not too long ago i shared how i save a buck & shop within our budget for clothing. you can read my affordable style blog post right here.
a big part of saving money within our family is thrifting & shopping secondhand.
on my days off, i love grabbing a cup of coffee & heading to the thrift shop.
this isn’t the case for my husband, though.
he appreciates my willingness to work within our budget, but he isn’t a shopper. he likes looking put-together & he has strong opinions about what he wears, but he would prefer to shop only a couple of times a year for what he needs.
last weekend, we stopped by goodwill on our way home & found his complete fall wardrobe for under $50. you would be so surprised at what you can find in the men’s area at your local thrift shop!
today i thought i’d share what we found on our goodwill trip & tips on shopping secondhand for the men in your life.
1. shop together! my husband can get overwhelmed with the aisles of disorganized clothing at the thrift store. we make it a date & scan the rows of clothing together. it makes shopping feel more manageable for my husband & it feels like quality time for me.
2. don’t shop brands, shop fit. if you’re a newbie thrifter, you will be shocked at the variety of brands you’ll find at the thrift store. while shopping for my husband, we found clothing from target to ralph lauren. we purchased button ups from dockers, merona, aeropostale & ralph lauren. it doesn’t matter the brand as much as the fit & cut.
3. shop for basics, too. i often find basics at the thrift store for my husband. while on our trip to goodwill, we purchased two brand spankin’ new white hanes tees for $2.50 each. he needs just a couple at a time so it was much more affordable than buying a large pack at the store. i’ve also found patagonia long underwear, american apparel plain tees & wool socks at the thrift for my hubby.
4. keep a list of needs & sizes in your wallet. this applies for the whole family. always keep a list of needs & your family members’ sizes in your wallet. when arriving at the thrift shop, pull out your list & keep an eye out for those key items. this will keep you focused & less forgetful. although some thrift shops don’t accept returns, goodwill allows exchanges & store credit. yay!
so, here’s our breakdown of cost from our fall shopping trip for him:
7 collared, button-up, long sleeve shirts at $4 each = $28
2 pairs of jeans at $5 each = $10
2 white v-neck tees at $2.50 each = $5
grand total = $43
do you shop secondhand for the men in your life? i’d love to read your tips & tricks for saving a buck at the thrift shop!
also, check out my top tips for thrifting home decor & furniture.
love,
natalie