My Top 10 Thrifting Tips

Hi guys! If there's one thing I feel like I'm pretty good at in life, it's thrift shopping. I have a mix of really good luck and a whole lotta dedication that means I almost never leave a thrift shop empty handed.

It sounds kinda funny to say it, but I'd genuinely call thrift shopping an actual hobby of mine, I find it so relaxing! It's much more about the thrill of what I could find on the next rack, even when I leave without buying anything the experience is still fun.

I've been thrifting for years now; I used to go with my Mum back in high school and haven't stopped since. Over the years I've picked up a fair few hints and tricks as to how to get the best out of your thrift trips, so sit back, grab a snack and I'll take you through how I do it!

1.Have a snack and/or coffee first. 
Speaking of snacks... You'll soon see from these tips that thrifting is serious business, and you need to go into it with the maximum amount of energy and patience you could possibly have.

2. Pick your stores.
All thrift stores were not created equal. I find that I have much less luck in thrift stores in the middle of town, they're generally a lot smaller and have been more picked over. The best thrift stores in my area are more on the outskirts of town. I've heard that thrifting in better 'higher class' suburbs can also be a good strategy; this doesn't really apply to me as my town is fairly small, and in general I have found that thrift stores in those areas are more expensive, so I'd investigate for yourself whether that piece of advice is true in your area.

3. Look at EVERYTHING.
I'm serious about this. I always go through every single item on every rack. This is where the coffee comes in; sometimes you will go through several racks without finding anything, and you will need that energy and patience to keep looking!

4. Try EVERYTHING!
If it's even a vague possibility it could look cool, pick it up and try it on. I seriously get a full-on workout from my thrift trips as I end up carrying around an armful of clothing, and I usually have at least two or three trying on sessions as I can't carry anything more! You'd be surprised at what things look really cool once you try them on, so it's always worth testing them out. This can take up a lot of time so I make very snappy decisions when I'm trying, pulling things off straight away if they look weird in any way. This is also a crucial time to actively look for any stains or holes in the item; it's such a bummer if you only notice them when you get home, and unless you go looking for them, sometimes they're quite hard to spot!

5. Go alone.
As fun as it is to shop with friends, I'd advise you to go alone. But by all means go with friends if that's how you thrift most successfully! Basically just work out what works best for you....I tend to like going on my own so I can take as long as I want to!

6. Ignore sizing.
I check all the racks, even the ones that technically are way too big. Firstly, people often just chuck things back on the racks after trying them, so you could find things in your size on completely the wrong rack. Also, sometimes having things oversized or even from the mens section can often look really cool, so don't leave any rack unexplored.

7. Be adventurous and open minded!
 Thrifting is such a good opportunity to try new colours and styles that you haven't before.

8. Give yourself plenty of time.
I think this one will be pretty obvious after how much I've talked about looking at every rack and trying everything on! I will usually spend at least an hour in one thrift store, and I know that if I have anything less than half an hour it's just not worth even going as I can't get into the right mindset and look at everything in that time. So make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to really enjoy the experience!

9. Don't tell yourself that you're going to DIY something.
...Unless you're a wonderful seamstress or you've done it before, of course!  I've picked up a few things over the years that I thought I could alter to fit me or suit my style better, but this invariably ends up in me either never getting around to doing it, or attempting to 'fix' something and ending up completely ruining the piece, both of which situations end up in not wearing it and money being wasted. The only thing I'll let myself attempt now is cutting off pants or jeans to make into shorts; anything more complicated than that is guaranteed to be a disaster!

10. Take some hand sanitiser.
There's no denying that your hands can feel a bit grubby after going through all those racks, so it's nice to be able to freshen up. Plus, if you're like me and want to make a morning or even a day of thrifting, you'll probably want to stop for a snack at some point, so it's vital to be able to clean your hands!

I hope you guys find these tips useful! I'd be beyond excited to hear about what you find on your thrift trips, so please let me know in the comments or tag me on Instagram!

If you'd like to see what I found on my most recent trips, feel free to check out these posts:
December & Christmas Thrift Finds
Lifeline $2 Sale Haul

Happy Thrifting!
Kate x