Save More at The Thrift Store (1)

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

30 Dec 2006 06:22 AM

Did you know that there are some special ways to save even more at the thrift store?

Thrift store shopping is a wonderful way to save money and be frugal. Most of the time, thrift stores are run by charities, so any money you spend there will be going to a good cause.

I started thrift store shopping after my first child was born. A new stay-at-home-mom, I needed to get out of the house. I didn't know about play dates then or finding other new moms. So instead, I would put Andrew in his stroller and we would take long walks. He loved being outdoors, looking around and seeing new things. Often, we would walk to our local thrift store. It gave me a goal instead of just wandering around the block twenty times.

Needless to say, when the weather was good, we walked to the thrift store a lot. Andrew grew from infant hood to toddler hood to little boy hood, and trips to the thrift store are now part of Mommy and Andrew time. We have branched out to other thrift stores, and still like to find new places to explore.

All of those trips definitely left me somewhat knowledgeable about thrift store shopping, at least as it pertains to my local stores, here in Pennsylvania.

One of the biggest lessons I learned about thrift store shopping is that you can get additional discounts off of the regular thrift store prices! Here is how you can get some of the biggest savings:

Coupons: Yes, thrift stores do have coupons! My main source of coupons is the local newspaper--not the huge daily paper, but the smaller weekly. You can also check "penny saver" magazines. Every week, the local thrift store runs a $1 off any purchase coupon. You can also find coupons behind the register. Thrift stores like to reward regular customers. I have gotten coupons for 50 percent off all purchases on a Monday, 20 percent off on a Tuesday, etc.

Sale days: Every thrift store I have been in has sale days. Some create a monthly calendar with different sale days (buy 1 get 2 free on women's skirts, for example). Others announce larger sales a week in advance (all items 50 percent off). Sometimes sales are only advertised to regular customers. If you don't see any sign of sales in the store, just ask an employee.

In Save More at The Thrift Store (2), I'll cover even more ways to get additional savings and discounts at the thrift store, including a secret that you would usually only find out by being an actual employee of the store.

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Save More at The Thrift Store (2)

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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