Intentional Shopping

This month alone, I saved almost $500 thrift shopping, primarily on designer shoes.

I don't have any magic tricks. I don't know of any hidden boutique shops, or have complex maps of which shops have discounts on which days. What I have done is build shopping into my regular routine, which takes the pressure off any one outing. We're pretty fortunate in the northwest, that second-hand stores are almost as plentiful as coffee shops.

First step: identify shops that are along your routes to other activities. For me this looks like one near my work (fun lunch break anyone?), two near my home, and three near my regular girl's night. By having these already identified, it's easy to just swing in for 15 minutes on the way to grocery shopping or if traffic was better than expected to girl's night.

Next: have a few items that are on your "list". Three categories I always shop for:

• Need: Jeans. Seriously, love thrift shops for jeans, where I'll see many brands and fits side by side. 
• Fun: Shoes. I love variety for my shoes, so second-hand is great for something I want to rotate quickly.
• Non-urgent wishlist item: Tiki bar decor for work. This is something that if I see it, cool, but there's no pressing deadline, and I'd rather save the $ than buy new. 

Between building the stores into my routine and having a shopping list, it becomes habit. For me, this is about 30 minutes per week, and I've almost entirely eliminated "regular" shopping.

Here's the score for this month:

These silver ballet-inspired Taryn Rose wedges. Compare at $150 new, paid $11.

These fierce Club Monaco studded flats. $250 new, paid $15.

This Next blouse. Compare at £24 ($31), paid $10.

These Style & Co skinny jeans. $49 new, paid $3.

These Dana Buchman trouser cut jeans. $48 new, paid $3.25.

Overall, I would have paid $528 for these 5 items new. Instead, I paid $42.25 for like-new condition, a $485.75 savings.

What steps can you take to make shopping second-hand... second nature?