What, Great Gift Finds at the Local Thrift Store?

Being a college student, my budget is limited, but I can find some great gifts at my local thrift shops. Thrift shop, shopping, is not only for the holiday season but any time a gift is warranted. You can find some great deals and sometimes new things are donated from stores such as Target, Eddie Bauer and LL Bean and many other well known stores.

You can get some amazing gift that are still tagged or boxed for a fraction of the cost. For example, I bought my husband a Carharts jacket for $8.00 and the insulated coveralls were $6.00. I scored big!

If you do plan on going thrift store shopping, schedule or plan on spending an hour or two. Sometimes the best deals are at the bottom shelf or still in the thrift store bins. Some fantastic well known thrift shops are the Humane Society Thrift Store, Goodwill, Salvation Army and St. Vincent DePaul, just to name a few.

My favorite here in Oregon, is the Humane Society Thrift Store, because I know that my money spent here goes to a great cause. The Humane Society protects abused and abandoned animals. They also offer spay and neuter clinics and for low income families or individuals. The Humane Society helps get their pets the care they need with vouchers. They additional offer education to raise healthy, happy pets. So not only, am I buying a gift here, I am helping to support animal welfare in our community.

If you're not lucky enough to find tagged or boxed gifts then switch to plan B. Look through the books section. There are many great books that still look new. Maybe it is a book your aunt or cousin would love and the best part, the book cost you .50 cents.

Another great place to look if you're buying for little kids is the toy section! Random toys are donated all the time because children out grow them and they are still in like new condition. Maybe you will find the Barbie jeep your niece has been asking for all year or your new three month old nephew, needs some entertaining rattles or musical toys. I bought a gift for my nephew for $4.00 and then I found the same gift at Wal-mart for $39.99. Wow, I saved $36.00 and he loved it! The children's book section is another place to find like new books for kids.

Additionally, check out the clothing section for kids since they do outgrow clothing at a rapid scale. Many times the tags are removed from the clothes, but they were never worn at all. You might find that Ralph Lauren little sleeper for a $1.50 or the little sluggers overalls for your nephew, and the best thing, you got it out of the .50 cent bin.

Many individual tastes change through the years, and someone who once loved fairies and unicorns, just simply out grew that style. These items are then donated. The figurines, at one time, may have cost someone $50.00 but now you score it for $1.00. Figurines of all kinds make really great gifts.

Looking for a gift that just says "Hey, I am thinking of you or Happy Birthday for a co-worker" then search through the coffee and tea cups. You can pick these up at the thrift store for .10 cents. Then find a small stuffed animal for .25 cents and place it in the cup. Now you have a great gift that only cost you .60 cents!

Picture frames are another great idea to give as a gift. People always need picture frames and you can pick these up for .25 cents and up. I bought a great picture frame yesterday for $4.00. This Frame has a mirror in the middle and two open slots on the sides for 4X6 prints. It also has hooks on the bottom portion of the frame for hanging stuff up like, bath towels robes or even keys. It is heavy duty and in great condition. I am going to place pictures of my kids in the 4X6 slots next to the mirror and give it to grandpa for Christmas. It's a spectacular gift for only $4.00 and little bit of my time to place the photographs.

Instead of placing a photograph in a picture frame look in the card section for a unique card or post card to place in the frame. Cards usually cost about .10 cent each and you have made a personalized gift for.35 cents. You can also repaint the picture frame too. Look in the craft section for paints. Usually craft paints are about .50 cents a bottle.

There are so many ideas and gifts waiting to be bought from your local thrift store. You will be amazed at what you can find and the possibilities are boundless. It's possible that you could buy gifts for the whole family and your friends for about $20.00. Most importantly, have a good time and support your community by shopping at your local thrift store.