This week is “Fashion Week” at Frugal Upstate in honor of my book review of “How to Be a Budget Fashionista“. Make sure to join my contest-the prize is a free copy of the book!
Here we go with the tip! One of the ways we frugalites love to shop is thrift stores and garage sales! To be totally prepared to snap up good deals for everyone in the family, make sure to keep an index card in your purse or wallet where you’ve written down the sizes for everyone in your family for shirts, pants, shoes etc (if like me you don’t have a foot fetish-I buy all Princess’s dress shoes at thrift stores, most of them have never been worn)!
Since sizes have changed over time, you may want to actually take a waistband measurement and an inseam measurement on a pair of pants that you KNOW fit each family member and write that down, and then keep a dollar store measuring tape in your purse as well. Then you’ll really be prepared-if a garment appears to be the right size, you can whip out the measuring tape and check. Viola, no buying it and bringing it home only to find it doesn’t fit.
It works for me. Make sure to head over to Rocks in My Dryer for more great tips.
works for me wednesday 
thrift store 
thrifting 
garage sale 
garage saling 
frugal
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
That’s a great idea. I love to go garage sales, but I have never thought of writing down all the sizes of everyone. I alway think I can “remember”. ha ha ha…you can bet I’ll be writing them down now. Thanks again!
I even do that with my own clothes. I have a steel tape which lives in my purse and I take every measurement that I can before I ever try anything on in the fitting room.
And I totally agree that thrift stores are the only place to buy growing girls dress shoes. Athletic shoes – never!
Stephanie-I try not to rely on my memory for much
I always say my mind is like a seive–I’ve just got so much important stuff in there that it keeps bumping each other out. . . . and hey, hubby’s neck size just doesn’t win out in that equation 
(is it 14???)
Rebecca-Princess happens to LOVE shoes and totally wears out dress shoes, because she really does wear them every day. But most of the ones you see in thrift stores were bought for a wedding, or for Easter, or worn to church/temple/mosque like 4 times and then grown out of. . . . they usually look brand new. At one point she had mary janes in red, black and white
She’s a well dressed little girl.