Hello guys,
I guess it’s still safe to wish you a happy new month. When I was young, my parents didn’t have a ton of money. Everything that we needed and most of what we had was pretty much used from the toys, furniture and clothes. My mom would take my sister and I thrifting at the popular Soweto market in the CBD of Lusaka, Zambia.
Ironically I discovered it was easier and cheaper for my sister to thrift than it was for me. I struggled a little not until I mastered the secret to affordable and satisfying thrifting tips for men (these tips apply for women too). Thrifting is the purchase of second hand goods, such as clothes; In Zambia this is called ‘Salaula’. The first thing you see when you reach the Lusaka’s town Centre are the numerous thrift stands located on the sides of various roads.
Did you know that celebrities like Zooey Deschanel, Julia Roberts, Drew Berrymore and rapper Macklemore are huge lovers of thrifting , in fact Macklemore blew up with a mega-charting hit ‘thrift shop’ and the rapper still enjoys poppin’ tags in the thrift store.
Recently I thrifted this entire outfit for only K100. For most men out there you must be wondering and thinking “he must be playing games on us” well uh-no!, I got the denim pants at K20, denim jacket at k10, brown Gucci bag at K10, the T-shirt for only K10 and the shoes for K50 giving me a total of K100. You must be asking yourself “how does he do it?” well it’s actually very simple, consider the tips below.⬇😊
1. Draft your budget
Before hitting the thrift store/stands make sure to always work in the confinement of a budget, this will save you time and money hence hindering you from impulse buying. My entire outfit costed me K100 and that’s the amount I was only willing to spend on clothes. For your own information I advise you to only carry the amount you’re willing to spend. This will save you from the overzealous sellers and impulse buying.
2. Patience
I cannot over emphasize this tip especially for men, please be patient! Explore the thrift stands and don’t be shy to try-on different clothing from different thrift stands. Time is money hence going thrifting on Monday’s before mid-morning (8am-11am) will save you money. Most thrift stand sellers have new stock on Mondays which before 12am isn’t priced this allows you authority to buy the items at a low price.
3. Build Thrift stand/store loyalty
This tip will enable you have a closer relationship with your thrift sellers allowing you the ability to purchase clothes at a very affordable price. I got my denim jacket from a loyal thrift stand at only k10 when initially it was being sold for k50.
4. Make it a continuous habit
Remember you will not succeed at first but eventually you will master the art of thrifting and soon you be offering advice to others. By sticking to a thrift shopping strategy, you’ll not only buy the things you truly want, but you won’t waste time shopping in a way that doesn’t fulfill your goals. Plus a good thrift strategy will actually help you to spend more wisely.
An additional tip, please check the clothes you buy inside and out-all angles and cleanliness. I’ve suffered many thrift shopping catastrophe’s that could have been prevented with close inspection of my piece before purchase. That’s why you should always closely examine your thrifted pieces before talking them home to prevent every thrifter’s worst nightmares: A thrift fail!
I hope these tips help you get your thrift spirit on & slay as much as i did in my head to toe k100 thrifted outfit 😃😎!!!
Thank you for reading!
It’s so clever to only take the money you plan to spend! Shopping has a way of tempting you to spend way over budget.
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Exactly i know right…glad you read😃
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Some great tips for thrifting! Like your outfit by the way! I especially like your thrift store loyalty tip! Never even thought that was a thing but its a good idea thats for sure. Star Harford
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You’re welcome n thanks for reading glad you consider the tips
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Great way of shopping and saving money. You got a great deal . Thanks for sharing the idea and the tips.
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You’re welcome n thanks for reading
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Gucci bag for k10 what a bargain 👐.This was such a good read and great tips too
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Thanks Marian😃
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wow, what a deal at K100 along with Gucci Bag, it all just paired beautiful. Yes, I think we all should rather thrift sometimes, gets some great work at cheap rates.
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Thanks😃
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Great ideas for how to thrift shop! I think it all looks great, denim is always a classic and faded denim is my favourite!
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Really…my favourites too…thank you for reading
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This is great! Thrifting seems to be a thing mostly women do but it can be just as helpful-and money-saving for men. Thanks for sharing!
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Exactly😃😃😃men should also thrift!!.you’re welcome & thanks for reading.
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Thanks aswell for reading 😃
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This is such a great post with some really good tips for thrift shopping. I am also so impressed that this was written by a guy who is happy to show other guys the benefits of thrift shopping. And looking at the value of what you showed us in this post with your outfit and the cost – you certainly know what you are doing to get the most of it.
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Thank you! 😃
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You know, that is such a smart idea! I never think of men’s fashion when it comes to thrifting. Great outfit choice.
xx, Kusum | http://www.sveeteskapes.com
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Thanks😃
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I think my hubby would be quite content with the idea of thrifting. Maybe not for clothing, but other things like car parts, machines, and those kinds of things. Have you ever seen Flea Market Flip or American Pickers? That’s the kind of thing we both would enjoy!
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Ohh really….am actually in Zambia but i love your idea of your hubby Thrifting for othet stuff😃
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Its never even occurred to me about Men’s thrift shopping but what a great idea! It shouldn’t just be something accepted that Women do, there are always great finds for guys as well!
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Definitely
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Check you out in your new threads, a great find and welcome to the world of thrift.
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😃yeap!
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This is something new to me. I never heard of such kind of shopping before. Great One. I need to search for it more.
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Really..am gkad you read n got exposed! 😃
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As a fashion blogger I am always exposed to all kind of luxurious stuff that is way out of the budget. I’ve been conscious about my spending on clothing as I am planning to shift to sustainable clothing. For that thrifting is an amazing option. So true, everyone should thrift and reuse clothing that way trees and saved.
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So true….Thrifting helps cut costs n also simply make one look good😃
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