As you probably know at this point I am a huge proponent of thrift shopping in all areas of life. It can save you huge amounts of money while still getting you high quality items to fill your home. So lets get you started thrift shopping for home goods.
In case you missed it I highly recommend reading these hacks for thrift shopping first, they will help you weed out the junk and really find the hidden gems.
Today I want to get a little more specific and talk about thrift shopping for home goods. By this I am talking about kitchen items, decor, electronics etc.
This post may contain some affiliate links. This means I make a small profit from your purchase but at no increased cost to you. Thank you!
Pots and Pans
When shopping for pots and pans don’t settle for just any pot and pan you find. There are a few key things to look at.
Condition
How scratched or dented is it? Dents can potentially be fixed but scratches are a bad signs. Scratched and flaky finish will get in your food which is unhealthy. Scratches in the metal are also more likely to rust which is unhealthy as well. Don’t settle for these. Hold out for new or barely used items which show up often and won’t pose as a health risk for you.
Safety
Another concern is the handles. How hot will they get when you are cooking or are they insulated to protect against heat transfer. Or lake sure you have hot pads at home that you can use to make the post/pan around when it is hot.
Dishes + Kitchen Items
You can find great dishes at the thrift store. Whole sets will cost you less than a dollar an item.
Tip: If you do want new dishes for cheap or you just aren’t loving the selection at your local thrift stores then try the dollar store. They sell surprisingly great quality dishes, band new, for only a dollar a piece. That dollar a piece can add up quickly but it is cheaper than most other stores that sell home goods and dish sets.
Kitchen goods are another thing you shouldn’t settle on. Wait for the items that are in good shape. Every time you visit the store just quickly peruse their selection of kitchen utensils and eventually you’ll find a high quality version of what you’re looking for. People often buy new utensils for a specific recipe only to realize they aren’t going to use it that often.
Electronics
You can find electronics at a steep discount but you have to make sure that the reason someone got rid of it isn’t because it doesn’t work properly. Every thrift store has a designated plug in area where you can test items.
I also recommend bringing a small zip lock bag filled with a variety of common battery sizes in your purse. This way you can also test out battery run items before bringing them home as well.
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Fake Plants
I love having plants around but real plants can be pricey especially when you tend to kill them as often as I do. Between traveling on a regular basis and forgetting to water them even when I am home its better for us all that I just stick to fake plants.
I have gotten all my plants second hand and there are a few things to note.
Plants get thinner the older they are. Over time they lose the occasional leaf or branch. Find a plant that is bushy and full and hasn’t lost too many pieces yet.
The second thing is that plants get DIRTY. They are covered in dust and grime that hasn’t been cleaned off in ages. I am ok sitting down to a TV show and cleaning it off but it does take a while.
Pillows
Throw pillows are such an easy way to change the look and color scheme of a room without spending large amounts of money. There are always tons of pillows at thrifts stores in my experience too.
To clean them you can either find pillows with removable covers that are easy to clean or you can clean pillows themselves by putting them in your washer and dryer. Thats right you can put pillows in the washer, this article on wikiHow explains how.
If you are worried about lice you can put them in trash bags, tie them up and leave them like that for a few days. Any unlikely lice that made it that far will die.
Decorations
Last up in thrift shopping for home goods is decorations! This would be anything from holiday decorations to artwork. For most people these items stay on shelves and are hardly ever touched which means they are in great shape when they are donated.
Most damage happens after donation during sorting and when on display. If you like an item that is damaged but you still want it ask for a discount at checkout! Most second hand shops will give you one and you can save even more money.
Thrift Shopping for Home Goods
Well there you have it, all the best areas of home goods to buy from thrift stores to save you money and still improve your home! Are there any categories I forgot?
