Thrift Store Shopping Hints

Shopping is fun, but can be a pretty expensive hobby or past time.
Try shopping your local thrift stores.  My favorite is the Deseret Industries (D.I.)
If you are creeped out by shopping in a thrift store, keep a small bottle of hand sanitizer in your purse.
Also, Get over It. The best bargains have to be worked for.
I've put together some ideas that will help you in your Thrift Store shopping.

1:  Patience, you are rarely going to find what you are looking for.  So look for what you are finding.
     It is key to shop your thrift stores regularly.

2:  Keep an open mind.  Look at things with potential, a piece of furniture might be rickety,
     an ugly color or have other blemishes.  These are a gold mine.  If it's clean and needs no
     repairs it's going to cost more.

3:  Keep a list of items that you are looking for in your purse. Write measurements next to anything that
     may need it. When shopping, scan for these items every time you go.  You never know when you will
     hit the jackpot.

4:  Keep a small tape measure in your purse.

5:  Shop the hot spots first.  I go to the "As Is" area first.  It's hard to take it when you see the exact
     thing you want 'In Someone Else's Cart'.

6:  You have to be willing to fix things.  Tighten some screws (I love this one). Check your items over good
     to make sure the problems are minor.  If something is broken or just needs to have the screws tightened.
     A little sand paper and paint will do wonders.  Example: An old dresser might be covered with
     stickers, an ugly color, loose or missing nobs etc. If it's built well, then it is worth the work to tighten
     or replace knobs, do some sanding or stripping, paint or varnish, glue and clamp the bottoms of
     the drawers etc. You can turn an ugly, dirty, rickety dresser that you spent $15 on into
     a beautiful piece of furniture worth over one or two hundred dollars.

7:  Don't buy anything just because it's cheap. Even if it's only a quarter, if you do, it's like throwing
     that quarter in the trash. If you didn't find anything worth while in your shopping, don't feel bad.
     Walking away empty handed is OK, in fact it's great (look at all the money you saved).

8:  If you get something that has something wrong with it that you didn't notice before purchasing the
     item, some stores will let you return for store credit with in so many days.  If not, don't be upset,
     consider it a donation, and remember that it wasn't much $ anyway.

9:  The possibilities are endless, and you never know what you will find on any given day.

10: By all means, Have Fun. It is a blast.

11: Find out if you are one that enjoys shopping alone or with a buddy. Some people want to browse
     at their own leisure, and others might be more comfortable with advice.  I shop differently when
     I am alone, and even one way with one person and another way with a different person.

12: Touch it, pick it up and examine it and see how it feels. (you have sanitizer in your purse for later)
     This is a huge deciding factor on whether something is "worth it" or not.