Want cheap clothes?
Become a thrift store regular.
Thrift stores have moved into the 21st century. Whether you're buying for yourself, or your family, you won't just find grandma's old house dresses anymore.
Your local thrift store, if it's a good one, will be a constant source of quality clothing. Usually the clothes are gently used, sometimes brand new with the tags still on.
Buying used, cheap clothes has become a source of thrifty pride for many frugal shoppers.
If you're a thrift store virgin, go along to your local second hand store. The basic store layout is usually the same, wherever you live.
Whether you call it a charity shop (UK), an op shop (Australia and NZ), or a thrift store (Canada and the US), you'll generally find a range of goods; used clothes, used furniture and household goods, even used jewellery.
All proceeds generally go to help one charity, whether it's a Salvation Army Thrift store, a Goodwill Thrift store, a Notting Hill Charity shop, Oxfam, or the Red Cross.
Many charity shops benefit local area charities. My favourite in my home town is the thrift store that benefits the local animal shelter.
So I'm saving kittens whenever I score a bargain. Cool.
Ricki's red wool jacket, bought for $3 at Vincent
De Paul thrift store.
Venture out to your local thrift shop knowing are treasures to be found and bargains to be had.
Whether you're looking for basic t-shirts, wool sweaters, or a designer suit, all you need to find cheap clothes in thrift stores is persistance and a good eye.
Once you make your first great second hand buy, you'll be hooked, and well on the way to a lifetime of thrift store scores and great second hand clothing.
The same principle applies to garage sales, yard sales, and tag sales. They can all be a great source of good, used clothes.
If you need some inspiration, check out our Thrift Store Score! page.
Do You Find Great Things in Thrift Stores?
Have you made the thrift store score of the century? Are you a Garage Sale King or Queen? Have you furnished your home with second-hand treasures?
Share it with us!
What Other Visitors Have Said
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
Love the Bargains!
I have been going to thrift shops since I was in college. I was always able to find something that worked with my wardrobe that also fit my budget.
I ...
Hand-Blown Glass Plates
I regularly go to several thrift stores in my neighborhood. I live in New York City and thrift store are plentiful which you might think is surprising ...
Irving Thrift Steal or Deal?
Irving Thrift, in Irving, TX, near Nursery Rd and Irving Blvd, always has a sale. Mondays, however, are the bigger sales. They generally don't skimp on ...
Garage Sale Queen
Once at a garage sale I was looking through some beat up tennis shoes and out of style women's dress shoes when I stumbled across a pair of $300 Enzo boots ...
The Thrill of Thrifting
I love the thrill of going into a thrift store and finding a unique item at a cheap price. Rather than decorating my home in brand-new, high-priced items,...
Thrift Stores are Perfect for My Shoe Shopping
I am a student and I belong to a middle class family. That was just to tell you that I don’t get a hefty amount for my pocket money. That is still not ...
Playstation 2 GREAT FIND!
I went to a thrift store during my travels recently, located in a small Canadian town that goes by the name of Innisfail, Alberta.
I wasn't really ...
Thrift Store Ties
I've always be fascinated by retro culture and fashion. Specifically from the mid 1950s to the mid 1960s. When the TV show "Mad Men" hit the air it a ...
$20 prom!
I should qualify this just a tiny bit. Since my daughter goes to a Christian school, they don’t actually have prom and they do have some firm guidelines ...
Greatest Dryer Bargain of All Time
My clothes dryer died right before Thanksgiving year before last. What a disaster--my daughter and her husband and their four children were coming for ...
Best Clothing I still own.
While attending college - money is always tight. But I tried to make the most out of every dollar and that included shopping at thrift stores for clothing....
The Cheapest Calvin Klein Suit
I love name brands. But moving around all the time (to find them) is time-consuming and money-wasting. I started going to thrift stores for cheaper clothing ...
Thrift store treasure: $12,000 painting
I do shop thrift stores for things to resale and collect.
Over the years I have found some great and rare things worth lots of money and top of the ...
Silk Ralph Lauren Dress
A few years ago, when I first started my career in property management, I was looking for some professional clothing that was stylish. I didn't have a ...
You'd be amazed what you can find second hand!
I am a major thrift store shopper, as well as everyone I know. Why? The answer is easy. Thrift stores can be some of the best places to find amazing, priceless ...
A Great Book Find
One time a friend and I went shopping, and we went to thrift stores and clothing depots, which was a different experience for me. I'm a reader and a book ...
Virtual Boy
One of my favorite thrift store finds was the time I found a Nintendo Virtual boy. The virtual boy was an odd 3-dish gaming system that Nintendo released ...
Pottery Barn Bedding
While shopping for dishes of all things, I came across a nursery bedding set that looked like it had never been used.
It was part of the Pottery Barn ...
Thrift Store Veteran
I have been shopping in thrift stores for over 40 years--I'm dating myself here. And I have dressed myself with thrift store purchases during that time....
Autographed Books
My most recent find was a copy of Barbara Bush's Memoirs that is autographed in black Sharpie marker on the title page.
I paid $1.50 for it, and immediately ...
Thrift Store Convert
Honestly I had never stepped foot into a thrift store until my husband and I got married.
My husband is a thrift store fanatic.
I could never understand ...
Discovering Thrift
I used to hate the thrift stores. Most of the things in there looked like junk and it was so boring and tiresome to look through the endless racks of tasteless ...
