Before I got my first job and the glorious world of retail took over my Saturday's, one of my all time favorite memories is the Saturday's I spent with my mom. My mother is to blame for my shopping addiction and my very expensive taste, which is one of the reasons I'm legitimately a broke college student. If you're reading this.. mom, I love you so much. On Saturday's we would get up, go to Starbucks, and spend the whole day bargain shopping/hunting. In my hometown, lovely Hendersonville, North Carolina, there is a consignment shop named Lulu's. My mom and I both sell our clothes there, and turn right back around with the money we've made once the clothes have sold, and buy more clothes. That was usually the first stop after Starbucks so that we would have more money to buy things with, naturally.
After Lulu's, we would start with the ultimate Holy Grail of bargain hunting and bargain shopping, Goodwill. We are two people completely obsessed with Goodwill. If we have time to kill before we have to be somewhere, you better believe we are spending that extra five minutes trying to find something amazing in those racks. And still to this day, I still believe that the best gift I ever got my mom was a gift card to Goodwill.We always had a routine, too. I would get the cart and she would hit the shoes, books, and pants. I would start in the dresses and tops. Where I'm from, the best Goodwill to shop at is the one in a place named Skyland. As many people from my town say, "The Skyland Goodwill is where all the rich people take their good stuff." (You're welcome for the tip, anyone from my hometown, plus Target gives the Skyland Goodwill the clearance that doesn't sell in stores.. once again, you're welcome). You would never believe the amounts of J. Crew, Ann Taylor, and even Michael Kors stuff that I've found that still has the tags on it.
Tips and Tricks to Bargain Shopping
Number One: You have to keep an open mind, always.
Especially whenever it comes to Goodwill shopping. There will always be the times whenever you find absolutely nothing at a store or you look through a rack or two and feel like it's a completely pointless shopping trip, keep looking! If you leave one store without anything in a mall, you wouldn't just leave for the day. It should be the same philosophy with bargain shopping. I can promise you that there will be something in one of the stores you visit that will add to your closet in some way.
Number Two: You have to be ready to dig.
It would not be a true bargain shopping experience if you did not have to dig a little bit. This is not like a usual retail store where you can skim over a few racks and find five or six things that you want to try on. And I think that's what makes it so much fun. One of your favorite, unique items for your closet is not going to be out in the open the whole time, the search is half of the fun. Go through each and every rack, bargaining is what you're there for. You might only find two or three things to try on, and you might only leave with one of those things, but the feeling of the search, the excitement trying it on, the cheap price, and the way it feels once it's yours is what makes it worth it.
Number Three: What Do You Even Begin Looking For?
This is probably my favorite point to talk about. You can look for literally ANYTHING. For me, shopping is a stress relief. Retail Therapy is my passion. In a Goodwill you have multiple things to search for: Accessories, Jackets/Blazers, Shoes (yes, sometimes there are decent shoes in a Goodwill. Shout out to all the heels and booties that my mom has found that I'm jealous of), Clothes, and the "little-something-extra's". For accessories it's a major hit or miss, but it's worth searching for. You can find adorable belts, you can get lucky enough to find a statement piece for your jewelry collection on the right day, and there have even been times where I've found a cute crossover bag or two from Target just to keep in my car, for the times whenever I don't want to carry my whole bag. Jackets and blazers are another story. ALL of my blazers, minus one, have come from a Goodwill. The blazer that I constantly get the most compliments on is a light pink Jennifer Lopez blazer that my mom bought for five dollars. Right now leather Moto Jackets and suede are perfect statement pieces for a wardrobe. You would never believe how many leather jackets can be found in the outerwear section of a Goodwill. I even found a cropped, suede jacket from Gap in a Goodwill the other day.. unfortunately not my size. Shoes are the ultimate hit or miss of bargain shopping. When buying used shoes look for the following (I hope obvious) things: Tags if possible, Cleanliness, and Wear. As I mentioned in Number Two, clothes are all part of the searching process and you have to be willing to dig for them. Finally, the "little-something-extra's". Books, furniture pieces for your room, I'll even admit to buying movies too. Goodwill is an amazing and CHEAP place for your retail therapy.
So, I hope that you all will take the time one day to use these tips (or not...) and just enjoy a simple shopping trip.
And to my mom, thank you for all those Saturday's and countless hours spent thrift shopping. I would never trade those for the world and I wish that we had more time to continue on with that tradition. I love you to the moon and back!
Until next time y'all,
Kerstin.
