Greetings! In response to y'all asking for tips, here are mine, as a long-standing charity shop volunteer, chief clothes sorter, vintage diva and all-round cheapskate...
- Little and often. Keep an eye out for what is good, don't be focused only on what you need.
- Find out which day in the week the charity shop you like changes their stock, and attend accordingly. They will change the day every now and then to fox you.
- The quality of the stock depends on the area not the name of the shop. It's not just the local donations from the naice houses; big chains - eg Cancer, BHF - deliver stock appropriate to that area.
- And now the reverse: the pricing of the stock depends on the name of the shop not the area. Big chains have price lists to follow, independents do their own thing. Eg BHF are hideously expensive, Sally Army dirt cheap. This means that the same pair of boots, say, will be 30 quid in BHF and 4 in Sally Army.
- If you really can't afford something, ask for a discount. As someone who works for charity, this annoys me, but I get it and so do most decent people. I always give them.
- Focus on flicking through the types of garments you wear, not the whole shop. Dresses and knitwear are always good, as are shoes.
- Never buy old tee shirts or trousers. FGS. HM/Primark cheaper. What you want are clothes that have been discarded because they have only been worn once, not because they are knackered. Sounds obvious, but you'd be amazed.
- Occasionwear is cracking, much better than everyday clothes usually. The discards/never worn tend to be: dresses, jackets, smart stuff & shoes.
- Never spend more than a tenner on an item: beyond that, it's real money. I won't do it.
10. Wash it when you get home. A lot of shops don't steam their stock any more, so it needs refreshing. And relax...