The reason I love shopping at thrift stores is the truly amazing deals. I set my budget at $25 for a new-to-me pair of jeans (both my current pairs are one squat away from ripping in the crotch) and came away with eight items for $14.49. She shoots…she scores!
I bought:
- Two baskets for holding fruit and potatoes/onions/yams – $1 each
- A wooden tray for holding garlic and onions – $3
- Two juice glasses – $1 each
- A brick red scarf with brown and creme accents – $1 (I’m still on the fence about this purchase because I can’t tell if it screams “retro” or “grandma”)
- A ring of four measuring spoons – $.49
- A pair of jeans that make my butt look bigger than it is (a plus in my book) – $6
The cool thing is that everything but the scarf was on my list of items to look out for until I found a good deal. I could have paid $10-$15 per basket at Pier 1 Imports or Ikea, $4 a glass at Crate & Barrel, and who knows how much for a new wooden carved tray. Earlier in the day I stopped in at a high-end thrift store and saw used jeans for as much as $70. Ridiculous!
Now to settle the scarf issue. A picture of it is above. Do you think it is retro or grandmotherly? How would you wear it?
Related:
Money Morality: legit to shop at thrift stores?
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price. 
Thrift stores ROCK….so many nice new things there. Salvation Army occasionally has clothing items 10 for$10. GoodWill has 50% off once a month, time/date pending on store manager. Call stores and ask when their sale is !!
One of my favorite uses for scarves is to tie one onto the side of a purse strap, to give it a bit of flair. I think this would look great on a purse that’s cream colored or brown leather. You could also use it in a craft or to decorate something. (Sometimes I’ll use square ones as ‘table cloths’ on a side table or dining-table centerpiece.) Yours is a great pattern so you should be able to find some fun and creative ways to put it to good use!
@Carmen It never occurred to me to dress up my purse. Love it!
I have my eye out for jeans too in the local thrift stores… I like the scarf and it is definitely retro.
I stopped using wrapping paper years ago. I pick up silk scarves from yard sales and thrift stores and use them to wrap gifts. It’s fast, looks cool and it’s recycling. I’m in a thrift store at least 2 days out of the week. I rarely buy anything new.
@Pam Love your wrapping paper idea!!!
Scarves rarely go out of style, but are back in a big way at the moment. They’re great for dressing up a plain top (even tees with jeans) when you don’t want to wear jewelry around your neck. There are several ways to “tie” on the scarf, many of which have been demo’ed on TV, etc. I like wearing them when it’s a bit chilly out, but don’t want to wear a jacket when I’m going out. I have scarves of varying lengths, from down to my knees, to quite short. The one you chose is defintely retro, and can be worn as a sporty or dressy accent.
Definetly RETRO ! Love the color combination. You may also use it as a belt over your jeans.
Bargain Babe,
I share your love for thrift stores…and recently scored 5 pairs of jeans, 4 pairs of dress pants, 2 denim skirts, 2 blazers, a belt, work out pants, and 8 shirts for less than 90 dollars.
This thrift store is close to a large state university and the thing I got were Gap, Banana Republic, American Eagle, Arizona Jeans Co., etc.
I love these thrift store scores! 🙂
@Valerie Holy cow – what a score!!! I wonder if being close to the university helps (a lot of people drop off donations) or hurts (a lot of students looking for deals). You have certainly found a way to take advantage of the situation.
Would all you Frugal Friends kindly post the addresses of these Thrift Shops. Thanks!!! Pauline
There’s a terrific Salvation Army Family Store in Van Nuys. It’s on the east side of Sepulveda Blvd., just south of Victory, and not far north of Costco. Don’t have the exact street address, but it’s close to the car wash.
And I must say I’ve really enjoyed reading all the great ideas for using the scarf!
I think that the scarf is retro and would look great on your purse!! I love thrift stores. My best find was a pair of Chico’s Travelers pants. They usually go for about $79 and I got them for $4.49 in perfect condition!
Which Thrift shop did you get your great buys at? I’m looking for housewares too.
I like to make curtains out of old scarves – sew on some tab tops for hanging, made out of coordinating ribbon, maybe even some beaded trim across the bottom…
You could tie it onto your key ring and make them oh so easier to find! Definitely Retro!!!
Goodwill Industries of Southern California. All items have color coded tags & each week a certain color is 50% off. Sales start on Saturday. You never pay tax & you help provide job training for individuals with disabilities.
I just purchased 2 pairs of Old Navy jeans with the adjustable waist for my 6 yr old for $2.99 each (full price as color was not 50% off) with lots of life left in them. They were not even faded at the knees.
Babies & small children outgrow their clothes. Best place to shop for them especially when on a budget.
it screams RETRO! honestly, the two best places here are the Goodwill & the SalvationArmy tores, sometimes they hve new stuff with price tags still attached. You can make the cutest basket presents, I made a bridal shower basket recently. Another plus..I scored a brand new JCP shirt for 1.97, lilac silk top, good for summer. You neve know whats going to turn up
I bought a purple silk warm up suit for $10.00 less the 10% senior discount at the Goodwill.
I love shopping thrift shops.
I’d have to go with retro-grandmother, leaning more towards the grandmother side of things. Sorry!
Help. I am from Cali but live in Alabama. We have a website called southernsavers.com which matches up coupons with the local grocery ads. Is there a website that can do the same thing for our California stores aka. Ralphs, St. Bros, Vons, ect??? I would like to help my mom back home and this type of website is invaluable. Thanks.