Thrifting $5000 Worth of Things for $357

SCRAPS #7: a massive kitchen thrift haul and my second-hand shopping tips

Apr 04, 2022

I can’t write a newsletter called “SCRAPS” without including one of my favorite ways to get thrifty: second-hand shopping. I’ve been very vocal about my thrifting habits, it’s the one activity that will get me out of the house, out of a rut, or out of a creative block.

TODAY I’M SHARING WITH YOU A $5000 THRIFT HAUL AND MY BEST THRIFT SHOPPING TIPS, WATCH HERE:

One of the reasons I’m so loud and excited about it now, is because growing up, thrifting wasn’t something cool you’d openly talk about to your friends or classmates, unless you wanted to get bullied. From an early age, I learned to conceal my answers if anyone asked me where I got a thrifted item from. I would never tell them I bought it second-hand, I would always share the brand name and let them search for it wherever they could, lol.

I grew up in a in a small, one bedroom apartment, with a kitchen that would barely fit any guests. I’ve always admired my parents’ capacity to conceal their financial struggles, but the more I look back, the more I realize, thrifting was a necessity for us. Funny enough, it never felt like it. As a child, I always looked forward to our flea market trips, talking and negotiating with vendors and seeing what gems I could find.

Years later, I’m still thrifting and doing my thing. My latest project has been furnishing my empty American kitchen I moved into months ago. It’s been quite a process, but I’m getting there. I’m happy to announce I finally found a dinner table this week, woo!

Here are my favorite thrift shopping tips:

1. THE STORE DOESN’T MATTER

“What store do you thrift at?” is my most asked question when I share my thrifted finds. I’ll give you the most annoying answer, but I really stand by this, the store doesn’t matter. I thrift anywhere from chains like Goodwill, Savers, to small, local no-name thrift stores. They’re all great, and terrible, at the same time. Sometimes you find good stuff, sometimes you don’t. The store itself doesn’t have much influence on what you can find there, it all depends on what donations they receive. I’ve been to stores I bought a bunch of goodies from, then never found anything else ever again, I’ve been to stores where I find a gem every single time I’m there.

2. THRIFT IN RICH NEIGHBORHOODS

While the store doesn’t matter, the neighborhood you shop in has a huge influence on what you can find at a thrift store. If you find yourself in a rich neighborhood, Google search thrift store locations near you, you won’t be disappointed. Think about the people that potentially donate to those thrift stores: a wealthy person cleaning or redesigning their home will give away items like a $2000 marble table or a $700 espresso machine without a second thought. I don’t exclusively thrift shop in rich areas, but when I do, I usually come back with treasures.

3. WHEN TO THRIFT

I wouldn’t consider this a strict rule, more of a friendly suggestion: thrift shop during weekdays if you can. The stores tend to be less crowded, more approachable, and you’ll have lots of breathable aisles to explore by yourself.

Another great time for thrifting is the beginning of the month, or the end of a month. Those are the times people are most likely to move out of their home or rental and donate a bunch of things. You’ll notice a significant flow of donations at your local thrift stores around that time.

You don’t have to thrift every day to find stuff, I usually do it 3 to 4 times a month. Most of the massive hauls you see online are with items purchased over the course of a few months, so don’t get disheartened if you won’t find a dinning table, three stainless steel pans, a set of four ceramic plates and a wine fridge in one thrift shopping trip.

4. SET LOW EXPECTATIONS

Setting low expectations is key! There’s nothing worse than having all these magical ideas of what you will find on your next thrifting session, then showing up home, empty-handed. It’s always disheartening and it makes you lose your desire to thrift. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to plan and think of items you want to find before walking into a second-hand shop, but keep your expectations low to avoid getting disappointed.

I usually go in open minded, listening to a podcast or album, and just stroll through all the aisles. I don’t spend much time in an aisle, I slowly walk through it, and if any colors, patters, or textures pop, I’ll stop and investigate the item.

5. ASK YOURSELF THE FOLLOWING QUESTION

The line between thrift shopping and hoarding is quite fine. To prevent myself from overshopping, I learned to ask myself “do I really need this or am I just buying it because it’s a good deal?”. Believe it or not, this question helps me return over a third of the items in my shopping cart, back on the racks. It’s not a deep, introspective question, it’s a simple yes or no question that helps you set a healthy shopping routine.

6. STAY CONSISTENT AND DON’T GIVE UP

Just like any other thing in life, second-hand shopping requires consistency and perseverance. Okay, thrifting is not that deep! By consistency and perseverance I mean continuing to go thrifting after ten unsuccessful shopping trips. Just because you didn’t find any gems during the first ten times you visited a store, it doesn’t mean you won’t find anything there ever again. Keep searching, don’t be disheartened, enjoy the journey!

SCRAPS