Btw, if you are a fan of country music and have never seen Luke Bryan live, I HIGHLY recommend going to his show. Not only because he's basically the sexiest thing alive, but because he is one of the best stage performers I have ever seen in my life. His energy on stage is contagious. His accent carries so smoothly. And just, overall sounds very close to his studio work. Definitely a must see.
With that said, let's move on..... SHOPPINGGGGGGG :) :) :)
I love shopping, I do. But I hate spending money. Kind of a oxymoron, eh? Not when you know how to pop tags and make the most of secondhand shops!
There seems to be a negative stigma attached to consignment shops and especially to thrift stores; some people think it's old, dirty used items they want nothing to do with. But that's not true at all. I often find like new or even brand new items for significantly less than retail stores. It does take patience, but it's definitely possible to find some amazing deals.
To be honest, unless it's something I absolutely NEED and am on a time crunch, I never buy things full retail price anymore. If I'm not shopping consignment or thrift stores, I prefer discount department stores like Ross, Marshall's or TJMaxx. On the rare occasion that I do shop at the mall, I always check clearance racks or use coupons. I think the last item I actually bought from a store without any kind of discount whatsoever was a white dress for my graduation from TCC... last May.
Usually, I go thrifting once a week, either Monday or Tuesday. Monday is military day at CHKD and Tuesday is military day at Salvation Army (20% and 25% off) Also, CHKD Stores do a weekly texting coupon. They send it to you on Monday night and if you show the clerk your phone on Tuesday, you get a 25% off you entire purchase! Sometimes I have to laugh at myself for using discounts at thrift stores, but hey, money is money. And I'm a broke college student, 2-3 dollars off is almost a full lunch from Taco Bell! So, discount days are my favorite. And one of my best secrets when it comes to shopping, maybe one day I'll dedicate a post to sharing the rest :)
This week, I was a little busier than normal... haha. I found a new consignment store AND a new thrift shop while I was out running errands on Sunday. Then stopped by Salvation Army for my regular Tuesday trip.
First up, I Want It All Consignment in Portsmouth. Consignment tend to be a little more expensive than thrift stores, but still way less than retail. This particular store had a pretty nifty system where they have about 6 different colored tags and each week, they pick three and assign a different discount to each (20%, 40% and 50%).
I found this lovely maxi dress. Originally priced 16.99, marked 40% for the week, making the total cost $10. 20. Being 5'2, maxi dresses are either hit or miss for me. Some styles/cuts make me look six inches taller, and some just swallow my petite frame. This one was a go.
Next, Pick 'n' Pack Thrift in Portsmouth. This was my first time at this family run thrift store. It's pretty small so not a huge selection, but really great prices and some really unique pieces.
One of which was this fantastic metalwork wall hanging. It's about 2 feet tall, and it only cost me $5!
I'll be honest, this is probably one of my favorite thrift store finds to date. It's so intricate and unique. I've never seen a piece like it before. I have always loved dream catchers. I had one hanging over my bed when I was little. So this was a must have.
Finally, my trip to Salvation Army in Virginia Beach. The Salvation Army Family Store on Virginia Beach Blvd is one of the biggest thrift stores in my area and one of my favorites. I always find great stuff. Like I said, they do 25% off for military on Tuesday, but they also do a "Color of the Week." They have 5 different colored price tags, and each week they designate one to be 50% off! This week's color was white.
Yes, I am aware it's May and I probably won't wear these for several months, but I love shoes. A lot. These are American Eagle Outfitter, fur lined suede boots. They were priced for $14.99, but were white tag so 50% off, THEN 25% off for military. Final price, $5.60.
There is hardly any wear to the soles, so if they were ever wore, it wasn't more than just a few times. Easily $60 retail, practically brand new for less the cost of lunch. I can dig it.
My other find was this corduroy backpack. $2.99, at 25% makes it $2.25.
Unfortunately one of the straps on this one is broken, but my mom said she's help me set the sewing machine up and get it fixed (one of these days, I will learn how to sew on my own, ha).
That's all I have for now. Like I said, it was a busy week. Usually I just make one trip and find just an item or two, but the two new stores were a special treat. Considering I didn't even break $30 at all three stores though, I would say it was still pretty successful.
Stay tuned next week for more Friday's Finds!
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