Thrifting Tips & Tricks ; Get the Best Deals/Finds + $20 Credit!

 I love fashion but I'm on a very tight budget, so I look for the best deals meaning I thrift shop often. Most of my clothes are from Goodwill or from online thrift stores. I watch watch a lot of thrift hauls on youtube and I'm always envious of other girls finds and for the longest time I wished I could find good finds as well because I rarely did but recently I've started finding amazing items so I thought I'd share some tips I've been using to do so.

Tips for In Store Thrifting ;

1. Wear comfy clothes so that when you try stuff on its easy and not so much of a hassle. I don't always do this and I always regret it. You don't want to have to take 10 layers off to try something on.

2. Be prepared to spend time in the thrift store, when I go to Goodwill I'm there for at least 2 hours. I personally like to look at everything that I can so I don't miss something amazing, especially from my favorite sections.

3. Go through other sections, most people only stick to their sections but I always skim through the kids and the mens, sometimes the workers misplace items or customers move them so you never know what you'll find plus I've found some amazing  graphic shirts in the mens clothing.

4. Try stuff on always, I don't know how many times I've bought stuff and didn't feel like trying stuff on and regretted it. Recently I bought a gorgeous pink cardigan because I knew it would fit but I didn't feel like trying it on and when I got home I tried it on and it looked funny on me, it fit but just wasn't my style.

5. Know your brands, I personally love a good deal and I want my clothes to be good quality so make sure you keep an eye out for your favorite brands. I'm not all about brands but I don't want to buy a used shirt that will fall apart in a few weeks. I only buy cheaper brands when its something super adorable that I just can't pass up.

6. Like it? Put it in the cart, if you see something your iffy about go ahead and put it in your cart. You don't want to leave something on a rack that you're unsure about then later decide you want it and have to try to find it in hopes that someone else didn't.

7. Check your finds, look over everything you've found and decide if you really want everything you picked up and make sure there aren't any stains or holes. I found a gorgeous Michael Kors coat at Goodwill once and when I got home I noticed a hole in the back, now I always scan over my items before purchasing them, better safe than sorry.



Tips for Online Thrifting ;

1. Stay updated, I have a few thrifting apps on my phone and whenever I'm bored I'll browse my favorite brands on them. You never know when you'll see a deal too good to pass up.

2. Follow your favorite brands, most online sites have options where you can make collections or follow brands, be sure to follow your main favorite brands.

3. Check the condition, always check the condition of the items before placing your order. If you're shopping on Poshmark, ask the seller questions. Most sites have the condition or any flaws listed in the description so make sure you check them out before placing your order.

4. Research, make sure you look around before purchasing something. I had been looking for the Free People sweater below for awhile, it retailed for $98, way out of my price range plus its been sold out for awhile now. So I looked on the Poshmark app and the Mercari app, most of the ones I saw was $55+ and I'm not comfortable spending so much on a used item when I could get sooo much more from Goodwill so I held off for awhile then I was bored one day looking up random things on ebay and I found it for $15 + $6 for shipping, so I immediately bought it.

5. Ask yourself, is it really worth it, will you wear it, how often will you wear it. I find myself buying things that I never end up wearing or things that in the end, I don't find to be worth the price. Make sure you really want something before purchasing.

6. Act fast, this contradicts some of the other tips but there are other people out there online thrifting and plenty of people looking for the same things as you, so if you find something you really like add it to your cart. For some sites like Thredup, items go fast so be sure to add anything you like to your cart, you can go back later and remove items you don't want.

7. Know the rules, be sure to read up on the FAQs on the site you're on. On most sites after awhile your cart expires. For example on Thredup after 24 hours your cart will expire and the items you wanted are back up for grabs.


Links/Codes for Free Money ;

Thredup ; Join through my link for a $20 credit (limited time!)  http://www.thredup.com/r/SF7U2A

Poshmark (app only) Use invite code BMSYH for a $5 credit

Mercari (app) Use referral code YYSGQZ for a $2 credit.

Poshmark V.S Mercari

 In this post I will be talking about the apps Poshmark and Mercari. They are selling apps on which you can sell your old clothing to make extra cash or buy clothes, I've used both to buy and sell so I will be speaking from my experience. I've also sold on other sites such as ebay, etsy, and I've even had a facebook shop but now I only sell on Poshmark and Mercari.

  Pros ;

Poshmark ;

- flat rate shipping fee of $5 unless the item is 6+ pounds.

- people can follow you to see updates in your shop.

- when you refer someone you get a $5 credit which you can get up to 5 times.

- you can shop from you pc on Poshmark.com

Mercari ;

- shipping starts at $3 unless the item is heavy then you can raise shipping to another option ($7 or $15) also you choose whether you pay for shipping or the buyer pays.

- you make all profit on your items, there are no fees.

- when you refer someone you get a $2 credit.

- you can sell almost anything on there, womens, mens, kids clothing, electronics, and more.

Cons ;

Poshmark ;

- there are fees $2.95 for orders under $15 and 20% on $15+

- most buyers don't like the $5 shipping rate.

- you can only sell womens clothings, shoes, & accessories.

- you can't list items from your pc, it has to be done on the app.

Mercari ;

- the customer service is not the best but they normally figure any problems out.

- you can't make advertising posts.

- they are very strict with their rules.

- it's only available in app form, you can't go to a site on your pc.

 Now I personally love both sites to buy and sell on. I sell all my heavier items on Poshmark because of Mercari's shipping fees. I sell small/cheap items on Mercari. I buy from both sites but lately I've been liking Mercari more to buy from because sellers price the items cheaper since there are no fees.

A few warnings when buying from either app always ask if there are any flaws (stains, holes, etc) on the item before purchasing, also make sure you're not getting ripped off, alot of ladies buy clearance items from store to resale for so much more and they even put the retail value at a higher price to make you think you're getting a good deal, try researching certain items before buying them. I've noticed alot of people do this for brands like Victoria's Secret and Brandy Melville.

Now for my referral codes to get you free credits on both apps!

Poshmark ; After you've downloaded the app use referral code BFUPM for a $5 credit.

Mercari ; Use the code YYSGQZ for a $2 credit on the Mercari app.