13 Clever Thrifting Tips to Save BIG at Secondhand Shops!

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Love thrifting? You’ll definitely want to read our tips before you head to your Savers, Goodwill, or local thrift store!

woman shopping inside

Going thrifting? Get the inside scoop on how to save!

I’ve been shopping at my local Goodwill store for many years and believe thrifting can be a valuable resource for scoring deals for the home and family. Whether I’m visiting the Savers near me or a local consignment shop, there are always ways to spend less! Plus, in my opinion, thrift store shopping is such a FUN treasure hunt. I would 100% pick a good thrift store adventure over a big box retail trip any day!

paying at the register goodwill

Whether you’re a thrifting expert or a newbie, I’ve rounded up some helpful information to help you save even further at these affordable and adventurous stores.

It’s also worth noting that some of these same tips can also be applied to various other thrift stores to save money. This post is not sponsored by Goodwill or Savers, but rather meant to be helpful, and FUN! 

clothing racks found while thrifting at the goodwill store and the savers near me

Hip Tip: Before I jump into all the juicy details, it’s important for you to know that all Goodwill’s are individually managed. Therefore any sales, special deals, or coupon values, will vary for each location and some locations might not have them at all. Additionally, all stores are unique in what is available since items are all donated. 

woman in front of goodwill thrift store

Here are all my top thrifting tricks to save BIG at Goodwill and other thrift stores:


1. Sign up for the monthly newsletter Goodwill coupon or text alerts to save even more!

woman using goodwill coupon

Once you find your local Goodwill thrift store location online, sign up for their email newsletter or text alerts to receive coupons and be the first to hear about sales. This thrifting tip is also a favorite of my coworker Nicole’s.

At my location, we get an extra 20% off coupon via email that we can use over and over without any limit. You just have to spend over $20 to use it. Sometimes if I go thrifting with a shopping buddy, and don’t spend $20 we will combine orders at the cash register to get the extra 20% off and then even up later.


2. Stay up to date with your local store’s sale calendar.

goodwill calendar

Staying up to date with your local Goodwill is the key to knowing the inside scoop on daily, weekly, and monthly sales. Sounds too easy, but believe it or not, lots of folks don’t do this. So make sure to sign up for their local mailing list so you’re always in the know.

It’s also a good idea to keep up with your local Goodwill’s Facebook page (if they have one) as they often post current sales, coupons, and special events. As an example, here’s the Goodwill of Southern Nevada Facebook page.

The other cheap thrift stores near me often have social media pages. Don’t forget to check if your local thrift stores have them too.


3. Go on the weekly color tag sale days and pay as low as $1!

dollar tag sign which you can find at a goodwill thrift store or the savers near me

That’s right! Every week the Savers near me and some of the Goodwill locations have a special color tag sale day so make sure to keep up to date on their website or next time you head in-store.

For example, here’s a specific Goodwill store page that lists their current and upcoming sales. You can expect to see sales anywhere from 30%-50% off and sometimes even tags that sell for just $1 each!

The Salvation Army also has a similar program. According to Hip2Save’s Monica, every Wednesday they offer half price on apparel.


4. Shop early in the morning at your Goodwill thrift store!

woman in goodwill holding a bowl

It’s probably no news to you that some people make a living on buying cheap stuff at thrift stores and selling them for a profit. Sometimes thrifty finds are priced for way less than it’s worth (unknowingly) therefore the good stuff is sure to fly out the doors fast.

Since employees price new items at night, make sure you’re the first person in the door so you can get to the really good deals first. I find the best stuff when I am there right when my store opens!

woman pointing to goodwill price tag

As just one example, check out this large vintage pottery bowl I found recently priced less than $6 and I spotted it re-selling online for around $200! What a score! I think it also helps to go to a Goodwill location near a retirement community like mine. I find lots of cool vintage stuff!

pyrex mixing bowl

Here’s another example of me being the first in line at my local Goodwill thrift store recently, and scoring a beautiful vintage Pyrex bowl for just $3.49 before coupons! I head straight to the housewares section first to scope things out.


5. Shop at a Goodwill clearance center and pay only by the pound!

woman looking at thrift store clothing

Something a lot of people don’t know is that Goodwill makes an effort to ensure items don’t end up in landfills so one major way you can contribute is thrift shopping at one of their clearance centers. Here you will pay a low cost by the pound, rather than paying for each item individually. So if you’re stocking up on some pretty lightweight stuff like clothing, be prepared for some big savings! Kids clothes are a great item to pick up since they grow out of them so fast.

To find your nearest Goodwill Clearance Center, head to their store locator and type in your zip code. You’ll then need to scroll down until you find a store that’s called a “Clearance Center”.


6. Save extra cash if you’re a senior, military member, teacher, or student!

three women getting a senior discount at a goodwill or savers near me

Both my mom and my mother-in-law are Goodwill shopping experts and are so fun to treasure hunt with! They shop on Tuesdays to get their Goodwill senior discount of 25% off!

  • For seniors: If you’re a senior over 55 years old, you can shop on Tuesday to get anywhere from 25% off.
  • For military members, students, teachers & first responders: Get 25% off with an I.D at Goodwill of Arizona on Sundays.

The Savers near me also has amazing senior discounts on Tuesday. If you’re a senior over 55 years old, you can get up to 30%. This discount should be available at most of their locations.


7. Find out the best day to make donations.

goodwill donation drop off

If you’ve been avoiding a drop-off at your local Goodwill, now is the perfect time to find out what the best day actually is. At most Goodwill locations, they host special donation days, where you can receive a pretty sweet coupon to use on your next thrifting trip. It’s a win, win – drop off your unwanted goods and received money off when you’re ready to buy something new.

If your store doesn’t have this, you can still ask for a receipt and claim your donations during tax season for a possible write-off if you itemize.

Don’t forget that to check with your local thrift store if they have special donation days too. I know that at the Savers near me, you can snag 20% off any day as long as you drop off clothing or household items.


8. The Savers near me has a rewards program and yours should too. Join it!

a rack of thrift store clothing like the one at the savers near me

If you love thrift shopping at Savers, join their rewards program called the Super Savers Club. Sign up with a valid email address to get exclusive offers. You’ll earn points each time you shop. When you reach 100 points, you can redeem them for 20% off your purchase of up to $100. When your birthday rolls around, you’ll get a coupon for 20% off a purchase of up to $50.

Bargain Hunt is another discount store that has a rewards programs, birthday coupon, and they give you 20% off if you sign up for emails.


9. Visit a thrift store in an upscale town to find a great deal on expensive items.

coach and jimmy choo designer bags like the kind you can find at the savers near me

If you visit a secondhand store in a ritzy area, you can often find designer clothing and other goods for an amazingly low price. Some of these items may even be barely used! Keep an eye out for high-end materials like hardwood, leather, and woven goods.

If you live in a small town, you might be in luck too. Check out your local thrift store, because sometimes they ship in goods from larger cities and that merchandise might just be an expensive brand name.

If you find a piece of vintage piece of clothing but aren’t sure what it’s worth, visit the Vintage Fashion Guild to get an idea.


10. Pick up Target’s last season merchandise at stores like Dirt Cheap.

dirt cheap receipt obtained while thrifting

Word on the street is that Target has moved its clearance items to liquidation stores and secondhand shops. Look for last season’s Target products at stores like Dirt Cheap, Bargain Hunt, and Goodwill. If you browse the aisles, you might just find some of these modern products for super low prices.


11. Double check your items before you buy.

wooden leaf puzzle like the kind you can buy when thrifting or at the savers near me

Don’t waste money on products that won’t work or are missing necessary parts. Test the electronics to make sure they power on and always double check your games and puzzles to make sure all the important pieces are there. Also, give clothing and glassware a glance in the light to make sure you didn’t miss a chip, crack, or tear.


12. Expect the unexpected when thrift shopping.

golf clubs at goodwill thrift store similar to the ones you might find at the savers near me

There’s definitely a unique collection of goods at every Goodwill or thrift store. However, there are goods you may not realize could be there – and for super cheap! You can likely score great deals on pricier sports equipment like golf clubs. I spotted these golf clubs at a secondhand store near me.

new mattress at goodwill

One of the best items to buy when thrifting is furniture. You can’t beat the price and you can always paint wooden furniture to give it new life. You can even find brand new mattresses if you’re in the market for a new bed! They started at just $169 for a twin-sized new mattress.

Also, give those older items a good look. Some of the statues and vintage dolls might just be worth a pretty penny! Check in the pockets of clothing too! You might just find find other goodies hidden inside.


13. Make friends with the employees.

designer coach fanny pack found at a thrift store similar to the savers near me

If you love thrifting, it pays to chat with the thrift store owner and employees. Want a new Coach bag? Let them know! Not only will you gain some new friends, but they might just alert you if they receive something good.


Want to see some of my latest Goodwill thrift store finds?!

goodwill shopping haul

Not only did I score a Pyrex vintage bowl for cheap, but I also found some beautiful white porcelain basket weave plates for around $1 each! This handmade wood cutting board is gorgeous and will be perfect to build a cheese and cracker board. At just $6 it was a nice find as well!


Check out more thrift store hauls and items I’ll always look for at thrift stores!


About the writer:

Lina has a Bachelor's Degree from Northern Arizona University with 11 years of blogging and photography experience having work featured in Today.com, Martha Stewart, Country Living, Fox News, Buzzfeed, and HGTV.


Join The Discussion

Comments 110

  1. J.H.509

    Our area is full of ropa usadas “used clothing” stores. You can buy mystery pallets packed with items. And all these stores sell by the pound. The only thing is that they don’t have air conditioning and it’s 100 degrees here still. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    • mary

      My son is q thrifter He actually bought a case of vintage ts frome someone who does the legwork and then resold!

  2. Sarah D.

    Our Goodwill stores do not follow any of these “rules”, unfortunately. First place I have lived that the Goodwill stores have been so different. First, they are called GCF (Goodwill Community Foundation, I think) and they are still found on Goodwill’s website, but they look different to other Goodwill stores in other areas. All similar items are priced the same and I have not ever seen any sales. No 50% off days, no color tag sales. I live in Wake County, North Carolina, and I have no idea why the Goodwill stores here are so different.

    • Caran Smith

      Sarah D., I was thinking the exact same thing! I’m in Orange county, NC and have NEVER seen ANY of the sales, coupons, freebies, etc. listed above. Our Hillsborough store just started accepting debit/credit cards about 6 months ago. It’s so frustrating to see the different ways to save and have no store nearby that participates. Ours is the same-no tags. All blouses are a certain price, all dresses are a certain price and on and on.

      • MommySpendsLess

        Our Florida stores switched over a few years ago. Consider yourself lucky. On one hand, it’s nice because things are now grouped by size, not just color, but with individual pricing it’s much harder to find a great deal. I like buying preowned jeans because they’re usually in good shape and I prefer premium brands but I’m not willing to spend $200 on a pair of jeans. It was once $7 for any pair of pants, now nicer brands can easily be $20. That’s still not bad for Paige or Hudson jeans compared to Poshmark or eBay but a lot more effort.

        We have 50% the color of the week but it seems to rotate so they can clear out the stuff that’s been sitting there for weeks so it’s rarely anything too exciting.

        I’m almost positive the bowls and gorgeous cutting board in the post would be double the price at any of my local stores.

    • Crystal

      Rowan and Cabarrus NC counties are the same. Maybe it’s a North Carolina thing.

      • joni

        They never have any deals at the one in New York either. everything is over priced. Often stained or torn and they will not even lower the price on things that are in bad shape. I tried to give Goodwill a chance several times but the prices are cheaper at Macys when things are on sale. Many thrift stores in my area are non-profit and are great. Goodwill is for profit and very badly run.

      • mckeeversmom

        I believe each area has their own “rules” for how they sell items. For example, in Florida where I winter they have senior day and books are always 50 cents. In Michigan where I summer there’s no such thing as senior day but they have student day and books have color stickers which means they’re always priced individually but half off when the sticker matches the color of the week for 50% discount.

      • Gina G.

        Here in Caswell County NC they will have an occasional sale but not that many.

      • E

        NC doesn’t but the goodwills by my family in CT all have 50% off color tag days. It’s got to be a regional thing.

    • marialeoto

      we used to have color tags,and they stopped it last year,,fairport ny

    • Materof6

      We just moved from Cary, NC and I totally agree! Very different from other Goodwills…they didn’t carry books and other items either. Dorcas ministries in Cary has a great thrift store, and it’s next door to Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore…I’ve found some great pieces of odds and end furniture in there for kids’ rooms!

      • mary

        Enjoy Cary! My son worked there for 2 months loved it!!

  3. Rae

    We have so many thrift shops where I live with lots of bargains (many with beautiful inexpensive clothing, and great priced solid wood furniture pieces) but Goodwill is by far the most expensive: worn out clothing actually priced at what you could buy it new, even with the 50% off it’s not worth it for used clothing. I was surprised because I lived in another area a few years ago where you could find great deals at goodwill.

    • Denise

      Rae I have to agree with you on everything you said. I find the same thing at our local goodwill. I go into the store from time to time to see if there are any changes but I never walk out with a single item

  4. Mary

    The goodwill in my area has everything $1.99 and kids 99¢ all the time. I can usually find a couple nice items but a lot is junk. There is another large thrift store nearby but they’ve raised their prices insanely amounts over the last few years. Most items can be purchased brand new for less than the thrift store. Truly vintage clothing is fun to search for and usually my go to at thrift stores.

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      Thanks for letting us know what the stores are like near you!

  5. Myrah

    My Goodwill store doesn’t have those “sales” either. The only thing they do is have 40% off their color tags. AND their senior and military discount is 10% off every Wednesday.

  6. Amy

    I loved the goodwill by ft Campbell Kentucky I shopped there all the time and always came home with great finds but since moving ‘home’ non of the goodwills do any of the savings and everything is over priced with very little to choose from and sadly the other thrift stores and consignment sales have been doing the same, now to find a deal it’s yard sales or fb marketplace…I miss the hunt of a goodwill sale and the treasures I would find

  7. Sarah

    I love my local goodwill! Dollar days are Sundays and Mondays for the colored barb from the week before and the new color barb for the week is 50%, so your chances are good that you will find something at either a dollar or half off! I shop nearly every Sunday! Plus they have been doing “bounce back” coupons…a coupon for $5 off a $20 purchase valid the following weekend on the bottom of your receipt…pair that with the Sunday dollar deals and I often score awesome items! My most recent exciting purchase was a beautiful form fitting burgundy Calvin Klein wool peacoat – for a grand total of $1! Plus, I have a goodwill discount card and it was my birthday month, so I got an extra 30% off one purchase, bringing the peacoat down to .70! Ps. I am in Maine and this seems to be consistent at all of the Goodwill locations in my area!

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      Wow! That’s awesome, Sarah! Thanks for taking the time to share with us!

  8. EH

    I wish Goodwills would give you a coupon when you donate! There have been many times that things are priced so high, that I could not afford to buy what I have donated! I used to go a lot, but now rarely do. I don’t get their pricing. I can buy new at our Ross’ and online what they charge for used things. I donate now to a local thrift store that supports battered and homeless women.

    • Cherish

      Ours does!

  9. Sarah

    I do love our Goodwills and actually get a large portion of our family clothes there. But we don’t have percent off days or color tag sales. We do get sent text coupons every other Tuesday, usually 10-20% off. I am in Michigan.

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      How cool! Glad you have been able to grab some great deals!

    • Vanessa

      Hi Sarah, which part of MI are you in? I’m in SE MI and we mainly have Salvation Army around here. there are Goodwill locations 40 minutes north of here.

    • Jlynn

      I’m in Michigan also and our goodwills only do the color tag sales on Sunday & Monday’s. Kinda wish they had more sales/deals because being a second hand store, they are very pricey.

  10. deb

    Now we also know they are a franchise.

  11. Nita

    Sherry this is true. Good tip on the Habitat for Humanity!

  12. annie

    Sherry is right on the money with this. very little money goes back into the community. the CEO makes millions, and so do the others on the corporate board.
    I met a woman that works in the goodwill stores, she even told me the employees themselves will pick over the good stuff for themselves. I would donate to Salvation Army, st. Vincent DePaul or anyone else before I would donate to the goodwill, it’s a racket. Its a business like anything else, for profit and not the for the best interest of the community.

    • Yvonne

      Hmm… i think this is anywhere honestly. I volunteered for Habitat for Humanity retail store and we always had first dibs on donated items. I dont see how it is a big deal if we are paying for it like any other customer.

  13. joni

    I agree with you totally.

  14. suez

    I am an avid Goodwill shopper. I have seen the prices go up and up, I cant tell you how many times there is a price tag still on the item, and gw’s price is higher!! Any time I take an item up that isn’t tagged its double any similar item on the shelf. Its like they know you are interested and try to get more. The amazon book increase ticked me off too. Any book on Amazons best seller list is $2.99 now. Kids books as well. I still go, buy agree try to support local charity shops with donations. Goodwill is in no way a charity!!

  15. Casey Meyers

    The only sale I know my Goodwill has is the color of the week.

  16. Shannon

    We have a GW Boutique store very close to me that I love. They send the nicer women’s clothing to this location and it’s a small and clean store with very nice employees. They have a color tag each week that’s 50% off and often do days of 50% everything in the store. Their prices are great but even better with the sale.
    I also shop at Clothes Mentor which does sales on their clearance a few times per year.

  17. Christina

    I live in Southern WI, my Goodwill has a loyalty program and you earn $5 every $100 you spend. Clothes are usually in decent condition, we have colored tag sales. Last month the store had a back to school sale and clothes, shoes, and backpacks were 15% off. I scored 50% off the blue tags, 15% off on top of that, plus it was triple points day!!

  18. Lani

    All Goodwill’s are different. I previously worked for a Goodwill in Central Texas, and it is Non-profit. As a case worker who provided the services that were funded by the income from the stores, I got to see exactly how impactful the services were. Again, not all Goodwill’s have as extensive of services. But before denouncing them, check in with your local Goodwill about the programs they offer. Sure, our CEO easily made six figures, but, as was pointed out to me, that’s significantly less than a CEO in any for profit company would earn. Bottom line, do some research before deciding if your local Goodwill is “worthy”.

  19. Shannon

    I agree. I’ve seen used shoes priced at $19.99. Really?! I’ve bought brand new shoes at kohl’s for less than $5.

  20. Juliana McMillan-Wilhoit

    Let’s be clear, the Goodwill stores are not OWNED. Its a non profit. The things vary by region which is how GoodWill is organized.

  21. CJ

    I love thrift shopping but it’s definitely hit or miss…with Goodwill or any other. Thankfully I have a large Goodwill near me that’s pretty good. They have the weekly 1/2 off a color, a loyalty program & 1/2 off the whole store once/month sale. I’ve gotten some good deals there and the employees have always been nice. The one where my mom lives is ridiculously over priced, has no sales or loyalty program & rude employees.

  22. Walker

    The Goodwill here in Downtown Sand Diego doesn’t do the tag color of the week, but I can’t complain with my Military discount though.

  23. tracy

    I live in Kentucky. All the central KY Goodwills are overpriced and never have “sale” days. I disagree with Goodwill receiving free inventory and giving VERY little back to the community except a few minimum-wage jobs. Yet the CEO makes $millions. I give all my donations to our Humane Society thrift store which is completely run by volunteers and 100% of the profits goes to saving local animals. Its good to support local charities, they have no CEO.

  24. patricialavenz-goff

    We do have the tag clearance but that is about all. Everyday a tag is on sale.

  25. patricialavenz-goff

    I have never seen a handicapped person working at any of our goodwill’s. Their job training is a joke. I know several people that talked to them and they were sent to other places. We do donate our electronics to them as they are easier to donate to than find somewhere to donate them to. they do have electronic recycling once or twice a year in Little Rock but it is so busy and it takes hours to drop things off. Long lines always.

  26. Beverly

    I have a Goodwill Clearance Center withing walking distance of my house here in Pennsylvania, and the more you buy, the less you pay per pound. I often go with a friend and we combine our purchases to get the discount and then split the cost (and share the savings).

    Also, if you have an MCC Thrift Shop nearby, I’d highly recommend it! The ones near me have great sales and quality items. https://thrift.mcc.org/mcc-thrift-shop-locations

  27. Nita

    Good points R2.

  28. Amanda H.

    Here in Nebraska the clothing will be marked down to $.49 or $.99 depending on the color of tag that week starting on Mondays. I’ve gotten some pretty good bargains!

  29. Julie D.

    A friend of mine was in a wedding and had to buy a black suit coat. He complained about the cost and we were at lunch practically across the street from a Goodwill. We went there and I found him a suit coat for $10. He was deliriously happy.

  30. Tina9222

    I don’t do much shopping at our goodwill store last time my dog broke a bunch of my Corning Ware and I went there to replace them all for 2-5 bucks,.But every Wednesday there are 4 colors that are half off,so lots of great things, in another stores 45 minutes from here there’s only sales on certain things but not 4 color sales on Wednesday.

  31. renae

    My stores also give a discount to college students!

  32. Diana

    I love goodwill!!! My mom goes weekly here in vegas and finds really great stuff! High end stuff. One location she goes to a woman in her Bentley donates her handbags so her husband will buy her more 😯. She finds me great buys! 🙂

    • Patricia Goff

      I had a neighbor like that when we were stationed in Missouri. She used to clean out her things and put them on my porch for me so that she could go shopping again. Got some lovely things from her. Sadly I ended it all when I told her that she could take it to the base thrift store and make money for her stuff. She was not a walmart shopper. She did the high end stores. LOL She was in the Army along with her husband and drove a sports car. She always got my husband to fill up her gas tank when her husband was in the field. She was a spoiled brat. LOL I got some beautiful clothes, crystal, dishes, jewelry, and other things before I let my mouth speak and end it. LOL

    • Candy72

      What area in Vegas may I ask? I’m in Vegas quite often visiting family and would love to check that out!

  33. Sara

    Baton Rouge stores only have senior day on Wednesday. It is only 15%. It was this way when I moved here, but at some point it went to every day. Now it’s back to just Wednesday. They have the color tag of the day or week(don’t know which). The tag is for 50% off. None of the employees are visibly disabled. All shirts are $3.99 unless specially marked. All jeans are $5.99 unless specially marked. Specially marked is usually code for designer clothing. Clothes are organized by color instead of size. It’s annoying and my arms get really tired from the repetitive motion. For jeans, I look at the wash first. I prefer dark wash. Then I check the tag for my size. I only pull it out if it meets those criteria.

    The thing the stores do that bugs me the most is their purse pricing. All purses are $3.99 unless otherwise marked. That isn’t the problem. The problem is that they will price a reusable shopping bag at $3.99, even if it still has the original price tag showing that it was $1.

  34. Beth

    Thanks to Hip2Save, I get my family’s clothes brand new for cheaper than Goodwill prices!!! In Michigan they don’t have the tag sales by us anymore, so that’s when I stopped going to Goodwill. However, the clearance centers are awesome!

  35. Beckie

    I’ve been a thrift store shopper since I was a kid. A few years ago I started shopping at the outlet stores where you pay by the pound and reselling items online. It’s not glamorous but it pays for some extras for my family like piano lessons, going out to the movies, etc.

  36. Mebadeb

    We have a lot of thrift stores here in metro Atlanta. My daughters and I enjoy checking them all out. One of them found a beautiful prom dress for $1.50 at one of the last resort type thrift stores. I recently found a Vitamix at Goodwill for $19!! I also found a Babylock sewing machine with the needle threader there for $20. Our stores do have 50% off color of the week but not sure about the other specials. You never know what you’ll find.

  37. MommySpendsLess

    The ones in Central Florida that I’ve been to changed to sorting by sizes a few years ago. They changed POS systems and every item is individually tagged with a bar code (no more employees guessing whether it’s a kids or adult item). They still color code the paper tags for the 50% off color the week. The sizing system isn’t perfect – for example womens pants size 00 thru 8 are often all considered “small” but it helps a lot! Maybe yours will do the same soon?

  38. Sara

    I am in Greensboro, NC. Our Goodwill also gives teachers and students a 105 discount every Tuesday. We also have Discount cards we can buy for $15. Then use it all year to get 10% daily and double discount day at the end of the month. I use to work in the training part of Goodwill, I was a computer teacher for them. I trained people with disabilities on computers. The money is not for profit. Yes, the CEO makes a lot of money, but what CEO doesn’t in a large company. The money for the stores goes to job training. It’s a great program. Most people just don’t know about it, because you have never had to use their services.

  39. Happy Aunt

    We have a variety of thrift stores in my area that support several great causes. I will shop at GW, but I tend to choose other places to donate my items to. I know the system well enough to know that GW receives government funding to train some of their employees, but it isnt advertised. I find it misleading when this info feels hidden from the public and they tell you how dependent they are on sales to cover the training costs instead. You may not see many people with visible disabilities on the floor, but they are more likely to be in the back sorting and tagging donations. The largest provider of persons with disabilities in my area has their own thrift store as well. They do the same things. I’m open to shopping wherever I am able to get a good deal, but when it’s time to donate, I prefer places like the homeless shelters. Theres been a definite uptick in pricing at all thrift stores over the past 5-10 years as thrift store shopping has become more widely accepted and popular.

  40. Joy

    I love our Rescue Mission’s Thrifty Shopper stores. 80% of my work wardrobe comes from here. I try to buy NWT stuff or stuff that is NWOT. Have gotten lots of brand new or barely worn shoes here as well. Each week two colored tags are 50% and 70% off clothing. And all through August teachers get an extra 25% anything in store except the sale colored tag clothes.

  41. Shannon

    Post in your local Facebook group if u need donations.

  42. osy

    I’m in San Diego and I noticed how outrageously expensive some of the items are at our local Goodwill. I’ve been going to Salvation Army now. They have the color coded discounts and most of the time they’ll give you a 25-50% off coupon at checkout for your next visit

  43. Angelica

    I like to shop on the goodwill online. I find some pretty great deals on the website. I’m addicted and I check it every day.
    https://www.shopgoodwill.com

    • Jamie

      Me too 🙂

    • Yvonne

      I like shopgoodwill.com too but the shipping for certain items is just crazy.

      • Edith dannemiller

        Only shop for local items and pick up in person.

      • Veronica.

        Ask if they offer combined postage. And request a combined invoice.

  44. Ann Stokman

    Excellent tips!

  45. Rebecca

    I prefer thrift shopping because I can get better quality stuff (J Crew, LL Bean, etc.) than Walmart, and I like the idea of reusing clothing that’s still in good condition. It’s also the thrill of the hunt because you never know what great stuff you’re going to find! It is hard sometimes though, because you can’t trust sizing – you never know what’s been shrunk or stretched out so everything has to be tried on.

  46. Rebecca

    I prefer thrift shopping because I can get better quality stuff (J Crew, LL Bean, etc.) than Walmart, and I like the idea of reusing clothing that’s still in good condition. It’s also the thrill of the hunt because you never know what great stuff you’re going to find! It is hard sometimes though, because you can’t trust sizing – you never know what’s been shrunk or stretched out so everything has to be tried on.

  47. SaraJT

    I love shopping at my local Goodwill store. The town I live in isn’t the biggest so this particular store gets a lot donations from Target of all kinds of items. During my pregnancy I was able to find almost all of my baby stuff here for super cheap. All brand new items in their packages from target such as vibrating seat, swing, bath tub, potty training chair, Carter’s clothing, jumper, baby carrier, car seat covers, etc. I was even able to stock up on boxes of baby wipes and baby diapers of all sizes! I’m so grateful for this store. I don’t think I could have paid full price for everything at Target. No need for coupons here 🙂

  48. Erica

    My local goodwill stores do not have $1 days, we have 50% off one day a month and its a mad house. Things are so overpriced, $5 for jeans $3 for kids, $8 dresses…its gotten ridiculous. I can go to the TJ Maxx or Walmart clearance aisles and get new stuff for the same price if I look often enough.

  49. Patricia Faulks

    I am glad to know that they have goodwill online shopping I like shopping online.

  50. Patricia Faulks

    I love shopping online at goodwill

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