Tag Archives: ways to save

How to find the best stuff at thrift shops

how to find the best stuff at thrift shopsI’ve written a little bit about thrifting before but I recently needed to break out my skillz (yes, skillz with a “z”) again and I thought it would be helpful to share some of my tips.

I’ve been trying to spend as little money as possible, but I still need to look presentable at work. It’s a Catch 22. On Friday when I tried on my last pair of clean pants and had to check the mirror (twice) to prove that yes, my pants had worn so thin that you could see my underwear right through them, I knew that it was time for some new clothes. So right after work I popped over to my local thrift store and scored some serious deals! I have so many people tell me, I never find good stuff at thrift stores, you must be lucky! Well, I’m not, friends. I strategize to find the best stuff at thrift shops. Here’s how I do it.

1. Research!
Did you know Yelp is more than just restaurant reviews? It’s true! Yelp is one of my favorite places to go for reviews of any kind. Before popping to every thrift store within a 20 mile radius, I’ll pop over to Yelp and see what the good Yelpers have to say about it. Sometimes they’ll even share information about discounts! If you can’t find anything on Yelp, Google Reviews might be helpful too.

2. Find out which days the store restocks
Thrift stores restock on different days, just ask an employee which day they restock and shop that day for the best stuff. Usually stores don’t restock on the weekends, so stuff will be more picked over then. I almost always thrift during the week. There’s less crowds and higher quality stuff!

3. Leave yourself enough time to look through everything
Often times thrift stores are stocked to the brim with merchandise. This can be overwhelming. I know. Don’t shop on a strict time limit, you’ll get frustrated. Leave yourself enough time to look through everything you need.

4. Still overwhelmed? Keep a list!
One of my favorite things to do is keep lists. One of my many lists is a running list of things I want or need. Going into a thrift store without a solid idea of what you want can lead to unnecessary purchases and buyer’s remorse. I can easily get overwhelmed in a junk shop, so I keep a list of things I’m looking for in Evernote, that way I can easily refer back to it.

Processed with VSCOcam with g3 preset5. Looking for clothing? Try on different sizes 
Grab a cart and pull all clothing that you like within 2 sizes up or 2 sizes down from what you normally wear. Clothing at thrift stores is all different brands, therefore different brands have different sizing. I usually wear a 4 or a 6, but I tried on clothing from a size 2 to a size 8. And guess what? The sizes I ended up buying were all over the map. (And if this is discouraging, remember, your worth is not measured by your dress or pants size, my friends!)

6. Not creative? Shop with a creative friend.
Creativity can help when shopping at thrift stores. Creativity helps you to see that ugly, dull dresser repainted a crisp, bright white. If you aren’t a visionary, bring an honest and visionary friend with you to shop. I love shopping at antique malls and thrift stores with George because he can see through the dirt. He knows if something is fixable or just plain junk. I also really admire the thrifting skills of my friend, Candra. She is a total fashonista and has the keen ability to find key wardrobe pieces in piles of junk.

Processed with VSCOcam with g3 preset7. Don’t be a brand loyal
There are some amazing finds out there for the taking. In my most recent thrifting excursion I found a pair of pair of “7 for all mankind jeans.” Those jeans are super pricey! Unfortunately they didn’t fit me properly, but I did manage to score pants from Ann Taylor, Levi’s, New York and Co. and some little known brands I’ve never heard of. Don’t be loyal to one brand, focus on the style and the fit of the item and you’ll have better luck.

8. Ask yourself this question: is the piece easily fixable?
Thrift stores will often have pieces that need a little work. There’s a missing button or the drawer pulls are loose. But the piece may have some big problems too. I have a terrible habit of biting off more than I can chew and I’ve done this with far too many thrifted things. I now like to ask myself if I could fix it in a weekend. If I can’t, I don’t buy it. If I can, I make an attainable (S.M.A.R.T.) plan for fixing it.

9. Outsource the “fixing!“
If the piece just needs to be tailored slightly, I’ll usually buy it. 9 times out of 10 a thrifted blouse that you take to the tailor will be cheaper and will fit you better than buying a new blouse at the local mall. It’s more environmentally friendly too!

I saved even more money at the thrift store with discounts!

I saved even more money at the thrift store with discounts! 7 pairs of pants for $20.72!

10. Ask for discounts
Many thrift stores will offer discounts on either certain days of the week or offer discounts for educators, the military or students. Ask about those discounts! I know the clothes may only be $3, but another $1 off doesn’t hurt!

11. Shop often
I’m not condoning unnecessary spending, but don’t get discouraged if you don’t find something on your first thrifting excursion. It might take time to score the perfect pair of thrift store jeans. Relax and have a good time! The thrill of the hunt makes scoring a deal much more enjoyable!

Do you have any tips for thrift store shopping? Let me know about them in the comments!

love,
melanie

 

21 Ways to Save Money on Your Beauty Routine

Photo courtesy of Trostle on Flickr.

Photo courtesy of Trostle on Flickr.

My mom always says that you should spend money on your hair because, unlike certain clothes items, you wear your hair everyday. And while I think that may be true, I’ve also learned that I spend way too much money on beauty products. I wouldn’t bat an eye on a $100 Sephora trip because I was considering beauty items a “necessity.” But let’s get real people, beauty products aren’t a necessity. I don’t need them to live. (Even though I want them all!) Here’s 21 ways I’ve saved money on my beauty routine.

  1. Double-duty makeup products
    Use your lipstick as creme blush, use a dark eyeshadow to fill in your brows and use foundation on your lips to create a nude lip. The list goes on and on. Experiment and try to use your makeup in different areas on your face. Just don’t go out of the house if you end up looking crazy. This is one of my favorite tips because it also works when you forget something at home. And I forget something at home on a daily basis.
  2. Kitchen beauty products
    When my beauty budget has been tapped for the month, I scrounge in my kitchen for traditional food products that can also work as beauty products. I love to exfoliate with coffee grounds or a sugar and honey paste. It’s win-win-win. I’m using stuff I already have on hand, I sloughing off dead skin and I end up smelling fabulous. 
  3. Medicine cabinet beauty
    I’m a firm believer in the wonders of Pepto. It cures any kind of tummy issue. But did you also know Pepto-Bismol also works as a salicylic acid? Put a little on a cotton ball, smooth it over your face and rinse off when dry. It tightens your skin and reduces redness. So crazy.
  4. Recycle!
    I love M·A·C lipstick. Their colors are always so flattering and on-trend. AND M·A·C accepts returns of used packaging. By returning 6 M·A·C primary packaging containers to a M·A·C counter or M·A·C Cosmetics online, you’ll receive a free M·A·C lipstick of your choice. Read more about their program here.
  5. Bar soap
    I must admit using bar soap after using body wash for so long was difficult to get used to. Bar soap doesn’t lather the way body wash does, but I adapted to it and I’ve come to actually like it more than body wash. I doesn’t dry out my skin and bar soap is so much more economical.
  6. Makeup remover
    Makeup remover is an elaborate plot to steal your money. Seriously. Baby shampoo works wonders as a makeup remover. And to get that often sticky mascara off, Vaseline is a miracle. I even read somewhere that Vaseline helps your eyelashes grow. The jury is still out on that one, but it definitely takes my mascara off in a simple swipe.
  7. Mix it up
    Have you ever opened a new makeup package and put it on only to walk outside and find out that it’s the wrong color?! Ugh, this has happened to me far too many times. Some stores will take your makeup back even after it’s been opened, but if they don’t, consider mixing the wrong color with another color. It’ll make your makeup last twice as long. And you won’t have to throw away that wrong color. For example, I recently bought the wrong color foundation. Too dark, ugh! So, I bought another, lighter shade, mixed it with the dark shade and my foundation lasted me twice as long. And my mixed shade worked better with my skin tone, to boot!
  8. Drug store brands
    Did you  know L’Oreal owns and manufactures the drug store brand Maybelline and the department store brand Lancome? The formulas of their products are similar and may be exactly the same in some cases!
  9. Dollar stores
    Dollar stores are amazing for picking up beauty tools. Their cotton balls, makeup sponges and makeup brushes are super cheap. I recently forgot my makeup brush on a trip, bought one at the Dollar Store and I actually like it better than my usual $40 blush brush!
  10. Samples
    Good god, I love a good sample and beauty products are no exception. Most beauty stores will give generous samples of their products so you can try before you buy. Sites like Total Beauty will even send you free beauty product alerts when samples are available.
  11. Ombre trend or darker color
    Coloring your hair can get expensive– even if you go the DIY route. By dying your hair darker instead of lighter or embracing the ombre hair trend, you’ll spend less time and money on hair color. Last time I got my hair dyed darker at the roots and it’s projected to last four months, instead of the month and a half my lighter color lasted.
  12. Get more out of that mascara!
    When your mascara gets dry, don’t pitch it just yet. To get a little more out of a tube of mascara, stand it in a glass of warm water. It loosens up the rest of the product and gives you a few more applications.
  13. Reuse mascara brushes for eyebrow grooming
    Ok, I admit it. I have wild eyebrows. When I wake up in the morning, my brows are in 5 different directions and looking quite muppet-like. Using an old, cleaned mascara brush for grooming my eyebrows is one of my favorite tricks.
  14. Keep it clean
    Brushes last longer if you keep them clean. Plain and simple. And you don’t even need that fancy brush cleaner. Just rinse your brushes with warm water and clean them with a dab of baby shampoo.
  15. Squeeze it out!
    Get that last bit of makeup out of the tube by cutting the package open or dipping a brush into the container to get that last little bit. There’s always at tiny bit more in the container.
  16. Beauty schools
    I’m a big fan of the power of community college education. Many community colleges have cosmetology programs. Just recently I got a manicure for 5 dollars! There’s also cosmetology schools all over the country that provide all kinds of beauty services at a discount rate. The services are supervised by a seasoned professional, so your hair won’t be burnt to a crisp. Don’t be frightened by the prospect of a beginner!
  17. Use sparingly
    We almost always use too much product. I’m guilty of it too. It’s so easy to squeeze out a handful of shampoo and lather up. But did you know, you really only need about a dime sized amount of shampoo for short hair and a quarter-size dab for long? Wild, huh?
  18. Recap it!
    This tip may seem like common sense, but I can’t tell you how many times I forget to recap my face lotion and it dries out. By remembering to recap those beauty products, it creates a more sanitary environment and doesn’t allow your product to dry out.
  19. No ‘poo
    I’m a big fan of cutting down on hair washing. I only wash my hair once a week. Sometimes I even go longer, if it is looking particularly dry. Giving up your daily hair washing routine can be a scary proposition at first, especially if you work out a lot. But I’ve found that merely rinsing my hair after workouts works just fine. If you are really concerned about hair washing, you can  dilute 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into 1 cup of water and use this mixture as a shampoo.
  20. Baby powder or rice flour as dry shampoo
    When my hair is looking a little flat, I grab the baby powder or rice flour and a makeup brush, then dust it into my hair’s part. Next, I brush it out and boom! Instant dry shampoo without the high cost.
  21. Keep Learning!
    Youtube is amazing for makeup tutorials. I learned how to do my makeup for my wedding from Youtube. Seriously. Gossmakeupartist’s channel on Youtube is amazing. I’ve learned so much from his videos. He uses a million products and brushes that you don’t need, but his application and knowledge is so valuable. And it’s free! Ain’t the Internet great?

What tips do you have for saving money on your beauty routine? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie