I have this problem where I want to wear name brand clothes, but not pay name brand prices. This leads me to spending a lot of time dealing with Second Hand Clothes. Some people couldn’t imagine wearing second hand clothes because someone else wore them. What they don’t know is, I’m buying brands like diesel and FCUK second hand for prices 90% below retail. So how do we know just what we should buy in a second hand shop?

Here is 10 Tips compiled from GetRichSlowly.org:

1. Set a budget. This is difficult at first — you don’t know how much things cost. But eventually you’ll be able to tell yourself, “I’m going spend $20 today”. It becomes a game to see how much you can buy for $20.
2. Discard your prejudices. Some people consider thrift stores and used clothing shops nasty dirty places. Some are. Most aren’t. Explore your neighborhood. Find a shop or two that you like, and you’ll be hooked.
3. Go with a friend. It’s good to have a second opinion. Your friend may have an eye for what looks good on you — and vice versa.
4. Try things on. Sizes vary widely between manufacturers and even by eras. (Today’s clothes have looser fits.) But go in knowing your general size and measurements. Note that some places don’t have dressing rooms, so it’s smart to wear a modest thin layer in case you need to strip down in the aisle.
5. Examine each item thoroughly. It sucks to get home to find your new shirt has a hole in the pocket. Or that the slacks you thought were a steal actually have a broken zipper.
Check washing instructions. You don’t want to pay $3 for a silk blouse if you’ll never dry-clean it.
5. Use the tags as a guide to find quality brands you like, but don’t limit yourself. Sometimes a brand you’ve never heard of can yield a favorite piece of clothing.
6. Think layers. Maybe that shirt with a stain on the sleeve has a great collar for wearing under a sweater. For $3, you can afford to buy a single-purpose shirt.
7. Use thrift stores as a way to diversify your wardrobe. Buy colors and styles on which you normally wouldn’t spend much. Wear the new clothes a few times to see how you like them, and to gauge the reaction of others.
8. Think about getting certain accessories. Why pay $30 for a new belt in a department store when you can get a better belt in your size for just $2? I like to shop at second-hand stores for hats. (Nice hats.)
9. Look for clothes new with tags. Sometimes unsold department store inventory finds its way to used clothing stores and thrift shops. You’ll generally pay more for these items, but not much.
10. If you won’t wear it, don’t buy it. You don’t save money buying a $3 shirt if it just sits in your closet for two years.

In response my post yesterday about Cheap Flights
After yesterday’s dedicated search for a flight, I found a flight for $600 after tax from farebuzz.com. What farebuzz is, is a considator meaning that they buy lots of tickets in quantity and sell them for less. The same flight that was $900 buying off Northwest’s website was only $600 with farebuzzz.com.

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