thrifting guide for men


not too long ago i shared how i save a buck & shop within our budget for clothing. you can read my affordable style blog post right here

a big part of saving money within our family is thrifting & shopping secondhand. 

on my days off, i love grabbing a cup of coffee & heading to the thrift shop. 


this isn't the case for my husband, though. 

he appreciates my willingness to work within our budget, but he isn't a shopper. he likes looking put-together & he has strong opinions about what he wears, but he would prefer to shop only a couple of times a year for what he needs. 

last weekend, we stopped by goodwill on our way home & found his complete fall wardrobe for under $50. you would be so surprised at what you can find in the men's area at your local thrift shop!

 today i thought i'd share what we found on our goodwill trip & tips on shopping secondhand for the men in your life.


1. shop together! my husband can get overwhelmed with the aisles of disorganized clothing at the thrift store. we make it a date & scan the rows of clothing together. it makes shopping feel more manageable for my husband & it feels like quality time for me. 


2. don't shop brands, shop fit. if you're a newbie thrifter, you will be shocked at the variety of brands you'll find at the thrift store. while shopping for my husband, we found clothing from target to ralph lauren. we purchased button ups from dockers, merona, aeropostale & ralph lauren. it doesn't matter the brand as much as the fit & cut. 


3. shop for basics, too. i often find basics at the thrift store for my husband. while on our trip to goodwill, we purchased two brand spankin' new white hanes tees for $2.50 each. he needs just a couple at a time so it was much more affordable than buying a large pack at the store. i've also found patagonia long underwear, american apparel plain tees & wool socks at the thrift for my hubby.


4. keep a list of needs & sizes in your wallet. this applies for the whole family. always keep a list of needs & your family members' sizes in your wallet. when arriving at the thrift shop, pull out your list & keep an eye out for those key items. this will keep you focused & less forgetful. although some thrift shops don't accept returns, goodwill allows exchanges & store credit. yay!

so, here's our breakdown of cost from our fall shopping trip for him:

7 collared, button-up, long sleeve shirts at $4 each = $28
2 pairs of jeans at $5 each = $10
2 white v-neck tees at $2.50 each = $5
grand total = $43


do you shop secondhand for the men in your life? i'd love to read your tips & tricks for saving a buck at the thrift shop!

love,
natalie

9 comments:

Dakota said...

I try to thrift just about anything, however, I have the hardest time finding items for my husband or even little guy! Most children's clothing donated to our area thrift stores are outdated... Not enough to be cute "vintage". And my husband has a very distinct style... He likes button ups, but more western style and I can't seem to find them very easily at our thrift stores! My wardrobe, thrifts or clearance for sure!!!! ;)

Unknown said...

I thrift as much as I can. My three growing boys are so hard on their clothes! I've really taken the task of making do work with lots of creative mending and re-dying my jeans! I think by the time my third boy gets the hand-me-downs, they will all be nothing but patches! Luckily my family only likes soft clothes - and thrifted, patched, mended, worn clothes are definitely that!

Stephanie said...

Our husbands sound the same! I usually try to shop for him if my two girls are up for it, the hubster comes last since he doesn't come with. :) button ups are the best thing to find. I usually take a photo and send it to him if I am unsure. Also ties are great to find. We have gotten some great vintage but stylish ones there. My husband buys a new pair of pants and two shirts very year. The rest is from the thrift. I love reading your tips and adding them to mine. It's kinda a game to see what one can find with in budget. Hurry up November I only have $8 left. :) love your blog

Jenny said...

I rarely buy new & always thrift shop with a list, no matter what it is I'm looking for.

Melody said...

I love thrifting for hubby but he will go with me sometimes too. Of course I could thrift all the time. Too bad I can not make money at it. Bummer. Take care.

erin said...

girl...
even though i already do all this, i love reading the way you break it down and put your spin on it.
you're genius.
xo

nikkimaija said...

My other half loves thrifting even more...well...at least as much as I do. Which is good because he's kind of picky. If I get him something he'll usually wear it once as a thank you and then it never sees the light of day again. He's the champion of thrifted Western buttonups and has also found tons of household stuff we wanted, like hundreds of dollars of speakers for $25 and a $200 faucet for $4.

emily o. said...

My brother loves to thrift & sell menswear (mostly higher end suits, etc). This may be more info, or not the right kind of info you're looking for, but he has a great "how to thrift" series on his blog. It has helped me be smarter in what suits I thrift for my husband!
http://thriftygent.com/category/how-to-thrift-series/

Shannan Martin said...

OMW. Soulmates 4 Life!!!
Xoxo

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