Helpful Hints: Always Think Thrift

If there is one thing I have learned as a mom, it's that shopping for kids can be expensive. But, it doesn't always have to be!

One of the best ways to save money is to ALWAYS think thrift first. First of all, you save money. Second, you save perfectly good things from going into a landfill. and Third, your child is happy without breaking the bank.

Some of the best ways to search for items are
-your local thrift stores, such as Goodwill or Salvation Army.
-garage sales. (you can even look for listings in the local paper that specifically say childrens items).
-flea markets.
-find or host a swap. (a group of parents get together and bring all the things they dont want or need anymore.  everyone takes turns picking things that they want, and whatever is left unwanted at the end can be taken to Goodwill or Salvation Army in hopes that someone else might find use of them).
-craigs list. (great for finding items cheap or even sometimes FREE and close to home).
-ebay. (great place to bid on things that people are looking to get rid of).

Last week, I went with a friend to Goodwill, and i came home with two amazing finds, without even going there with the intention of finding anything!

The first item was an amazing Lite Brite, working lightbulb, and tons of pegs with it. in stores, this Lite Brite is about $18. I got it for $2.25

He LOVES the Lite Brite! it didn't come with paper, but we just used regular black construction paper for it.

The Second thing I found was a Step 2 Easel. This easel is great because it opens from the side instead of the top, and has a little tabletop that folds down while its open. When I bought it, it needed some fixing up, but after a few scrubs, it looked brand new! In stores, this easel is about $70, but I paid $4.99 for it!

This is a view of the tabletop. When I bought it, it was covered in crayon and marker markings, but they scrubbed off completely.

So, because I checked our local thrift store, I spent only $7 on two items that would have cost me around $100 after tax if I had purchased them from a retail store.

I'd say that's definitely worth a trip, even if you don't know what you're looking for!

Do you thrift shop? If so, where are your favorite places? What are some of your favorite finds?

Thanks for reading!