5 Ways To Make Thrifting More Fun

I wrote about thrifting last year, and figured that before this year ends, I should be able to write more about it because it's simply one of the things I love to do! One of the things I want to share with you dear reader is how I think thrifting can be more fun for all of us.

Not that thrifting is not fun at all; it'll always be fun because every visit to the thrift store is unpredictable: you'll never know what you'll find. Sometimes though, it can be quite a chore to go through all the piles of clothing, so when boredom creeps in, you can consider the following:

Thrift With Friends

I usually like to thrift alone, because it can take me hours to find something I really like. Even though everything is cheap, I still do my best to filter out what I know I'll really use, because there's always that temptation to hoard more than what I really need. Thrifting with friends is all the more fun, and equally time-consuming. Nevermind about the time spent though, because it'll be an enjoyable time.

When you thrift together, you get to find pieces that you think may suit them, so you get to add more to their pile. You also get to critique each other, as you ask for opinions on whether a certain clothing piece suits you or not. It's great to have a second opinion on pieces, just make sure that your friends are upfront about their opinions too (or else you might end up buying everything that you show them!). Then there are also the funny statement t-shirts; it's something to laugh about and make fun inside jokes out of them too, especially with witty friends.

Go On A Thrift Challenge

Ever since big personalities have become open about thrifting, lots of others followed suit with admitting that they like to thrift too. And so lots of vlogs and blogs came out with fun challenges to make thrifting more interesting. Here's a few ~

• Dress your friends up - You can get creative and dress each other up, especially if you know each other's style. Or maybe you can experiment and dress them up in a style you think they won't usually try. It's all about experimenting, mixing and matching. 

• Thrift only a certain theme or style - Whether alone or with friends, you can agree on finding pieces of a certain style only. For example, you can stick to only finding vintage pieces, or pieces with loud colors.

• Limit your thrifting budget - You can challenge yourself to buy only $10 worth of clothes, and to see how many pieces you can get!! This is my favorite. I only bring a certain amount of money with me, and I always feel happy whenever I come home with some extra cash because I usually don't go overboard whenever I set a spending limit on myself. Or maybe I'm really just a thrifty/frugal person by default.

Try Out Different Thrift Stores

There are many different thrift stores out there, although I have my favorite ones, it doesn't hurt to try out the ones located in other cities. But just like any thrifting experience, it'll always be a hit or miss; sometimes you'll go home feeling like a champion, and sometimes you'll come out empty handed. How are you going to know though, if you don't try? Trying out different stores will also help you learn about the different kinds of clothes they sell, if they are mostly selling shoes, bags, or even signature brands, you'll know where to go next time.

Listen Intently to the Thrift Store's Radio 

Usually the thrift store radio plays the old songs, or sometimes love stories of different listeners who wanted them to air live (it's called Baranggay Love Stories if ya'll familiar with it hehe). The stories are usually out of this world, well most of the ones I listened to.. there's always so much intrigue, but it adds to the fun while thrifting because it's entertaining. Old love songs are also nostalgic to listen to. Not that I was born in that same era, but these were songs I would hear from when my parents would have it played from way back when I was still small.

Window Shop Before Your Thrift Day

It feels great when you see a similar piece in the thrift store when you just saw something quite like it in the mall. Why settle for an expensive piece when you know you can score it in the thrift store at a better price? You've helped extend the life of a clothing piece, and even helped with the thrift store's cause (if ever there are any in your area.. because here in Manila there's none. I know in the UK there is, though, and that's awesome!).

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I hope reading this entry helped give new ideas for you as you thrift, or inspired you to go out there and thrift! What's your favorite thrifted piece lately?

Photo from Unsplash by Bart Jaillet

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