3 charity-shop shopping tips to help you track down those little gems

Hunting through rail after rail of clothes for that perfect item may not be everyone’s cup of tea… 

But with enough dedication and some close attention to detail, you can find so many little gems that would have cost you the earth in another shop. As it is my day off University today, I thought I’d take a little trip out in to Winton high street and have a browse of what the many charity shops have to offer. As a poor University student in my final year, I should not really be shopping… my time should be spent reading up for my lectures and seminars in the rest of the week…. but everybody needs a bit of a treat sometimes, right? All work and no play is bad for us!

As I am a very practised shopper, it did not take me very long to find a bargain hanging on one of the rails in Barnados…

As it is the Autumn season, people are beginning to do the yearly thing of investing in knitwear and big cosy coats and jackets to keep us warm in those cold Winter months. But surprise surprise, these kinds of clothes are the most expensive (more material etc.) and for most of us, not on the top of our list of spending priorities. But if like me, you love the feel of showing off a new item of clothing, then I would definitely recommend a bit of charity shop bargain hunting.

In Barnados, my beady eyes noticed a cosy-looking stripey garment hanging on a rail in my size and I immediately picked it up. You know you’ve found a great bargain in a charity shop when you look at the price and think, “they have definitely priced this wrong, I’d better buy it quickly so they don’t realise and change the price…”
So I tried it on – lucky for me it fitted perfectly – and went and paid for it at the till.

The other wonderful thing about charity shops is that 99% of the time the staff are absolutely grateful that you are making a purchase so you always get a kind smile and a helping hand when needed.

So I walked out with my £4.49 warm snuggly Winter garment and skipped off down the high street.

3 charity shop shopping tips to help you track down those little gems:

• Allow yourself some time – Don’t rush. You aren’t going to find any bargains if you don’t pay careful attention to what you are looking at. There will be items that you like, so keep your eyes peeled and take your time!
• Pay careful attention to the sizes on the hangers. It’s no good finding the perfect item if you then realise that it is not your size – remember you can’t just ask for another size in a charity shop!
• Don’t just visit one shop. There are so many charity shops around, all with different items to offer. 

And remember, if you don’t find what you are looking for that day, go again! The beauty of charity shops is that people take in bags of clothes daily, so you never know what new items have come in!

Peace and Love and charity shops

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