Thrift is HIP!!

I spent the entire day with my girls shopping. What more can I ask for? I was included in their laughter, their smiles, their antics, and singing...life is good for this teenage mama of three. Now if only I could teach them to embrace ‘thrift shopping’ like I always have. Most of the time I encounter strong resistance to my voice of ‘retail reasoning’. Though, tonight their spirits were buoyant with the bargains they found. I believe if you’re patient, consistent, and intentional then thrift shopping is for you.

Haven’t you heard? Thrift is in vogue. Want to know a secret? It’s that thrift can be FUN. Why? Because you’re in control. “Thrifty” doesn’t mean “cheap”—in fact, the word “thrift” springs from the verb “to thrive.”

There are two categories of shoppers: those who tremble at the idea of entering, buying, or even pulling in the parking lot of a thrift store and those who feel it is the decent and honorable thing to do in a household of teenagers. I've been walking the aisles of thrift stores for more than 20 years now. I’m raising two girls who love to shop (I have a 10 year old who opts for other time consuming activities), do I have any other choice but to thrift?

So in the spirit of Thrift is HIP…come wise words from a thrifting blogger, Laura.

Here are her FIVE GOLDEN RULES to thrift store shopping:

1.) Location, location, location: In general, thrift stores located on the better side of town generally have better stuff. However, this isn't always the case. One of my favorite local thrifts, a funky little storefront run by a church, gets a lot of their stuff from the vastly more upscale area and imports it up.

2.) Shop brands. If you're not feeling particularly funky or adventurous, newbies to the world of thrift shopping should always look for name brands. The reasons are two-fold. First, you can reasonably assume you're buying quality. J-Crew sweaters, Jones New York separates, Steve Madden clogs. Secondly, there is nothing like the satisfaction you get when you pull an apparently unworn pair of 7 for all Mankind jeans out of the rack at your local thrift store and see the $6 price tag. These sell for $150 and up retail. But do your homework, and see rule number five, and you'll come out on top.

3.) Announce your intentions. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Go ahead and laugh at my self-empowering clap-trap. I don't care, because it works. If you're going thrift store shopping with the intention of finding a particular item, (as opposed to going for a little retail therapy vacation and browsing aimlessly), then it helps to articulate what you want to the universe. "I want a woolen sweater. Purple or blue. And I'm going to find it."

4.) Wash it! Unless it has the tags still attached, you will feel better if you launder or dry clean any garment you buy at a thrift store.

5.) Be consistent. People who don't approve of thrift store shopping often point to the fact that you can't be sure you'll find what you're looking for. To this I must answer, well duh. That's the point, Sherlock. It's one big mystery, and that makes it all the more fun. You never know what you're going to find. You'll usually find something, sure. But you'll find better treasures if you return to the store regularly. Consistency is the name of the game here. What can you hope for when you dip into a store once? A lucky find. If you come back again and again, your gains will be outsized. Find out when they put out their recently-received merchandise and show up early that day for the best pickings. Some stores put out the new stuff several times a day. Be there when it's wheeled out from the back.

---Laura