How to Shop Goodwill for the Win

While I love shopping for quality brands {on sale of course} at our local mall and boutiques, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of finding a gem of a second-hand piece of clothing for pennies on the dollar at a thrift store. The deal-huntress in me loves to scour Goodwill for treasures from clothing to bags to kids shoes. I once discovered a pair of Mini Boden leather boots for my daughter in perfect condition. I paid $3. She has worn them OUT this year!

You never know what you’ll find at Goodwill. Some days I find nothing. Some days I clean up. Although a trip to a thrift store is always hit or miss, with these simple tips you can turn someone’s trash into your treasure more often than not!

Tips on How To Shop Goodwill

1. Scout out your local stores – most thrift stores are hit or miss but some are better than others. Be sure to scout out the stores in your area and ask around on which ones are best before planning your shopping day.

2. Shop discount days – most, if not all, Goodwill stores have a 50% off Saturday once a month as well as .99 clothing days twice a week. Our local Goodwill also has a “designer” day where they pull out the best of the best for serious shoppers. Check with your local store and plan to shop these special days for the best deals.

3. Dress comfortably, in staple items – when you go to shop, try to wear clothing that you would likely layer with your finds. I always wear a pair of skinny jeans and a top with a tank underneath. That way when I’m trying on that cute tunic or sheer top, I’ll be able to see what it will look like as an outfit. Wear your favorite jeans the day you shop and work in your favorite staple pieces like a tank or cardi. It will help to see an outfit put together when considering a find.

<< My outfit from my last Goodwill trip.

4. Bring a friend – my deal-loving, thrift-shopping huntress friend, Terri is a must-have accessory when I shop Goodwill. In all honesty, she got me hooked on the hunt. She’s shaken her head a number of times at my finds and encouraged me to grab something I was unsure of as well. As we pull clothes we often think of each other. Since she’s smaller than me, we don’t have to fight over sizes. If an amazing piece doesn’t work for me, it often works for her! There is power in numbers friends – this is true most of all with shopping.

5. Be familiar with brands – before you head to any second-hand sale, be it Goodwill or a consignment shop – always be familiar with brands so you know what you are looking at. Know labels from Target, Kohls, Walmart as well as department stores and boutiques. Because I am intimately familiar with the brands they carry at Anthropologie, I know when I’m looking at an incredible find from my favorite store. I once snagged a Free People skirt for $3 in perfect condition. I knew it retailed for $70+ at my local department store!

6. Pull first, examine later – most Goodwill stores are organized by size and color. Plan to browse through aisle after aisle and pull anything that looks promising. Since sale days are typically packed with people looking for the same deals you are, it’s important to pull, pull, pull then take time to examine each item.

7. Examine items closely – once you have a cart full of potential fashion-finds, take a close look at each item for wear. Look for stains, tears, snags, and shrinkage.

8.  Bring a stain stick – carry a Tide stain stick with you so you can test any spots you might find. Many of them will come out with a little TLC and your washing machine.

The cute, leather jacket I left behind last month. >>

9. If you don’t LOVE it, leave it – if you see something you like but are not sure of, leave it behind. I have fallen prey to the pull of Goodwill deals in which I must have that leather jacket because it’s so cute on the hanger and it’s only $3 even though it bunches around my chest. My wise, aforementioned friend, Terri once told me – “There will be another cute leather jacket next month.” There is always next time. There is always another one. It’s so true. . .if you shop regularly.

10. Shop a season ahead – since most people will be looking for the current or quickly upcoming season, shop a season ahead. I ran into Goodwill the other day when I had a few minutes and decided to go ahead and look for fall clothes for my son. I cleaned up! No one is looking for long sleeve shirts right now but everyone is getting rid of them. Get first pick for next season by shopping ahead.

11. Try on – you may wait a while in line on discount days but take the time to try things on. Goodwill allows returns with a receipt and if tags are still attached but it’s worth it to try on your items before you leave the store. You’ll be surprised what you love and what you hate. . .I suppose just like you would at a boutique or Target. Of course this won’t work for kids clothes unless you bring them along {which I would not recommend for the littles, if at all possible}.

12. Make sure you have time – when planning your Goodwill trip, give yourself 2-3 hours. This will allow time for pulling clothes, examining and editing your stash and then trying on your favorites. You can’t rush deal-hunting. Besides, you will be saving so much money in your family clothing budget, surely you can justify a Saturday morning to yourself every few months.

With a little strategy and a lot of patience, you can makeover or add to your wardrobe with little impact on your budget.

Are you a Goodwill or thrift store shopper? What are some of your best tips?

post sponsored in partnership with ChameleonJohn.