You all know how much we love to hit up our local thrift stores for fun bargains and great deals. (Here’s a collection of our favorite thrifting posts and the post about how we did our best Macklemore impressions.) Sometimes, though, we’re asked how we find treasures at these places. And, since we know a lot of you also enjoy hitting up thrift stores for fun finds and bargains, we thought we’d share some of our best suggestions with you all.

So, these are our 8 favorite tips for finding awesome stuff when thrifting for the home.

1. Shop often. 

It sounds cliche, but you just never know what sweet finds will be there each time you shop. So, if you’re really looking for a specific item, or just browsing for the best bargains you can find, it’s important to be patient. Know that sometimes, there might be five items you can’t leave without, and other times, there might be absolutely nothing you’re interested in. That’s why it’s important to be patient and check back often.

2. Keep a running list of items you’re looking for.

If you’re one of those people who can keep tabs of this mentally, go for it. Otherwise, there are a ton of apps you can download that will help with this. Or go super-duper old school and just write them down and carry it in your pocket or purse every time you go out.

This is important because you don’t want to just be buying things to be buying them. If something is really cool but you have no current need for it, or no real idea of how you could ever use it in the future, it’s better to just leave it there for the next person. For instance, I’ve passed over a bunch of cool chairs that I know would paint really well. But, I currently have about 12 chairs in some stage of repair at home. So, unless the chair that’s tempting me is a once in a lifetime find, I know to pass over it.

On the other hand, keeping a list of items you are currently looking for is helpful for remember to know what to buy. I don’t always check the office supply section of thrift stores, but if I’ve made a note that I’m looking for file folders and bins, I’m a lot more likely to find them if I know to go and look for them.

3. Know what’s always there.

Hubs has noticed that a lot of items, like electronic cables, are in abundance at thrift stores, like broken TV’s that no one will ever want for anything…

But, if you’re looking to make a fancy “smart TV,” you could possibly pick up a thrifted desktop computer tower and a VGA cable and an audio cable for a DIY version that would probably cost less than $25. You may also need a mouse or a keyboard, but those are also easy to find at thrift stores. (P.S. If you’re curious how to do this, feel free to send Wyatt a message.)

4. Be creative about uses for everyday items.

Seasoned thrifters know that clothing can be refashioned. In the same way, silverware can be turning into creative hooks for the kitchen wall. Computers can sometimes be turned into external hard drives, and children’s toys can be turned into artwork with a coat of paint. Bonus points if said paint is metallic.

What I’m saying is that if an item is really cheap and in good condition, take a minute to brainstorm about how you can use it.

5. Copy fun ideas for yourself.

Please don’t start copying brilliant artists or designers. I’m talking about getting inspiration from general concepts not stealing specific creativity. For example, when Hubs and I ate dinner at a restaurant recently and enjoyed the random Trivial Pursuit cards on the table, we went out and found a few sets of old trivia games to make our own little set of trivia cards.

The good news is that you can get games a lot cheaper when they are missing pieces, and when they’re on clearance. So for less than $5, we picked up three different sets of trivia cards we can mix and match to make our own little pre-dinner/road trip/random game night stacks of cards.

6. Look for things that can be painted.

We always look for little knick knacks that we can spray paint white. So far, we’ve been really pleased with our little pear and our ceramic Christmas houses. I’ve noticed that pretty much anything can be painted white and look awesome. What’s the best thing you’ve ever found to paint white?

7. Have a general idea of your “good deal” limit.

When we walk into a thrift store with no particular purchase in mind, we have a general rule of thumb that we follow. Unless it’s really, really awesome (yes, those are technical terms), we won’t spend more than $10 on an impulse item. For instance, the $25 kitchen table that could be remade for a future outdoor patio space is a fine idea, but unless we had a specific plan for how to and when we’d do that, we will pass it up. $25 is more than we want to spend on something that might end up sitting in our basement for awhile, like a few other projects we have down there.

8. Shop the sales.

Most thrift stores offer some type of sale. When you go in, check to see what’s on sale that day (Red tags 50% off, etc.) and keep an eye out for those as you shop. Those tags are how you can get the biggest, best bargains.

Now, tell us your favorite tips for finding a good deal! We’d love to hear your best tips!