How to Shop Goodwill

Ever since my birthday outing, I've become slightly obsessed with shopping Goodwill. Here's a few tips I've learned along the way, let me know if you have any to share!

Treated myself to all of these clothes on my birthday! It felt like a shopping spree, 16 items for $95

• Go when you have TIME and patience! Clothes are not sorted by size, and even when you find your size, you must try it on because it may have been shrunk or stretched, or both, and you really have no way of telling how it's going to fit!
• For me, this means I go when I am alone, and in the mood.
• Have a list; The Goodwill location I love, is huge, and I could (and have) spent hours in there, looking through everything. Now I keep a list on my phone of what to look for; rain coat for Sadie, Hoodie for Hudson, Yellow sundress for me, etc. Sometimes I'm not in the mood to try on clothes, but I can still score some sweet finds. 
• Be a brand snob. Normally I am not a brand snob but buying higher quality clothes typically means they are going to last a little longer in fashion and in washing. Even if tempted, I refuse to buy Sonoma, Croft and Barrow, Faded Glory and I'm really not ready for Coldwater Creek!
• Look out for the tags! Every week a different color tag is 1/2 price. I really do make a judgement call, "Am I willing to spend $6 on this pair of jeans?" Maybe not, but I might take a gamble and pay $3!
• Donate to Goodwill: It is so cool seeing some of your old clothes on the rack and it feels good thinking there are other people out there loving them. 
• Every time you donate goods, you get a stamp on your card and you'll save 20% on your next shopping trip after 4 stamps. You get the tax deduction, and discount, super score! Doesn't that feel good?



Part of the pile of clothes donated last month. 

• Other benefits include; Goodwill's mission, you're recycling, you're not supporting the big clothing industry and you're saving lots of money!



Cute shirt, $.99, child, priceless

• I don't know if others would agree with this self assessment, but I'm certainly feeling more fashionable than ever! 

My shirt, jeans, and earrings are from Goodwill. $15 outfit :) 

This post was inspired by two recent finds: http://www.buynothingnew.org/ and http://tidyingup.com/ Thank you for inspiring me ladies!