Tag Archives: Smart Shopping

I think it’s safe to say that my sister Candy and I LOVE the Goodwill Outlet AKA The Bins in Austin, Texas as proof by our hours long shopping trips two days in a row! We got so many amazing bargains! We literally found designer purses for $1.39 a pound! You are essentially entering a huge warehouse that is full of blue bins of stuff that you dig through to find items you want to buy and then pay for them by the pound.

Click HERE to see our other Thrift Shop / Yard SaleFinds (Updated Regularly!)

Click HERE to read about our Austin Goodwill trips and see our finds!

I don’t want to downplay the fact that Goodwill Outlets are intense places. It is probably only the most hard core, pirate level thrift shoppers that go there. You literally have to be willing to get a little dirty but with some persistence it’s totally worth it. I makes me not want to shop anywhere else because everywhere else is literally 100x more expensive!

However, there are a few things that can make your shopping trip even better. A little preparation can help you make sure you are getting the best bargains.

Here is the list of what I like to bring to the outlet:

1. Gloves– They don’t have to be heavy duty gloves but it is nice to have your hands covered when going through mountains of stuff.
2. Hand Sanitizer– If you pick up something and you wish you hadn’t, it’s a quick way to wash your hands.
3. A luggage scale– I’ll post the link below but they sell on Amazon Prime for $7 and mine works great for my 50lb suitcase and smaller items too, everything is sold by the pound so sometimes it’s helpful to see what something will cost before you head to the register.
4. A large reusable bag– You want to have your hands free and reusable bags are the way to go. IKEA Bags were the bag of choice at the Austin Goodwill. Note- If you don’t have a bad already this is a great place to grab one. In fact, we often don’t bring our own bags and just grab one while we are there.
5. A tape measure– One problem we were having at the Austin Goodwill was guessing if something would 1. Fit in the car, 2. Fit on a plane.
6. Small Purse/Pockets– If you are going to bring a purse make sure it is over the shoulder and small so that you have your hands free
7. A phone– So that you can take pictures and look up the value of times you might want to sell.
8. Comfortable, closed toe shoes– You will be on your feet the whole time so you want to be comfortable and you also want to protect your feet.

Other Items You Might Want- 

1. A phone band– If you don’t have a pocket to put your phone
2. A stain stick– like the tide togo pens in case you see a mark on a piece of clothing that you really want but don’t know if a spot will come out.
3. SaniWipes– again in case you see a mark on something that you really want but don’t know if you can clean it.
4. A Small Over the Shoulder Purse– like the one above if you don’t have pockets to put your stuff in so that your hands will be free
5. A USB Phone Charger– You might also want a portable charger if you are planning on being there for a long time, if you are as into thrifting as we are you will find that time flies at the outlets

Check back soon to see what we bought on our most recent trip!