Thrift store devotees say you can save tons of money, but you'll have to devote something else: Time.
Teacher and blogger Elissa Stern has been thrifting since college, when getting cute clothes on the cheap was a necessity. We met her at Plaza Thrift at 135 S. Central Expressway McKinney and, within 30 minutes, she found a fur coat for $65 and Hudson jeans for less than $20 (they retail for about $200).
Stern said those new to thrifting should pick one section you're familiar with and stay there, because taking on the whole store can be overwhelming. She also advises to dress in layers, as some stores don't have dressing rooms.
Here's other advice:
- Stores in better neighborhoods often have better finds
- Check with store employees to figure out the best days to shop. Often items may come in on a weekend and be placed on shelves early in the week. Weekends at thrift shops can be a madhouse
- Check store websites for coupons and sale days. Thrift Town, Goodwill and St. Vincent de Paul have sales coming up where you can get extra discounts on already great deals. Plaza Thrift said they have a section of the store with 50 percent off sales each week.
Stern said she invests about an hour each week to check out her favorite shop and it's worth every minute.
"It's like digging for treasure," she said. "Sometimes you get gold. It's an adventure."
