I, personally, have been KILLING it at Goodwill recently. I've spent about $200 total at Goodwill in the last three trips, ending up with over 60 items of summer clothes and shoes. SO MUCH CHEAPER THAN RETAIL. I found more than enough summer items for my children and myself, and so much Adidas that I ended up offering some to my cousin and selling a few pieces on Poshmark.

You too can have the same luck with some simple tips:



1. Ignore sizes, put everything you like into your cart, and try everything on! My kids are almost but not quite teens. My daughter can wear anything from a 16 in kids to juniors and women's sizes now, and my son can wear anything from a 14 in kids to a medium in men's. It depends on the fit, older items that have been washed are smaller, so sizing doesn't matter. I recently got my daughter 2 dresses. One was a women's size large (that wouldn't even go up over my thighs and that is the size I actually wear!) and the other is a junior's size 9. My daughter is neither a LG or a 9, but had we just paid attention to sizes we wouldn't have found these two beautiful dresses.

2.Pay attention to fabric. 
I'm not bothered about only buying natural fabrics. However, I won't buy anything that doesn't feel nice on my fingertips. (I've gotten so familiar with Adidas I can touch the shorts and know they are Adidas before I pull them out.) I will let my hands trail the clothing on the racks and pull out things that feel nice, then check out the style and pattern. I recently found the CUTEST dress but when I touched it, it felt like the flannel backing of a vinyl table cloth. I didn't buy it because I knew the fabric would bother me. That leads me to the next tip.

3. Only buy what you need/what you would wear.
Don't fall into the "it's 6.99 and 75% off on top of that" trap. It's easy to want to take home all the cute things because they are so cheap. Will you really wear it? Will you wear the sky high heels (not me anymore!) or the white pants that you're pretty sure will be see through? I try to take a list of what I need and work from it. I'll still deviate from the list if I spot a banger, as I did recently when I found brand new with tags, unworn Dolce Vita espadrilles in my size. Those babies came home with me and I have already worn them!

4. Know who you are buying for. I've tried for the last year to get my son into button downs. He hates them. I've finally given up and embraced that he loves athleisure. Now, I thrift what I know he will wear. I still have something dress-up clothes for him, the the majority of his clothes are comfy, just like he likes it. My daughter and I love dresses, so I don't really thrift us too many pants, except for school for her and athleisure for
around the house. It goes along with the whole don't buy what you won't wear thing.

5. Be realistic. Is it too tight? Is it too loose? Does it need repaired and if so, are you really going to repair it? Is it stained and do you think you can get the stain out? Do you already own something similar? If you don't own something similar, will this item go with pieces you already own or will you have to build an outfit around it? If your style is boho, will you really wear a preppy polo shirt, or are you buying it because you *may* need/use it sometime? Answer these questions in the dressing room as you try items on.

6. Know your store. The Goodwill I go to has dressing rooms, so I don't worry about try on there, but I do try to wear things that come on and off easily. However, if you go to say...the Goodwill bins/outlet or St.Vincent De Paul, they often do not have changing rooms, so wear something like leggings and a tank that you can easily slide items over. Don't buy it if you haven't tried it on or if it doesn't fit! Yelp is a great resource for thrift stores you have yet to visit because it will tell you if there are dressing rooms and the "flavor" of the items they carry. If there isn't a review, write one after you go!

Finally:
7. Take a donation every time you go. In with a bag, out with a bag. I have 21 nieces and nephews so most of my kid's stuff gets re-purposed but I donate household and my own clothing items.

And if you're in the Cincinnati area, message me and I'll go with you and we can make a day of it :)

Stay beautiful and thrifty,
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