoulder while you try things on or put things in your cart. If you find yourself saying things like “I don’t really need this” or “All I have to do is lose a few more pounds and this will look great on me” are warning signs that whatever you are about to buy will feel like a mistake when you get home.

 

Also remind yourself to refrain from panic-purchasing. One of the problems of thrift shopping is the deep fear that you will never find a treasure to match the one that you should pass up. Trust that if you forego buying something that is not absolutely right for you now, something better will come along in the future.

 

Now that you are well armed with the tools of thrifting, I suggest you practice using them this weekend. Shop strong, Sisters.

 

Comments

[MaryBeth]

Oh my! I've learned never to take offense at the pregnant question (although, I admit I do indeed, look like I did just prior to giving birth!). That question is ALWAYS posed out of the ignorance of the asker. I saw a sign once that said, "NEVER ask someone if they are pregnant unless you actually see a baby coming out of them!" I think that is excellent advice! :)

[Susan Hayward]

Laura, au contraire my friend. Not all overalls are created equal. I once had a pair that looked just awful. A girl in my old ward stared at my stomach and asked, "Are you pregnant?" AND I WASN'T. As you can see this is something that I've entirely recovered from.

[Laura]

Overalls are horrible on me. You, however, look cute in everything. Must be all that running...

[Susan Hayward]

Ah yes, the pricing phenomenon. Sometimes I come across grossly overpriced merch. at DI too. Good job finding what you really wanted at a great price. I love Ikea too!

[Shelly T]

I went into a Goodwill yesterday looking for cool chairs for portraits (something I probably would not have done if not for your recent DI post)-- I couldn't help thinking of you the whole time my nose twitched because of the funny smells! (by the way, didn't find anything-just a cool orange IKEA stool that was wobbly and marked for $8 which I found and bought at IKEA today for $5.99!

[Susan Hayward]

Jana, overalls look strange and baggy on me too. And if you buy them large, wedgies aren't a problem!

Our dishwasher broke last year so we have broken quite a few things too. My kids always look amazed when I just throw the broken things in the trash and say, "No big deal. I'll just get another."

I love the idea of carrying a tape measure and your kids' sizes. Now there are twelve commandments. Thanks!

[Jana]

I only wish I could wear overalls as well as you can, Susan (they always look very strange and baggy on me and ride up my butt when I bend over).

We buy lots of dishes from the Goodwill because we break a lot of them (due to no dishwasher except the 8 klutzy hands around here). We have the prettiest most eclectic set of dishes ever. :)

My best tip is to carry a tape measure with you and a list of your measurements and those of your kids. That way you can shop for family members even if they aren't there or you can figure it whether most clothes will fit before you get to the dressing room (our goodwill has the worst unisex dressing rooms with broken door locks--hate them!)

[Susan Hayward]

Hillary: The fashion show sounds great. And the consignment shops in Washington sound like a dream come true. You're right--families are larger in Utah, which does make for slim pickings in the kids department. When I visit my mom in San Diego I always go thrift shopping too. Thanks for the comment!

[Hillary]

Thanks for the tips!

When I was in Young Womens we had a DI Fashon Show. Before the activity we had to go to the DI and buy an outfit for the show. I found a "NEW" really fun pair of jeans that ended up being one of my favorites to wear. All of the girls found some really cute things.

I admit that I am not a regular at the DI, but I am a bargin hunter. I often find myself telling people how much I spent on something.

PS. The consignment shops by my moms in Washington are always a success when shopping for my kids. The people up there have one girl and one boy and then they sell everything to the shops.