This past week, I got some great deals, including two name brand designer shorts with tags still on for 75 cents, a new fleece-lined ski jacket for a dollar, and a set of Spider Man sheets for a dollar. How did I do it? I shopped at a Goodwill Outlet store and applied some money saving tips.
There aren’t very many Goodwill Outlet stores around, but there should be enough to find one within your area, as long as you are willing to do a little driving. For me, the closest Goodwill Outlet store is in Lancaster County, which is a little bit of a drive, but worth the trip. Do an online search and see if there are any of these stores near you.
There is very little organization at a Goodwill Outlet store. Clothes, linens, hats and bags are all thrown in bins, although some effort is made to separate them by broad category. Toys are thrown into large refrigerator boxes and can be hard to retrieve, so ask for help if you need it.
Household items, shoes, books, videos, etc., are usually displayed on shelves around the perimeter of the store. I usually start with taking a quick walk around, because viewing the items here is easy.
Next, start attacking the bins. Since other shoppers usually start at the front and work their way back, I suggest you do the opposite. Most people either get tired of shifting through the bins or run out of time to look, so they leave before they can get to the back bins.
If you find a single part of a set, such as a cardigan for a twin set or a bottom but not a top sheet, look around in the neighboring bins. Chances are pretty good that the entire set is there but got separated as shoppers tossed merchandise from one bin to another in order to look.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog, caring for little ones in the Baby Blog and now relationships in the Marriage Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here or subscribe to the blog using the subscription box on the right.
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