Questions to Ask When Thrifting
I’m sharing some of my own finds with you and the thrifting questions to ask when considering whether to buy piece.
Thrifting saves money if you do it right $$
I grew up thrifting and have come to love the hunt that it is. Sure it can be discouraging if you’re not finding what you’re searching for but that makes the find all the better when it does happen! For example, I had my eye on an expensive and popular cookbook and coffee table book for a year or two. I always glanced for them in the book section of any store and this past year I found both books! Instead of spending a total of $80 or more, I spent just $6! What a difference!
On the other hand, just because something is cheap doesn’t automatically mean you should buy it. Whether an item is new or used, it is all too easy to buy more than we need. If you want to cut down on clutter and save money, consider adopting the following three questions.
3 Questions I ask before buying
I always like to have a list on my phone or in my mind before going thrifting. If I’ve already thought through what I’m needing in my home or closet, I can be more intentional in the store to go to those sections to look first. And I’m far less likely to get distracted by good finds in categories I wasn’t even looking for or needing. The questions below help ensure I make wise decisions with the items I find.
Thrifting Question 1. Can I afford this?
Rarely is a thrifting decision going to break the bank, but it’s important to think wisely about all of our purchases. Often times, we are thrifting because we’re on a budget so keeping our limits in mind will help us make wise decisions.
Often, our answer to this question will be yes, of course I can afford the $2.50 t-shirt. Well that’s where the next two questions come in to help you further decide. Because if you don’t need that t-shirt or have plenty of room for yet another one, you can save those few bucks and put it toward that bigger item you’re actually needing and keep your closet a little neater.
Thrifting Question 2. Do I need this?
It’s important to be honest when asking this question. You’ll find no lack of good deals or nice items to buy. So asking this question can help you to not accumulate more than you intend to! Recently when thrifting, I found a clothing piece that looked brand new and I liked. I felt conflicted on whether to buy it or not as I already had something really similar. So I put the item in my cart to think it over since it wasn’t incredibly cheap. I continued to shop and kept thinking through if it was a needful or superfluous item to buy. Once it was time to check out and I had acquired other items I was needing and looking for, I came to the conclusion I didn’t need the clothing piece after all. And I felt relieved about that.
Taking the time to think through your decisions can be the difference between money invested or wasted, happiness or regret.
Thrifting Question 3. Where will I put this?
This is a very needful question to ask ourselves when considering to purchase something. Is there room in our closet or drawer for those jeans and sweater? Is there space for that furniture piece or is it going to cramp my space? Do I have enough space for another throw blanket or am I just unwilling to pass a good find? It’s needful to purge those things that don’t serve us anymore for whatever the reason. And finding replacements is just fine so long as we’re not only accumulating.
When we buy aimlessly simply because we like a thing, it doesn’t actually bring value to our lives.
Does thrifting lead to more clutter?
The answer to this will vary because it’s very possible for an avid thrifter to clutter their home unnecessarily. When you find an item you don’t need but is ridiculously cheap, how do you say no?
I’ve had plenty of thrifting regrets over the years. Things I thought I really wanted in the store only to regret once I was home. So I’ve developed discipline in thinking through purchasing decisions and now consistently use the three questions above to help me. It is possible to enjoy thrifting while placing restrictions on yourself and therefore not collecting clutter. And if saving money is a key factor in our thrifting, it’s imperative we use the three questions to make good decisions.
The problem with inventory
It’s important to remember that the more inventory you own, the more time it will require of you. If your surfaces are cluttered, cleaning around them will take more time. If your closet is full to the brim, it will be difficult to put clothes away and laundry may become an ongoing headache. And don’t believe the lie that the “stuff” being out of sight means it’s out of mind. The things we own are for our benefit not the other way round. So do yourself the favor of not over purchasing when it comes to thrifting.
If you’re wanting more resources about dealing with clutter, I talk more about this concept, especially as it pertains to our closets, here.
I hope to share more on thrifting in the future so let me know if there’s anything in particular you’d like to hear about. Until then, happy thrifting, friends!
